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1. PAST CONTINUOUS
UNDERSTANDING FUNCTIONS AND CREATING SENTENCES USING
PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE
BY ANDRI WIBISONO

2. How to Form Past Continuous
Tense
Positive (+)
◦ Subject + was/were + V-ing + Object
Negative (-)
◦ Subject + was/were + not + V-ing + Object
Interrogative (?)
◦ Was/were + Subject + V-ing + Object
Anita was writing a letter.
Anita was not (wasn’t) writing a letter.
Was Anita writing a letter?
Note:
Past to be
I, He, She, It  WAS
They, We, You  WERE
Note:
Adverb of Time
Specific time in the past. (at
9pm, at noon yesterday, etc)
When / While

3. Function of Past Continuous Tense
Expressing incomplete or unfinished action at certain time in the past.
Interrupted Continuous Past Action
Parallel Action in the Past

4. Expressing on-going action at
certain time
in the past.
Maliq was writing his essay at 9 pm last night.
My Parents were watching TV at 10 pm yesterday.
COMPARE
oMaliq wrote his essay last night.
oMy Parents watched TV yesterday.
Past Continuous Tense Simple Past Tense
Was/were
+ V-ing
V-2
PAST PRESENT FUTUREPAST PRESENT FUTURE
start end
In the middle of the action
The whole action

5. Interrupted Continuous Past Action
(usually use conjunction ‘when’)
Analyze the sentence!!
I was watching a movie when my mother knocked the door.
Interrupted Interrupting
Past Continuous Tense Simple Past Tense
 My mother knocked the door when I was watching a movie.
 When I was watching a movie, my mother knocked the door.
 When my mother knocked the door, I was watching a movie.

6. Parallel Action in the Past
(usually use conjunction ‘while’)
Analyze the sentence!!
I was studying Math while my brother was watching TV
Past Continuous Tense Past Continuous Tense
Use the same
Tenses
• While my brother was watching movie, I was studying Math.

7. Exercises
Put the verbs into the correct tense.
(Simple Past or Past Continuous)
1. Two days ago, a murder (happen) ______ in Market Street at about seven pm.
2. Yesterday, Sherlock Holmes (arrive) ______ at the crime scene to investigate.
3. He (ask) ______ one of the tenants in the house.
4. What (do / you) ______ yesterday at seven?
5. I (watch) ______ a football match on TV.
6. (be) ______ you alone?
7. Yes, I (be) ______ .
8. (hear / you) ______ anything suspicious?
9. Yes, about seven o'clock, two people (argue) ______ in the hallway. But the football match (be)
______ so interesting. So I just (turn) ______ up the telly and then (hear / not) ______ anything
anymore.