how to use the past continuous

1. PAST CONTINUOUSPAST CONTINUOUS
TENSETENSE
&&
SIMPLE PASTSIMPLE PAST
TENSETENSE

2. PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
 We use Past Continuous Tense to
say that somebody was in the
middle of doing something at a
certain moment in the past.

3. PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
NOWPAST
I started doing I finished doing
I was doing
PAST

4. PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
• I
• He
• She
• It
• You
• We
• They
WAS
WERE
+ Ving

5. PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
• This time last
year I was living
in Ica.

6. PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
• A: What were you doing at 12
o’clock yesterday?
• B: I was having lunch.

7. PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
• Sue was playing
tennis at two
o’clock
yesterday
afternoon.

8. PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
• Mr. Bean was
studying in his
office at 10
p.m. last night.

9. PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
• Anna was
reading a book
at this time
yesterday
afternoon.

10. PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
• He was
dreaming at 3
o’clock last
night.

11. PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
 I was walking home at 9 o’clock
last night.
 You were sleeping in your bed at
half past four this morning.
 Mrs. Johnson was ironing her
clothes two hours ago.

12. PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE /EXERCISES
•MAKE SENTENCES.

13. WHAT WERE YOU
DOUNG AT THE
FOLLOWING TIMES?
1. (at 8 o’clock yesterday
evening)cook dinner
2. (at 5 o’clock last Saturday)go on a
train.
3. (at 10:15 yesterday morning)
study lesson

14. ANSWERS
1. I was cooking at 8 o’clock
yesterday evening.
2. I was going on a train at 5 o’clock
last Saturday.
3. I was studying lesson at 10:15
yesterday morning.

15. EXERCISES
4. (at 10:15 yesterday
morning)study lesson.
5. (at 5:30 this morning) sleep in my
bed.
6. (at 7:45 yesterday evening) watch
TV.

16. ANSWERS
4. I was studying lesson at 10:15
yesterday morning.
5. I was sleeping in my bed at 5:30
this morning.
6. I was watching TV at 7:45
yesterday evening.

17. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
 We often use the Simple Past
Tense and Past Continuous Tense
together to say that something
happened in the middle of
something else.

18. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• Simple past indicates short actions.
• Past continuous indicates long
actions.
WHEN +PAST SIMPLE,
PAST CONTINUOUS.

19. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• When we arrived home, Jane was
reading a book in her room.
OR
• Jane was reading a book in her
room when we arrived home.

20. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• Juliet was
playing bowling
when it started
to rain.

21. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• The doctor was
looking at the
X-Ray when the
patient knocked
on the door.

22. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• They were
playing in the
garden when
their mother
came.

23. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• When our
favourite TV.
programme
started, we
were having
dinner.

24. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• When the
telephone rang,
John was playing
the computer
games.

25. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• Robert was
dancing when
his father came
home.

26. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• Beril was working when Gülşen came to
the office.
• When the boss came in, Mary and Betty
were talking.
• Deniz was making a cake when she burnt
her finger.
• When Jesse met Tony, he was going to
clinic.

27. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
WHILE(AS) + PAST CONTINUOUS,
PAST SIMPLE.

28. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• While(As) I was going to my office,
I met my best friend.
OR
• I met my best friend while (as) I
was going to my office.

29. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• His son began
to cry while
Mr. Cruz was
painting the
wall.

30. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• While Mr.
Brown was
checking Terry’s
homework,
the bell rang.

31. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• Her daughter
called her while
she was working
in front of the
computer.

32. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• While Tim was
riding a bike,
he fell down.

33. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• While Benek
was running, a
man stopped his
car at the corner
of the street.

34. SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
•EXERCISES

35. CHOOSE THE
SUITABLE ONE
• While I ____________ (watched / was watching),
television, the telephone _________ (rang / was ringing)
• When I ______________ (walked/was walking) to
college, I
(saw/was seeing) my friend.
• David __________ (fell/was falling) while he
____________
(played/was playing) football.

36. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
• While I was watching television,
the telephone rang.
• While I was walking to college, I
saw my friend.
• David fell while he was playing
football.

37. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
1. I (walk) ........................... home
when I (see) ............................
my brother in law.
2. The private investigators
(watch) ................ the house when
the burglars (return) ...................

38. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
1. I was walking home when I saw
my brother in law.
2. The private investigators were
watching the house when the
burglars returned .

39. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
3. I (meet) ................... my
girlfriend while I
(stay) ........................... in
Paris.
4. John (read) ............. a
mystery book when the cat
(start) .................... to
meow.

40. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
3. I met my girlfriend while I was
staying in Paris.
4. John was reading a mystery book
when the cat started to meow.

41. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
5. While the hunter
(walk) .........through the forest,
he (see) ..................... a
very unusual animal.
6. A car with no number plate
(drive) .............. past her
while she
(try) ............................ to
cross the street.

42. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
5. While the hunter was walking
through the forest, he saw a very
unusual animal.
6. A car with no number plate drove
past her while she was trying to
cross the street.

43. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
7. When I (arrive) .................... at
the station Mary
(wait) ...................... for me.
8. Joe (write) .............................. a
message when his computer (break
down) ................................ .

44. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
7. When I arrived at the station,
Mary was waiting for me.
8. Joe was writing a message when
his computer broke down. .

45. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
9. Richard……………………… (receive) the
call while he ……………………………… (look)
after June’s children.
10. The police …………………… (stop) him
while he …………………(drive) to
Chicago.

46. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
9. Richard received the call while he
was looking after June’s children.
10. The police stopped him while he was
driving to Chicago.

47. PAST CONTINUOUS
WHILE+ PAST CONTINUOUS,
PAST CONTINUOUS.

48. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
• While Paul was
reading a book,
Mike was doing his
homework.

49. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
•While Jack was
playing guitar,
Tim and his girlfriend
were dancing.

50. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
• While Mary was
reading a book,
her mother was
watching the
dishes in the
kitchen.

51. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
•My mother was cooking,
while my father was
waiting for the bus.

52. PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
•While Mr. Brown
was fishing, they
were watching.

53. Daniel’s trip:
I arrived in Australia three weeks ago.
First of all i traveled to Papua New Guinea. I saw
rainforests, a variety of squirrels and a dingo. Then, i
traveled to New Zealand, there i could see beautiful
peaks while i was driving around the country. After
that, i went to Tasmania. I visited the Dove Lake but i
didn’t see the Tasmanian devil. And finally, i went to
Australia. In Sydney, i saw the Opera House. On the
way to Camberra I saw kangaroos jumping near the
freeway. Here, there is a big desert with a National
park. The Uluru Rock is in the center of that park. It is
a huge sacred rock that changes color after the sunset.