A2-W1

1. THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE
Prepared by Nazlı Öztürk
Edited by Tuba Eylül Altunay

2. What happened?
This is John. He is eighteen years old. He took his father’s car because he wanted to go out with his girlfriend.
While he was driving, he called his girlfriend and they started to talk on the phone.
He was really upset and afraid. He called his father right away.
His father came very quickly. He was worried about his son. As John was explaining the accident to his father, he started to cry and promised never to use his mobile phone while driving again.
When she said something romantic to him,
he lost control and drove into another car.
Why did the accident happen?
While he was driving, he started to talk to his girlfriend on the phone and he lost control.
past
future
now
While he was driving,
he started to talk to his girlfriend.

3. When did he cry?
As John was explaining the accident to his father, he started to cry…
past
future
now
As John was explaining the accident to his father,
he started to cry…
Use the Past Continuous Tense to talk about an action in progress at a particular time in the past.
Past Continuous

4. We can also use the Past Continuous Tense to describe two actions that were happening at the same time in the past by inserting the word ‘while’.
While Joe was driving his father’s car, his father was
resting at home.
past
future
now

5. The form of the Past Continuous Tense in affirmative and negative sentences
While I was watching TV, my father came in.
be + verb+ing
S
O
My father came in while I was watching TV.
I was not watching TV.
wasn’t
negative
contraction

6. Question forms
What were you doing
while you were driving?
I was talking on the phone.
Were you driving fast?
No, I was going slowly.

7. Were you driving fast? - No, I was going slowly.
What were you doing? - I was talking on the
phone.
Question forms
be
S
verb +ing
be
S
verb +ing
Question word

8. I / he / she / it was walking
we / you / they were walking
I / he / she / it wasn’t walking
we / you / they weren’t walking
Was I / he / she / it walking?
Were we / you / they walking?
Yes, I / he / she / it was.
No , I / he / she / it wasn’t.
Yes, we / you / they were.
No, we / you / they weren’t.
Affirmative
Negative
Question
Short Answer
Do not use state verbs in the past continuous tense!
The usage of the Past Continuous Tense in table form
I was understanding I understood

9. Write sentences with while or as by using the prompts.
go to work – come across
While / As she was going to work, she
came across her friends.
She was going to work when she came
across her friends.

10. Write sentences with while or as by using the prompts.
study – electricity go out
While/ As she was studying, the
electricity went out.
She was studying when the
electricity went out.

11. Write sentences with while or as by using the prompts.
break his leg – play soccer
He broke his leg while /as he was
playing soccer.
When he broke his leg, he was
playing soccer.

12. THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE
Prepared by Nazlı Öztürk
Edited by Tuba Eylül Altunay