Past continuous tense in English
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This chapter will discuss the past continuous tense in English. This tense is used to describe actions starting in the past and are still continuing in the present.
The past continuous is formed with the past simple of the auxiliary verb 'to be' and the present participle of the verb.
to be + present participle (infinitive + ing)
Past continuous tense examples:
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How the past continuous tense is formed, depends on whether the sentence is:
Structure: Subject + 'to be' in the past simple form + present participle (verb + suffix 'ing') + rest of the sentence
Subject | Past form of 'to be' |
---|---|
I | was |
You | were |
He / she /it | was |
We | were |
You | were |
They | were |
Structure: Subject + negative form of 'to be' in the past + present participle (verb + suffix 'ing') + rest of the sentence
Subject | Negative past form of 'to be' |
---|---|
I | was not |
You | were not |
He / she / it | was not |
We | were not |
You | were not |
They | were not |
Structure: 'To be' in the past form + subject + present participle (verb + suffix 'ing') + rest of the sentence + question mark
The table below shows when the past continuous is used in English.
Use | Example |
---|---|
To indicate an action that was interrupted by another action |
|
To express a change of opinion |
|
Actions that occurred at a specific time in the past |
|
Two actions that were happening at the same time in the past |
|
The past continuous tense in English often contains the words 'when' or 'while'. Both of these are used when two or more actions are taking place.
'When' is used when talking about situations which happened at the moment another action was in progress.
Past simple tense is used after 'when'.
'While' is used when talking about situations that happen at the same time.
Past continuous tense is used after 'while'.
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I have been teaching for four years. As a copy-editor, I have been helping people improve their written English for over ten years (so yes, I can edit documents for you). Interviews: send me your CV and the job description and I will help you prepare.
Ready for certification? I will help you get ready for English language proficiency exams (TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS, OET, C1 (CAE), C2 (CPE).)
We CAN meet free of charge (just book a FREE CHAT for 20 minutes) to discuss your learning needs/my teaching methods and to start talking.
It is useful if you take a quick online test to establish a starting point: https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/test-your-english/general-english/ Please let me know the results A1/2 B1/2 C1/2.
If you need to reschedule, please do so 24 hours in advance to avoid being charged.
NB If you are writing a test like IELTS or TOEFL 'in a month or two' and you need to obtain a minimum score to enter a university, remember that according to education bodies like British Council and Cambridge English, it takes an average of 120-130 lesson hours to move from one level or band to the next. So with 'one or two' months, you need to already be at B2 or Upper Intermediate level to start preparing.
For B2-C2 level students who enjoy photography: Would you would like to improve your English conversation and your photography? In a typical lesson, you will show me your latest photos and describe how and why you took them. Then we will discuss how photos are assessed in photographic competitions and, if necessary, we can go over the essentials of using a digital camera (although it's perfectly fine if you use your mobile phone to take photos).
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