Explaining how to form and use past continuous.

1. B1.1 Pre-Intermediate

2. Past continuous
Yesterday this time we were reading a text.
30-06-2012 by Regina Canelas | English Teacher 2

3. Past Continuous – Affirmative
Person Auxiliary Verb
I was wearing
You were wearing
SINGULAR He was wearing
She was wearing
It was wearing
We were wearing
PLURAL You were wearing
They were wearing
30-06-2012 by Regina Canelas | English Teacher 3

4. Past Continuous – Negative
Person Auxiliary Verb
I was not wearing
You were not wearing
SINGULAR He was not wearing
She was not wearing
It was not wearing
We were not wearing
PLURAL You were not wearing
They were not wearing
30-06-2012 by Regina Canelas | English Teacher 4

5. Past Continuous – Interrogative
(Yes/ No questions)
Auxiliary Person Main
Verb
Was I wearing?
Were you wearing?
SINGULAR Was he wearing?
Was she wearing?
Was it wearing?
Were we wearing?
PLURAL Were you wearing?
Were they wearing?
30-06-2012 by Regina Canelas | English Teacher 5

6. Spelling of the -ing form
• Most verbs → -ing drink - drinking
• Verbs ending in one -e → e is dropped before ing
– hate – hating except: age, dye
verbs ending in –ee: see – seeing
• Verbs ending in -ie → y + ing
die – dying; lie - lying
• Verbs ending in CVC:
• One-syllable verbs → double the consonant
run- running
• Two or more syllable verbs → double if the last syllable
is stressed
begin – beginning (but enter – entering)
30-06-2012 by Regina Canelas | English Teacher 6

7. We use the past continuous tense to
describe a past action over a period of time
Q) "What were they doing yesterday?"
A) "They were working all day.
30-06-2012 by Regina Canelas | English Teacher 7

8. We use the past continuous to say that somebody
was in the middle of doing something at a certain
time. The action or situation had already started
before this time but had not finished.
This time last year I was living in Brasil.
At 10:15 they were playing tennis.
30-06-2012 by Regina Canelas | English Teacher 8

9. A- When Sylvia arrived home
at eight o’clock, Tim cooked
dinner.
B- When Sylvia arrived home
at eight o’clock, Tim was
cooking dinner.
30-06-2012 by Regina Canelas | English Teacher 9

10. 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.
Past simple (complete action)
• I walked home after the party last night.
• Ann watched televison a lot when she was ill last
year
30-06-2012 by Regina Canelas | English Teacher 10

11. We use the Past Continuous when two actions
happen at the same time- Parallel Action.
• I was studying while he was making
dinner.
• While Helen was reading, he was
watching t.v.
• What were you doing while I was
working?,
30-06-2012 by Regina Canelas | English Teacher 11

12. There are some verbs (for example,
know/want/believe) that are not
normally used in the continuous
form (state verbs):
• We were good friends. We knew each
other well (not “we were knowing”).
30-06-2012 by Regina Canelas | English Teacher 12