Past Tense and Past
   Continuous Verbs
Kristi Reyes
ESL 899:
Transition to College Writing
Simple Past Tense
•    Actions, events, states that started and
     finished in the past (…ago, last …,
     yesterday… )
•    Regular verbs: -ed
•    Irregular verbs: change spelling,
     memorize
for list of irregular verbs, see
1.     Blackboard Course Documents, Verb Tenses, Past Tense folder
2.     Grammar Express textbook pages 336 - 337
3.     The instructor
Tell your partner – use past
            tense verbs!
• What did you do yesterday?
• What did you do Friday night?
• Where were you Saturday morning?
• What did you do to celebrate your last birthday?
• When did you move to the U.S.?
• Why did you start taking classes at MiraCosta
  College?
• How did you learn to speak English so well?
Past Continuous: Three Uses
• Use 1:     Past actions that were in progress at a particular time in
 the past; actions that were not yet finished at a past time



                             At 8:30, Erika _________________
 Erika’s Schedule            breakfast.
 8 – 9: had breakfast
                             At 9:15, she ___________________ her
 9 – 10: finished her
                             homework.
 homework
 10 – 11: exercised          At 10, she _____________________.
 11 – 12: cooked lunch
                             At 11:30, she ___________________.
 12 – 2: shopped
 2 – 5: talked to a friend   At 1, she ____________________ lunch.
 on the phone
                             At 3, she ______________ to a friend.
Tell a classmate – use past
continuous verbs: I was _______ing
• Where were you last Thursday at 8 p.m.? What
  were you doing?
• What were you doing Friday at 5 p.m.? Where
  were you? Who were you with?
• What were you doing Sunday morning at 7
  a.m.?
• What were you doing last night at this time?
• What were you doing last week at this time?
• What were you doing last year at this time?
Past Continuous, continued
• Use 2: Two (or more) actions that were in
  progress in the past at the same time




• Use while
• Examples:
Sorry, I wasn’t listening to you while you were
  talking.
While I was reading, he was writing.
Past Continuous, continued
• Use 3: Describe and set the scene; tell
  what was happening or in progress when
  something else happened or interrupted a
  past in-progress action
• Examples:
Car accident
Broken bone
Meeting a future spouse
A Crime
Form: Using past and past
        continuous together
• Use past continuous
   to say what was in
   progress
I was crossing the
   street …
• Use simple past for
   the interrupting
   action
when the driver ran the
   red light.
Other examples:


I was sleeping when the telephone rang
  and woke me up.


He was driving too fast when he crashed
 the car.
More Examples:
We were watching the news when the
 announcer made a special live report.

I was trying to study when you called.

Student examples:
Practice:
Do you have a good memory?
Are you a good witness?

• Directions: Look at the following picture
  for one minute. Try to remember as many
  details as you can, but don’t write
  anything.
Only one minute…
• Ready, go ….
One minute…
What do you remember?
1.    How many people were there?
2.    Where were the people?
3.    What was hanging from the ceiling?
4.    What was the bank robber holding?
5.    What was the bank robber wearing?
6.    What color was his hair?
7.    What was covering the bank robber’s face?
8.    Was the bank robber right-handed or left-handed?
9.    What was the bank manager doing?
10.   What was the bank teller doing?
11.   Who was walking into the bank?
12.   What time was it?
13.   What was under the bank manager’s desk?
Form of Past Continuous
Subject + was / were + verb+ing

                 Negation:
Subject + was / were + not + verb+ing

             Yes/ No Question:
Was / Were + subject + + verb+ing ?

          Information Question:
(WH) + Was / Were + subject + + verb+ing ?
Remember –ing spelling rules?
    Verb ending in...           How to make the -ING form            Examples

                                                                    say - saying
      (Most verbs)                       Add -ING                     go - going
                                                                     walk - walking


                                                                  swim - swimming
 1 vowel + 1 consonant      Double the consonant, then add -ING        hit - hitting
                                                                      get - getting


                                                                   come - coming
                                                                     lose - losing
1 vowel + 1 consonant + E        Remove E, then add –ING              live – living


                                                                     die – dying
        Final –ie             Change –ie to y, then add -ING         tie -- tying
A little practice
1. The telephone (ring) when I (take a shower).

2. I (eat) dinner when you (come) to visit.

3. It (begin) to rain while they (walk) home.

4. We (see) an accident when we (drive) on the freeway.

5. The driver (no pay) attention to the cars in front when he (crash) into
   the red convertible.

6. She (chop) onions when she (cut) her finger.

7. They (watch) TV when the electricity (go) out.

8. A: What (you, do) yesterday at 5:00? I tried to call you but no one
   answered.
   B: I didn’t hear the telephone. I (vacuum).
Final Tips …
• Use while for two actions in progress at
  the same time in the past:
She was talking while he was driving.
• Use when when telling about sequence of
  events (one action that was in progress
  that was interrupted by another event in
  the past):
I was just leaving when you called.
 (first action in progress)   (interrupting event)
Punctuation
         with When and While
• When and while at the front of a sentence, use
  a comma:
When you called, I was watching TV.
While he was washing the clothes, I was doing the
   dishes.
• When and while in the middle of a sentence, no
   comma
I was watching TV when you called.
I was doing the dishes while he was washing the
   clothes.
Questions?

• Practice on textbook pages 42 - 43
• For more practice:
Forming and Using the Past Continuous
Quiz Yourself

Past tenseandpastcontinuousverbs

  • 1.
    Past Tense andPast Continuous Verbs Kristi Reyes ESL 899: Transition to College Writing
  • 2.
    Simple Past Tense • Actions, events, states that started and finished in the past (…ago, last …, yesterday… ) • Regular verbs: -ed • Irregular verbs: change spelling, memorize for list of irregular verbs, see 1. Blackboard Course Documents, Verb Tenses, Past Tense folder 2. Grammar Express textbook pages 336 - 337 3. The instructor
  • 3.
    Tell your partner– use past tense verbs! • What did you do yesterday? • What did you do Friday night? • Where were you Saturday morning? • What did you do to celebrate your last birthday? • When did you move to the U.S.? • Why did you start taking classes at MiraCosta College? • How did you learn to speak English so well?
  • 4.
    Past Continuous: ThreeUses • Use 1: Past actions that were in progress at a particular time in the past; actions that were not yet finished at a past time At 8:30, Erika _________________ Erika’s Schedule breakfast. 8 – 9: had breakfast At 9:15, she ___________________ her 9 – 10: finished her homework. homework 10 – 11: exercised At 10, she _____________________. 11 – 12: cooked lunch At 11:30, she ___________________. 12 – 2: shopped 2 – 5: talked to a friend At 1, she ____________________ lunch. on the phone At 3, she ______________ to a friend.
  • 5.
    Tell a classmate– use past continuous verbs: I was _______ing • Where were you last Thursday at 8 p.m.? What were you doing? • What were you doing Friday at 5 p.m.? Where were you? Who were you with? • What were you doing Sunday morning at 7 a.m.? • What were you doing last night at this time? • What were you doing last week at this time? • What were you doing last year at this time?
  • 6.
    Past Continuous, continued •Use 2: Two (or more) actions that were in progress in the past at the same time • Use while • Examples: Sorry, I wasn’t listening to you while you were talking. While I was reading, he was writing.
  • 7.
    Past Continuous, continued •Use 3: Describe and set the scene; tell what was happening or in progress when something else happened or interrupted a past in-progress action • Examples: Car accident Broken bone Meeting a future spouse A Crime
  • 8.
    Form: Using pastand past continuous together • Use past continuous to say what was in progress I was crossing the street … • Use simple past for the interrupting action when the driver ran the red light.
  • 9.
    Other examples: I wassleeping when the telephone rang and woke me up. He was driving too fast when he crashed the car.
  • 10.
    More Examples: We werewatching the news when the announcer made a special live report. I was trying to study when you called. Student examples:
  • 11.
    Practice: Do you havea good memory? Are you a good witness? • Directions: Look at the following picture for one minute. Try to remember as many details as you can, but don’t write anything.
  • 12.
    Only one minute… •Ready, go ….
  • 13.
  • 14.
    What do youremember? 1. How many people were there? 2. Where were the people? 3. What was hanging from the ceiling? 4. What was the bank robber holding? 5. What was the bank robber wearing? 6. What color was his hair? 7. What was covering the bank robber’s face? 8. Was the bank robber right-handed or left-handed? 9. What was the bank manager doing? 10. What was the bank teller doing? 11. Who was walking into the bank? 12. What time was it? 13. What was under the bank manager’s desk?
  • 15.
    Form of PastContinuous Subject + was / were + verb+ing Negation: Subject + was / were + not + verb+ing Yes/ No Question: Was / Were + subject + + verb+ing ? Information Question: (WH) + Was / Were + subject + + verb+ing ?
  • 16.
    Remember –ing spellingrules? Verb ending in... How to make the -ING form Examples say - saying (Most verbs) Add -ING go - going walk - walking swim - swimming 1 vowel + 1 consonant Double the consonant, then add -ING hit - hitting get - getting come - coming lose - losing 1 vowel + 1 consonant + E Remove E, then add –ING live – living die – dying Final –ie Change –ie to y, then add -ING tie -- tying
  • 17.
    A little practice 1.The telephone (ring) when I (take a shower). 2. I (eat) dinner when you (come) to visit. 3. It (begin) to rain while they (walk) home. 4. We (see) an accident when we (drive) on the freeway. 5. The driver (no pay) attention to the cars in front when he (crash) into the red convertible. 6. She (chop) onions when she (cut) her finger. 7. They (watch) TV when the electricity (go) out. 8. A: What (you, do) yesterday at 5:00? I tried to call you but no one answered. B: I didn’t hear the telephone. I (vacuum).
  • 18.
    Final Tips … •Use while for two actions in progress at the same time in the past: She was talking while he was driving. • Use when when telling about sequence of events (one action that was in progress that was interrupted by another event in the past): I was just leaving when you called. (first action in progress) (interrupting event)
  • 19.
    Punctuation with When and While • When and while at the front of a sentence, use a comma: When you called, I was watching TV. While he was washing the clothes, I was doing the dishes. • When and while in the middle of a sentence, no comma I was watching TV when you called. I was doing the dishes while he was washing the clothes.
  • 20.
    Questions? • Practice ontextbook pages 42 - 43 • For more practice: Forming and Using the Past Continuous Quiz Yourself