The Past Continuous Tense is Most Often Used for Actions Happening at Some Time in the Past

7/26/2019 The Past Continuous Tense is Most Often Used for Actions Happening at Some Time in the Past

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The past continuous tenseis most often used for actions happening at some time in the past.

For actions happening at some time in the past

When we want to talk about an action that was happening over a period of time in the past, we usethe past continuous tense. Look at these examples:

At this time last week I was lyingon the beach in Florida.

! mother was workingin the garden so she didn"t hear the telephone when I called her

!esterda!.

I had m! car fixed because it wasn't workingproperl!.

#orr!, I wasn't listening. $an !ou sa! it again please%

What were!ou doingat & o"clock !esterda!%

Wh! were!outalkingto 'ohn when I saw !ou in the cafeteria !esterda!%

I went to lunch too earl!. (he food wasstill beingcooked. )passive*

(he past continuous is ver! often used with the past simple to sa! that something happened in the

middle of something else. In each of the following examples, the single event )past simple* happens

in the middle of a longer action )past continuous*.

+ou phoned while I was havinga bath.

When I got home !esterda!, a cat was sittingon the roof.

It started to rain ust as we were gettingread! to have our picnic.

(he bo! was standingon the table when the principal came into the room.

an! people were shoppingin the market when the bomb exploded.

I saw -oriko in town !esterda!. #he was wearinga pink dress and an orange hat

When I went to bed last night the sun wasalread! beginning to rise.

It was luck! we weren't sittingunder that tree when the lightning hit.

What were!ou doing when the lights went off last night%

Were!ou watching me when I showed !ou how to do it%

/ow fast wasshe driving when she had the accident%


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The present perfect simpleexpresses an action that is still going on or that stopped recentl!, but has an influence on

the present. It puts emphasis on the result.

Form of Present Perfect

0ositive -egative 1uestion

I / you / we / they I have spoken. I have not spoken. /ave I spoken%

he / she / it /e has spoken. /e has not spoken. /as he spoken%

For irregular verbs, use the participle form. For regular verbs, ust add ed.

Eceptions in !pelling when addinged

2xceptions in spelling when adding ed 2xample

after a final eonl! add d love 3 loved

final consonant after a short, stressed vowelor las final consonant after a vowel is doubled

admit 3 admittedtravel 3 travelled

finalyafter a consonant becomes i hurr! 3 hurried

"se of Present Perfect

puts emphasis on the result

2xample: #he has writtenfive letters.

action that is still going on

2xample: #chool hasnotstarted!et.

action that stopped recentl!

2xample: #he has cookeddinner.

finished action that has an influence on the present

2xample: I have lostm! ke!.

action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking

2xample: I havenever beento Australia.

!ignal Words of Present Perfect alread!, ever, ust, never, not !et, so far, till now, up to now

!imple Past # Present Perfect !imple


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Form

#imple 0ast 0resent 0erfect #imple

irregular verbs: see 4nd column of irregular verbs

Example:I spoke

irregular verbs: form of "have" 5 6rd column of irregular

verbs

Example:

I 7 !ou 7 we 7 the! have spoken

he 7 she 7 it has spoken

regular verbs: infinitive 5 ed

Example:I worked

regular verbs: form of "have" 5 infinitive 5 ed

Example:I 7 !ou 7 we 7 the! have worked

he 7 she 7 it has worked

Eceptions

Eceptions when adding 'ed'$

when the final letter is e, onl! add d

Example:

love 8 loved

after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled

Example:

admit 8 admitted

final lis alwa!s doubled in 9ritish 2nglish )not in American 2nglish*

Example:

travel 8 travelled

after a consonant, finalybecomes i)but: not after a vowel*

Example:

worr! 8 worried

but: pla! 8 pla!ed

"se

In 9ritish 2nglish, the use of #imple 0ast and 0resent 0erfect is uite strict. As soon as a time expression in the past is

given, !ou have to use #imple 0ast. If there are no signal words, !ou must decide if we ust talk about an action in the

past or if its conseuence in the present is important.

-ote that the following explanations and exercises refer to %ritish Englishonl!. In American 2nglish, !ou can

normall! use #imple 0ast instead of 0resent 0erfect. We cannot accept this in our exercises, however, as this would

lead to confusions amongst those who have to learn the differences.

&ertain time in the past orjust/ already/yet


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;o !ou want to express that an action happened at a certain time in the past )even if it was ust a few seconds ago* or

that an action hasjust7 already7 not yethappened%


certain time in the past

Example:

I phoned ar! 4 minutes ago.

just/ already/ not yet

Example:

I have ust phoned ar!.

&ertain event in the past or how often so far

;o !ou want to express when a certain action took place or whether 7 how often an action has happened till now%


certain event in the past

Example:

/e went to $anada last summer.

whether / how often till now

Example:

/ave !ou ever been to $anada% 7 I have been to $anada

twice.

Emphasis on action or result

;o !ou ust want to express what happened in the past%

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The Past Continuous Tense is Most Often Used for Actions Happening at Some Time in the Past