PAST CONTINUOUS
USE
She was listening to the teacher.
To talk about what was happening in the past.
I was cooking while / as
my brother was cleaning the house .
To describe two or more simultaneous actions in the past.
STRUCTURE
• I was listening to music. Affirmative
Negative
• He was not reading a book.
Interrogative
• Were you playing the guitar?
* Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t. Short answer
AFFIRMATIVE
• STRUCTURE:
Subject + verb to be (past simple form) + main verb finished in –ing
(was / were)
I was doing the homework.
The dog was playing with a bone.
We were listening to music.
NEGATIVE
• STRUCTURE:
Subject + verb to be (past simple form) + not + main verb finished in –ing
(was / were)
Contracted form
I was not doing the homework. = I wasn’t doing…
The dog was not eating a bone. = The dog wasn’t eating…
We were not listening to music. = We weren’t listening…
INTERROGATIVE
• STRUCTURE:
Verb to be (past simple form) + subject + main verb finished in –ing + ?
(Was / Were)
Was I doing the homework?
Was the dog eating a bone?
Were they listening to music?
SHORT ANSWERS
• STRUCTURE: Yes, I was.
Yes, + subject + verb to be (past simple form) Yes, he was.
Yes, you were.
(was / were)
Contracted form
No, I wasn’t.
No, + subject + verb to be (past simple form) + not No, he wasn’t.
(wasn’t / weren’t) No, you weren’t.
After the verb to be, don’t include the main verb finished in –ing:
Yes, I was listening.
Main verb finished in –ing
• Exceptions. When the main verb finishes in:
Silent -e live living The -e disappears and we
come coming add -ing
One syllable verb that finishes: Run running We double the consonant
1 vowel + 1 consonant Sit sitting and add -ing
Two syllables verb, with the accent
in the second syllable, that finishes: Refer referring We double the consonant
Begin beginning and add -ing
1 vowel + 1 consonant
The verb finishes in –l Travel travelling We usually double the –l
Cancel cancelling and add -ing
The verb finishes in –ie Lie lying The –ie disappear, we
Die dying write –y and add –ing
TIME EXPRESSIONS
• ago We usually place time expressions:
• at + (time) at the end of the sentence
• yesterday morning He was painting an hour ago.
We weren’t studying yesterday morning.
• yesterday afternoon
Were they studying at 8.00?
• last night
But if we have two actions happening at the same time, we use:
while / as
We were studying while / as they were playing videogames.
