The English language is rich at times. Not among them last place occupies the Past Continuous Tense, which is responsible for actions that lasted for some period in the past. But this is not its only function: we will talk about the formula of formation, use and time indicators further.
General information
Past Continuous tense is translated into Russian as Past Continuous Tense. The name speaks for itself. Past indicates that the action took place in the past, and Continuous is an aspect that describes the duration, the duration of the action.
There is no such time in Russian. Therefore, for Russian-speaking people it is not very clear and causes difficulties. As a rule, Past Continuous is translated using imperfective verbs in the past tense.
Design
The Past Continuous tense is a compound tense. Like the Present Continuous, this tense form is formed using two verbs: the auxiliary to be and the main verb, to which the ending -ing is attached. But since the Past Continuous speaks about the duration of the action in the past, and not in the present, the auxiliary verb to be will also be in the past tense - was/were. All features of the formation of affirmative, negative and interrogative forms are presented in the following table:
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Past Continuous Past long time |
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Subjects + was/were +main verb + -ing |
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I was sleeping - I was sleeping You were sleeping - you were sleeping He (she, it) was sleeping - he (she, it) was sleeping |
We were sleeping - we slept You were sleeping - you were sleeping They were sleeping - they were sleeping |
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Subjects + was/were + not + main verb + -ing |
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I was not smiling - I didn’t smile You were smiling - you didn’t smile He (she, it) was not smiling - he (she, it) did not smile |
We were not smiling - we did not smile You were not smiling - you did not smile They were not smiling - they did not smile |
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Was/were + subjects + main verb + -ing? |
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Was I crying? - I cried? Were you crying? - Did you cry? Was he (she, it) crying? - Did he (she, it) cry? |
Were we crying? - Were we crying? Were you crying? - Did you cry? Were they crying? - Did they cry? |
Past Continuous rules and examples of use
As can be seen from the above examples of verb conjugation in the Past Continuous, the grammatical formula for forming the form does not cause special difficulties. The main thing is to choose the right form of auxiliary verbs. Difficulties arise in practice and relate to cases when the Past Continuous is used. To avoid problems in the future, we suggest following rules usage:
- To show an action that lasted for some period in the past. As a rule, the question of when exactly it began does not seem important to the speaker. The main thing is to highlight its presence in a given period of time:
At 7 o’clock yesterday she was drinking a cup of hot coffee. - Yesterday at 7 o’clock she was drinking hot coffee.
- To emphasize the process itself rather than the action or subsequent result:
My sister was drawing the whole day. - My sister has been drawing all day.
- To describe a short-term, short-lived situation in the past. The speaker clarifies and specifies when exactly this action occurred:
His family was living in Japan for several months. - His family lived in Japan for several months.
- In complex sentences, where the Past Continuous is used in one part to indicate a continuous action, and in the other - Past Simple(Simple Past) to describe a short single action. The two parts are connected by the following conjunctions till (until), until (not yet), before (before), as (while), after (after), when (when):
He was reading a newspaper before we entered the room. - He was reading the newspaper before we entered the room.
Not all verbs in English language can be used in the Past Continuous. Exceptions include state verbs (to love - to love, to like - to love, like, to hate - to hate).
Time period designation
For each tense form in the English language there are “marker words”. The Past Continuous is no exception. Typically, in sentences where the predicate is expressed by a verb in the past continuous, certain indicator words are used:
TOP 4 articleswho are reading along with this
- Denoting exact time : at 8 p.m. (at 8 pm), at 4 o'clock yesterday (yesterday at 4 o'clock), this afternoon (at lunch hour), this evening at 9 (in the evening at 9), at midnight (at midnight) and others (My father was smoking at midnight. - My dad smoked at midnight);
- Denoting a period of time : all day (all day), last morning (yesterday morning), during some time (for some time), this time last week (at this time last week), this evening (today evening) and others (This time last month they were swimming in the sea - At this time last month they were swimming in the sea).
I suggest you get acquainted with another time from Continuous groups, namely - Past Continuous Tense. Although it is not used very often in either speech or writing, you will still need to master it when learning English grammar.
What is Past Continuous Tense?
The Past Continuous is one of several English tense forms that describe an action that has already taken place in the past. The peculiarity of this past tense is that it was continuous. Action in Past Continuous Tense is expressed as lasting (flowing) at a certain moment in the past time. Formation Past Continuous Tense - Past Continuous Tense
Rules for the formation of Past Continuous Tense
Past Continuous Tense is a complex tense formed by using the auxiliary verb to be in Past Simple Tense (was, were) and the present participle of the main verb. Simply put, a present participle is a verb with the ending -ing.
The rules that must be followed when forming the Present Participle can be found in the article Present Continuous
- Affirmative form Past Continuous Tense is formed using a verb to be(I/ he/ she/ it was, we/ you/ they were), which is placed after the subject and before the Present Participle of the main verb.
- During education interrogative form Past Continuous Tense auxiliary verb to be(was, were) is placed before the subject, and the Present Participle of the main verb is placed after the subject.
- Negative form forms a particle not, which is in colloquial speech merges into one with an auxiliary verb to be:
The subject is followed by a verb to be(was, were) combined with negation not, and then the Present Participle of the main verb.
Conjugation table for the verb to dream in Past Continuous Tense
| Number | Face | Affirmative form | Interrogative form | Negative form |
| Unit h. | 1
2 3 |
I was dream ing
You were dream ing He/She/It was dream ing |
Was I dream ing?
Were you dream ing? Was he/ she/ it dream ing? |
I was not (wasn't) dream ing
You were not (weren't) dream ing He/She/It was not (wasn't) dream ing |
| Mn. h. | 1
2 3 |
We were dream ing
You were dream ing They were dream ing |
Were we dream ing?
Were you dream ing? Were they dream ing? |
We were not (weren't) dream ing
You were not (weren't) dream ing They were not (weren't) dream ing |
Do not forget!
Quite a lot of verbs are not used in the continuous form. You will find a detailed list of these verbs in the article Present Simple
Past Continuous Tense is used
1. When expressing an action or state that occurred during a certain moment in the past tense. The period of this action can be indicated by such adverbial phrases as:
- at 4 o’clock yesterday - yesterday at 4 o’clock
- at that moment/ time last Sunday - at that moment/ at that time last Sunday
or it may be indicated by another action expressed by a verb in the Past Simple Tense. Examples:
- They were watching news at 9 o’clock yesterday. — Yesterday at 9 o’clock they were watching the news.
- At that time he was talking with me over the telephone. “At that moment he was talking to me on the phone.
- They were playing when the teacher came in. — When the teacher came in, they were playing.
- You were sleeping when I left. - When I left you were sleeping.
2. Past Continuous is often used to show that an action took too long. Such sentences often contain tense adverbials:
- the whole day - the whole day
- all the time - all the time
- all day long - all day long
- from 5 till 8 o’clock - from 5 to 8 o’clock
- I was working the whole day. — I worked all day long.
- He was repairing his car from 4 to 6 p.m. last Saturday. — He was repairing his car from 4 to 6 pm last Saturday.
3. When expressing disapproval or impatience of a past tendency or habit. Adverbs are often used in such sentences:
- always - always
- constantly - constantly
- ever - forever
- My father was always saying not to come late. — My dad always asked me not to come late.
- I was always ringing him up after my work. — I always called him after work.
4. To indicate an action that was in progress, in a subordinate clause of time after prepositions:
- while - at that time
- when - when
In the main clause the verb is used in Past Simple Tense. Examples:
- She watched a film, while the children were playing in the garden. — She was watching a film while the children were playing in the garden.
- While Nansy was cooking breakfast, her husband read the newspaper. — While Nastya was preparing breakfast, her husband was reading the newspaper.
5. In order to show that an action in the past developed gradually:
- The wind was rising. — The wind was getting stronger.
- It was getting dark. - It was getting dark.
6. When expressing an action that was planned in the past for the near future from the point of view of the past.
Forms Past Continuous ( Past Progressive) are formed with the help to be in the shape of ( was, were) and the present participle of the semantic verb: I was smiling. When adding endings to verbs - ing sometimes there are changes in their spelling, for example have/hav ing. More about .
Abbreviated forms:
wasn't= was not
weren't= were not
Using the Past Continuous
1. A continuous action that began before a certain moment in the past and is still happening at that moment. The moment can be indicated by time notation ( at that moment – at this moment, at that time – at this time, at 3 o’clock – at 3 o’clock, at midnight – at midnight) or subordinate clauses with a predicate verb in the Past Simple.
Examples: I was writing a letter. - I was writing a letter. (I still continued to write the letter)
At 10 o'clock last night I was watching TV. – Yesterday evening at 10 o’clock I was watching TV.
I was looking at myself in the mirror when she came in. “I was looking at myself in the mirror when she came in.”
2. A long action that was performed in the elapsed period of time, although it could be interrupted during this entire period of time.
Examples: I was reading a magazine during 2 hours. – I read the newspaper for 2 hours.
Note.Please note the features Past usage Continuous (Past Progressive) and Past Simple.
3. Past Continuous (Past Progressive), like Past Simple, is used with the following time markings ( all day yesterday - all day yesterday, all day long - all day, all the time - all the time, the whole evening - all evening, from two till three - from two to three).
4. If we're talking about about a long-term action (about a process), the Past Continuous (Past Progressive) form is used, and if the author states the fact of the action being performed, the Past Simple form is used.
5. When two continuous actions are performed simultaneously, they are both expressed using either the Past Continuous (Past Progressive) or the Past Simple. If the speaker wants to emphasize the action as a process, the Past Continuous (Past Progressive) is used, and if he states a fact, the Past Simple is used.
Examples: While you were sleeping,I was playing tennis.– While you were sleeping, I was playing tennis. (process)
While you slept,I played tennis.– While you were sleeping, I was playing tennis. (fact)
The Past Progressive Tense, its second name The Past Continuous, denotes long-term or unfinished actions in the past. We can use this tense to describe what happened at a certain point in time in the past.
In Russian we pronounce [past continuus/progressive] – English transcription. In this article, we will introduce and study when the Past Continuous is used, as well as rules and examples of the Past Continuous.
Read introductory text and try to retell it. Pay attention to the highlighted words.
When I arrived at the station, my boyfriend Luke was waiting for me. He was wearing a nice black suit, and he was holding red roses in his left hand. When I got off the train, he ran up to me and kissed me passionately. It was raining and thundering. I told Luke to go to a café so that we could talk, but he insisted on going to another place. While he was driving,I was listening to the radio. The weather was awful but at the same time beautiful. Luke was smiling, but he looked worried. We stopped on the top of a hill with fantastic views. He came up to me; he kneeled in front of me and took a ring out of his pocket. “Jessica, will you…” he said. “Listen, Luke I want to split up with you”, I interrupted him.
Rules of Education in Past Continuous Tense
Now we will look at how the Past Continuous is formed in English.
The past continuous tense is formed with the help of an auxiliary verb and a present participle -ing form of a semantic verb.
Past Continuous formation formula:
— For pronouns I/he/she/it was + ing form
— For pronouns you/we/they were + ing form
Example:
— My boyfriend Luke was waiting for me – My boyfriend Luke was waiting for me.
— We were listening to the radio - We listened to the radio.
Cases of using the Past Continuous
Past Continuous is a very common tense in English, you should understand it and know it well. Below are rules and example sentences in the Past Continuous that will help you quickly understand the difficulties of using the Past Continuous.
1. Past Progressive is usually used
When we talk about actions or states that lasted at a certain point in the past. This tense emphasizes that the action continued during a certain period in the past:
Example:
—Peter was reading a book at 5 pm yesterday Peter was reading a book yesterday at 5 pm. (Specific action – 5 o’clock yesterday).
— I was sleeping at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon – I was sleeping at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon.
— We were still discussing the plan at midnight“At midnight we were still discussing the plan.
2. The Past Continuous is often used together with
That is, one action interrupts another. Past Continuous is a long action, Past Simple is a short action.
Example:
— While I was washed the dishes bell rank– When I was washing the dishes, the bell rang. (Long action - washed the dishes; short action - the bell rang).
— I was cycling to work when I fell off the bike – I was riding my bike to work and fell off the bike. (The previous action in progress was interrupted by another action.)
— As I was washed the dog my husband called me – While I was washing the dog, my husband called me. (Washing is a long-term action, my husband called me and interrupted this action).
3. Two or more simultaneous actions in the past (two actions that happened at the same time)
Example:
—Paul was reading out the data while Sarah was writing it down – Paul read the data out loud and Sarah wrote it down.
— While Alan was smoking in his room, his friends were swimming in the pool - While Alan was smoking in his room, his friends were swimming in the pool.
—Alex was made lunch; Mary was laying the table – Alex was preparing dinner, Mary was setting the table.
4. Descriptions of events in history
We often use the Past Progressive at the beginning of a story to describe a situation.
Example:
— I was walking, the birds were singing and the kids were crying“I was walking, the birds were singing, and the children were crying.
—It was raining the wind was blowing. I was sitting next to the fireplace. Jim was playing the guitar, and the kids were dancing- It was raining. The wind was blowing. I was sitting by the fireplace. Jim played the guitar and the children danced.
—It was getting dark, and I was walking fast to the bar. Abruptly... - It was getting dark, and I quickly went to the bar. Suddenly…
5. From the lesson, we know that the adverbs constantly, always, forever are used to express irritation
In the same way, we can use the Past Continuous, only to express past repeated actions. Let's look at sentences in the past progressive with these adverbs.
Example:
— Luis was forever smoking in my room! “Louis was always smoking in my room!”
- No was constantly sleeping on duty! – He constantly slept on duty!
—She was always losing her wallet – She always lost her wallet.
6. With verbs that show change or growth
Example:
— New buildings were going up everywhere – New buildings were erected everywhere.
—My dog was growing up quickly – My dog grew up quickly.
—His Chinese was improving- His Chinese improved.
7. Past continuous tense is also used in conditional sentences
But this time is rare. Most often we see in stories or hear in dialogues.
Example:
— If Sam was playing, they would probably win – If Sam had played, they probably would have won.
—If she was trying to find a job, she could make a fortune - If she tried to find a job, she could make a fortune.
Although the Past Continuous tense is used here, Type 2 conditional sentences refer to the future or present tense.
8. Past forms are used when we talk about the present in several polite expressions
Example:
— Excuse me, I was wondering if this was the bus for Manchester – Sorry, I would like to know if this bus was to Manchester?
9. When is the past continuous used in indirect speech?
Simple, and most importantly clear examples will easily answer this question for you.
Example:
— “I'm not looking forward to going back to university,” Clara said – Clara said: “I’m not going back to university.” (Direct speech).
— Clara said she was not looking forward to going back to university – Clara said that she is not going to return to university. (Indirect speech).
As can be seen from the first example, in direct speech the verb is in, and in indirect speech, we already see that the retold words are in the Past Continuous.
Based on the above, we can conclude that if a verb is in direct speech in the present continuous, then in indirect speech it will already be in the past cont.
We described in the article how all tenses change in indirect speech Direct and indirect speech.
Words - markers (time indicators) Past Continuous Tense
Auxiliary words will help you determine which tense is used in a sentence.
Each time has its own clue words. Of course, it happens that the same keyword is used with other tenses, so you need to remember not only the signal words, but also the rules of use for each of them.
While, at midday, at lunchtime, all morning, all day, when, at 5 o’clock, from 5 till 6 yesterday, the whole evening, as, during, this afternoon, at this time yesterday etc.
Examples of sentences in the past continuous with the words satellites:
— Mila was digging in the garden when she hurt her foot – Mila was digging in the garden and injured her foot.
— While I was painting the fence, Din was resting on the couch - While I was painting the fence, Dean was resting on the couch.
— I was baking cakes all day– I’ve been baking cakes all day.
— My half-brother was skiing from 10 till 7 yesterday– My stepbrother went skiing from 4 to 7 yesterday.
— Oliver was wrapping the gift at this time yesterday Oliver was packing a gift at this time yesterday.
Forms of sentences in the Past Continuous
It is always important to know how to construct sentences in English, since there is a strict sequence of words. If we violate the rules of sentence construction, then native speakers may not understand us. Therefore, we invite you to consider all three forms of the past continuous in the form of tables, which present rules and examples.
Affirmative sentences Past Continuous
The affirmative form of sentences is constructed according to the formula: