PAST CONTINUOUS

Past continuous

I was

playing

You

We

They

were

He

She

It

was

Past continuous

Was the teacher explaining grammar at schoollast Monday?No, she wasn’t. She was explaining Geography.

Past continuous tense

was I

playing?

were

you

we

they

was

he

she

it

I

Was not

Wasn’t

playing

You

We

They

were not

weren’t

He

She

It

was not

wasn’t

INTERROGATIVE NEGATIVE

USES

We use the past continuous to describe a past action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.

What were you doing yesterday at 8 0’clock? I was preparing breakfast.

Were you working yesterday at 10pm? No, I was watching TV at home.

PAST SIMPLE + PAST CONTINUOUS

Past simple and past continuous are used together when something happened in the

middle of something else.

The policeman broke his ankle while he was running after the dog

Compare the past continuous (I was doing) and past simple (I did):

Past continuous (in the middle of an action)

I was walking home when I met Dave. (in the middle of walking home)

Ann was watching television when the phone rang.

WHILE, WHENWhile normally accompanies past continuous;

when, past simple. Compare:

My mobile phone rang while the band was playing. I was reading a book while you were watching TV.

What were you doing when I phoned you?When the phone rang, I was watching the news.

Look at this chart

YES NO

9 - 11 Study Surf the Internet

11 - 1 Do yoga Do exercise

1 - 5 Have lunch Take a nap

5 - 9 Do homework Sleep

What was Ann doing at…?

Was she studying at 9? Yes she was.Was she doing exercise at 1? No she wasn’t. She was doing yoga.

WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE DOING?

DO YOU HAVE A GOOD MEMORY?

• He was reading.

• They were playing football.

• They were cooking.

• It was raining.

What were you doing yesterday …?

• In the morning

• At midday

• After lunch

• In the evening