The document defines and provides examples of the past continuous tense in English grammar. Specifically: - The past continuous tense, also called the past progressive tense, describes a continuing action or state that was happening in the past. It uses was/were plus the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. - Common uses of the past continuous tense include describing past conditions or ongoing actions that were interrupted by other past events. - Examples are provided of positive, negative, and interrogative sentences in the past continuous tense, as well as examples contrasting it with the past perfect continuous tense.

1. Amethysha Sonya Fidarini
Arsineo Laesanpura
Tifania Shafa Salsabila

2. Definition
 The past continuous tense, also known as the past
progressive tense, refers to a continuing action or state
that was happening at some point in the past. The past
continuous tense is formed by combining the past
tense of to be (i.e., was/were) with the verb’s present
participle (-ing word).
 There are many situations in which this verb
tense might be used in a sentence. For example, it is
often used to describe conditions that existed in
the past.

3. Structure
Main verb: Verb 1 + ing. Ex: sleeping, eating.
Auxiliary verb: was/were.
1. Positive Sentences:
Subject+Auxiliary Verb+ Main Verb+Object
2. Negative Sentences:
Subject+Auxiliary Verb+NOT+Main Verb+Object
3. Interrogative Sentences:
Auxiliary Verb+Subject+Main Verb+Object+Question
Mark

4. The Usage
1. it is often used to describe conditions that existed in
the past.
ex: The sun was shining every day that summer.
As I spoke, the children were laughing at my
cleverness.
2. It can also be used to describe something that was
happening continuously in the past when another
action interrupted it.
Ex: The audience was applauding until he fell off the
stage.
I was making dinner when she arrived.

5. 3. The past continuous can shed light on what was
happening at a precise time in the past.
Ex: At 6 o’clock, I was eating dinner.
4. It can also refer to a habitual action in the past.
Ex: She was talking constantly in class in those days.

6. Example
1. Positive Sentences
 I was walking through the woods.
 She was eating burrito.
2. Negative Sentences
 He wasn’t studying mathematics.
 She wasn’t driving an Impala.
3. Interrogative Sentences
 Were they smoking weed?
 Was she drinking martini?

7. Additional slide
 The difference between past continuous tense and past
perfect c:ontinuous tense:
Past Continuous Tense is used to express interrupted
actions in the past. The tense shows that a longer action
is interrupted by a shorter action in the past. We can
express actions or situations that were in progress at a
certain point of time in the past.
( In such sentenses, The point emphasized is on the activity
at the time of the interruption. That is, no information is
given about the process before the interruption. It
emphasizes what happened when the interruption
occured.)

8.  HOWEVER;
 Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used to express a
past action which started in the past
and continued to happen after another action or
time in the past. The point emphasized is on the
activity in the time before the interruption.
 ( In such sentences, Past Perfect Continuous Tense tell
us “how long the action had continued” or ” the
duration of the action” is emphasized more in this
tense. Namely, Past Perfect Continuous Tense shows
that the action was not completed after that time ( the
event continued to happen ) and it is emphasized the
duration of the event. )

9. Proof of difference
 Past continuous tense:
While we were chatting with Alice, the door was
knocked. ( It emphasizes what happened when the
door was knocked. Here, no information is given about
the process before the door knocked.)
 Past Perfect Continuous tense:
Tom had been sitting in the garden for 2 hours when
his friends went to the cinema. ( He continued to sit
for a while when his friends went to cinema. Here, an
information is given about the process before his
friends went to the cinema)