Past tense in English language may be different. There is not always enough time for Past Simple to explain a situation from the past or talk about some event. Here we come to the aid of more complex shapes past tense, one of which is the Past Continuous.

In this article, we will look at what the Past Continuous is, when it is used and how this past tense is formed, its basic rules and examples of use in sentences, and how it differs from other past tenses in English.

What is Past Continuous?

Past Continuous is the past continuous tense that indicates an event or process that lasted for a certain period of time in the past.

Moreover, this moment in the past must be indicated. It can be either a specific time (at 5 o’clock), or an indication of a point in time (when) or, in extreme cases, it should be implied from the context.

I was dancing all night long

When she called I was taking a shower - When she called, I took a shower (we are talking about some point in time in the past (when), although the exact time is not indicated)

The Past Continuous can often be heard in the everyday speech of native speakers. It can be used to talk about long-term actions in the past.

The difference between Past Continuous and other tenses

Carefully study the times Past Simple, Past Continuous and past perfect continuous. The main difference between these three tenses is as follows:

Past Simple (simple past tense) is used when we are simply talking about the fact of an action that has taken place in the past.

We use Past Continuous (past long tense) when we know the exact time when the action was performed (it was “in progress”) in the past or we mean it.

We use Past Perfect Continuous (past completed long time) when we are talking about an action that began and ended in the past, that is, it continued for an exact length of time and had already ended by the time of speech.

Compare:

I talked to him - I talked to him (Past Simple)

I was talking to him for 3 hours - I talked to him for three hours (Past Continuous)

I had been talking to him for 3 hours before he saw the right road - I talked to him for three hours until he saw the right road (Past Perfect Continuous)

How is the Past Continuous formed?

The Past Continuous is formed using the past tense auxiliary verb to be (was for the singular and were for the plural) and the first form of the verb ending in -ing (simple present participle).

Was is used with subjects I / He / She / It

Were is used with subjects You / We / They

I was crying - I was crying

She was sleeping - She was sleeping

We were dancing - We were dancing

You were eating - You ate

When forming a participle (Ving), you need to remember in which case the consonant or vowel at the end is doubled when the vowel at the end is replaced by another, and other rules.

• If the letter -e at the end is not pronounced, then it is omitted before the ending -ing, if pronounced - just added -ing ..

to write → writing (to write)

to free → freeing

• The ending -ie changes to -y to lie → lying (to lie)
• The ending -y always stays in place to play → playing to try → trying
• A consonant at the end is doubled if it is preceded by a stressed vowel. The consonant is not doubled if the stressed vowel is elsewhere or the consonant is preceded by a long vowel

to get → getting

to remember → remembering (remember)

to cool → cooling

• Trailing w and x before -ing are not doubled

to mix → mixing (mix)

to show → showing

Statement

Affirmative sentences are formed according to the formula using the auxiliary verbs was / were (depending on the number) and the first form of the verb.

I / He / She / It / You / We / They + was / were + Ving

I was cooking the dinner - I was cooking dinner

She was painting a new picture - She was painting a new picture

They were watching the Star Wars - They watched Star Wars

The doctor was sitting in his office - The doctor was sitting in his office

Negation

Negative Past Continuous sentences are formed by adding the particle not after the auxiliary verb was / were but before the semantic verb.

I / He / She / It / You / We / They + was/were + not + Ving

I was not drinking coffee - I did not drink coffee

She was not singing a song - She did not sing a song

They were not watching Harry Potter - They were not watching Harry Potter

was not = wasn't

were not = weren't

Mary wasn't reading the book - Mary did not read the book

You weren't taking a shower - You didn't take a shower

Question

Interrogative sentences in the Past Continuous are formed by moving the auxiliary verb was / were to the beginning of the sentence.

Was / were + I / He / She / It / You / We / They + Ving

Was I drinking tea? - Did I drink tea?

Were we driving the main road? - We were driving on the main road?

Was Arnold reading the book? - Did Arnold read the book?

Were you eating breakfast? - Did you eat breakfast?

Special clarifying questions are formed in the Past Continuous time by putting question words (question words) at the beginning of the sentence. Such as where (where), when (when) and others. The further word order in the construction repeats the above interrogative form.

QW + was / were + I / He / She / It / You / We / They + Ving

What were you singing at the karaoke bar this time last Friday? What were you singing at the karaoke bar this time last Friday?

Where were you staying when you went to Paris? - Where did you stay when you went to Paris?

When is the Past Continuous used?

There are several cases when the Past Continuous is used in a sentence:

• Continuous actions at a specific moment in the past

This is usually indicated by special time markers. For example, at 7 a.m. (at seven in the morning), this morning at 4:18 (this morning at 4:18), at midnight (at midnight) and others.

In addition to the exact time, a simple period in the past when a certain action lasted can be indicated. This is done using the expressions all day (all day), this afternoon (this afternoon) or simply during some time (during some time), etc.

Yesterday at 5 p.m. I was drinking tea with mom - Yesterday at five in the evening I drank tea with mom

This time three months ago we were flying to Prague

What were you doing during your honeymoon? We were traveling across Japan - What did you do during your honeymoon trip? We traveled around Japan.

• Simultaneous actions in the past

If several actions in the past occurred at the same time, then the Past Continuous is used.

We were eating pizza while we were watching a new TV series - We ate pizza while we were watching a new series on TV

• Disapproval

The Past Continuous construction can be used in speech to express dissatisfaction or disapproval of past actions. Usually used with the words often (often), always (always) or constantly (constantly).

He was always losing our keys while on holiday - He constantly lost our keys on vacation

I were often waiting for her by her door when we were dating - I often waited for her at the door when we met

• Temporary situation

Past Continuous is used when talking about a temporary situation in the past that did not last long. In this case, the specific interval must be indicated in the proposal.

They were living in Norway for 4 months - They lived in Norway for four months

The difference in the use of Past Continuous and Past Simple tenses in sentences

Sometimes several past tenses can be used in one sentence at the same time and we find it difficult to choose which one is better - Past Simple or Past Continuous. There are three cases to remember:

If the actions are one-time and occur one after another - use Past Simple.

I woke up and opened the door - I woke up and opened the door

If two actions in the past occurred simultaneously (in parallel) to each other, then we use the Past Continuous.

Tommy was playing a video game while I was doing my homework - Tommy was playing a video game while I was doing my homework

If one of the actions is long, and it is interrupted by a shorter action in the past, then for a long action it is expressed in Past Continuous, and a short one in Past Simple.

They were playing basketball in the playground when it started to rain - They were playing basketball on the playground when it started to rain

Important: after the word while in a sentence, the Past Continuous tense is always used. After the word when, both Past Continuous and Past Simple can be used.

Time Markers Past Continuous

You can find out the Past Continuous time by special marker words found in the sentence. They usually answer the question "When did this happen?".

• at the moment (at that moment)
• when (when)
• while (while)
• as (since)
• all night (long)
• all morning (all morning)
• all day (long) (all day)
• last Sunday (last Sunday)
• last month (last month)
• last year (last year)
• from Monday to Wednesday (from Monday to Wednesday)
• at 3:15 p.m.
• at 6 yesterday

Example sentences with Past Continuous

affirmative sentences:

I was writing a letter to my granny from 4 to 4:30 pm on Sunday - I wrote a letter to my grandmother from four to

four thirty on sunday

Yesterday they were playing tennis when the rain started - Yesterday they were playing tennis when it started to rain

Jane was sitting on the bench and was waiting for somebody - Jane was sitting on the bench and waiting for someone

At midnight I was driving home - At midnight I was driving home

They were often being late because of their dog - They were often late because of their dog

Negative suggestions:

I wasn’t drinking coffee when you called - I didn’t drink coffee when you called

My sister wasn't washing her clothes last weekend - My sister didn't wash her clothes last weekend

If it were not raining, we would have a BBQ - If it wasn't raining, we would have a barbecue

They weren't living in Thailand last winter - They didn't live in Thailand last winter

Interrogative sentences:

Was she cooking Christmas dinner at this time last year? Did she cook Christmas dinner at the same time last year?

Were they flying over the volcano during their last flight? - Did they fly over the volcano during their last flight?

Was Anna teaching English at the school last autumn? - Anna taught English at school last fall?

What were you doing at 8 p.m. last Wednesday? What were you doing at 8 pm last Wednesday?

Past continuous is the past long tense in English. Its main meaning is a long-term action that took place at a certain moment in the past. Unlike , it expresses an action that happened in the past, not happened.

Past Continuous Education Scheme: Rules and Examples

Consider how sentences with the past long tense are constructed in three forms: affirmative, negative and interrogative.

1. Affirmative form: I was talking

Past Continuous in the affirmative form is formed with the help of a verb and a verb with an ending – ing, only the verb is changed to be. Accordingly, it can be in the form was or were.

Table with examples:

Example sentences with Past Continuous:

My dog was playing with a raccoon. My dog ​​played with a raccoon.

My boss was yelling at me this morning - My boss yelled at me this morning.

I was thinking of you, when you came in - I thought about you when you came in.

She was working on this article from 9 to 12 - She worked on this article from 9 to 12.

2. Negative form: I was not talking

Negation is built using a particle not- add it after was or were.

Possible abbreviations: wasn't, weren't.

Examples:

Sorry, I was not listening. Sorry, I didn't listen.

The raccon wasn't playing, it was trying to hurt my dog! The raccoon wasn't playing, he was trying to hurt my dog!

Don't interrupt me, I wasn't talking to you - Don't interrupt me, I wasn't talking to you.

We werent trying to insult you, we were just discussing your opinion - We were not trying to offend you, we were just discussing your point of view.

3. Interrogative form: Was I talking?

In the interrogative form of the verb to be is placed before:

Examples:

was the water boiling now? - Is the water boiling now?

Were you ear dropping? - Did you eavesdrop?

was he cooking when I called? Was he cooking (food) when I called?

Were they playing chess this morning? Did they play chess in the morning?

Using the Past Continuous: when is the past continuous used?

Past Continuous is used in the following cases:

• The action took place at a certain moment in the past.

In this case, the moment is usually specified using:

a) time indications:

I was having my breakfast at nine. I had breakfast at nine o'clock.

We were not walking at midnight. We didn't walk at midnight.

b) another action:

I was sleeping when you turned on the TV. I was sleeping when you turned on the TV.

What were you doing when the earthquake started? What were you doing when the earthquake started? (What are you doing at the moment)

• A long-term action that took place at a certain time in the past.

We can use the past long tense to express an action that did not take place at a certain moment in the past, but took place over a period of time.

I was writing a novel last winter. I wrote a novel last winter.

Jack was taking English lessons this year. This year, Jack was in English lessons.

• Repetitive action with a negative connotation.

Past Continuous combined with adverbs like always, constantly(meaning "all the time") expresses an unpleasant, annoying action that happened regularly in the past. This turnover is typical for colloquial speech.

Surely you are already familiar with the time Present Continuous, which helps us describe a long-term action (process) that occurs in this moment. But what if you need to talk about a process that lasted in the past?

In Russian, various prefixes come to our aid, which help to distinguish between verbs that answer the questions “what did you do?” and “what did you do?”. In English, in such cases, a time called Past Continuous Tense comes to the rescue.

What is Past Continuous

Past continuous(also called Past Progressive) is the past long time. In other words, this is a time that indicates a process that lasted at a certain moment or period in the past.

For understanding: For example, if you ran into the store yesterday for five minutes to buy the essentials, then you will simply say: "I went to the store." If you got involved in a long and tedious shopping process in order to find a gift for your beloved granny, then the wording “I walked around the shopping center for 4 hours during this time, during this time spring managed to change into summer, next year, I got old , the children grew up, and humanity conquered Mars, but I still didn’t find anything, perhaps I’ll make a postcard with my own hands.

This example clearly demonstrates the difference between Past Simple and Past Continuous.

How is the Past Continuous Formed?

The Past Continuous education scheme is simple, logical and similar to the formation of Present Continuous. This subject+ auxiliary verb was/were + semantic verb with the ending "- ing". For clarity, let's take a closer look at how statements, denials and questions are formed in this tense.

Spoiler: the formation of negatives and questions does not differ in structure from other English tenses.

Keep in mind that in colloquial speech, negations tend to be abbreviated, so was not and were not take the forms wasn't and weren't, respectively.

Marker words Past Continuous

To determine that the Past Continuous should be used in this sentence, the following marker words will help you:

• at 7 a.m.- at 7 am (instead of 7 a.m. you can substitute any other time, it is important to indicate a specific period of time);
• all day/night(long) - all day / all night (all the way through);
• all the time- all the time;
• at that moment- at that moment;
• while- while;
• when- When.

Marker words Past Continuous

Marker	Example	Translation
at 5 o'clock	Yesterday at 5 o'clock I was having a date with my boss' wife.	Yesterday, at 5 o'clock, I was on a date with my boss's wife.
all night long	I was partying all night long, dudes. It was saving!	I've been partying all night long, dudes. It was awesome!
all the time	Rick was crafting something in his lab all the time, but nobody knew what it was.	Rick was making things in his lab all the time, but no one knew exactly what.
at that moment	I was teaching my pigeon to fly at that moment the day before yesterday.	I taught my pigeon to fly at the same time the day before yesterday.
while	Clyde was drinking whiskey at the bar, while Bonnie was stealing a car.	Clyde was drinking whiskey at a bar while Bonnie was stealing a car.
when	I was trying to sell my little brother in the Internet when my parents came back.	I was trying to sell my little brother online when my parents came back.

Cases of using Past Continuous

So, in fact, for the sake of what all this was started: in what cases do we use the Past Continuous?

• The simplest and most common to describe actions, that lasted for a specific period or a specific point in time in the past.

Last night at 6 p.m., I was eating dinner. - I had dinner at 6 pm yesterday.
At midnight, we were still driving through the desert. At midnight we were still driving through the desert.
Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work. - Yesterday, at the same time, I was sitting at my desk.
She was walking her dog in the afternoon. - She walked the dog during the day.

It is important to remember that if a period is specified, then it must be completed. Those. if we say that she walked the dog during the day, then this means that the day has already ended.

• One of the most typical use cases is interrupted action in the past. This is where the union comes to the rescue. when».

I was watching TV when she called. I was watching TV when she called.
When the phone rank, she was writing a letter. When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
While we were having the picnic, it started to rain. While we were at the picnic, it started to rain.
What were you doing when the earthquake started? What were you doing when the earthquake started?
I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm. I was listening to my iPod so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off. - You didn't listen to me when I asked you to turn off the oven.
Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane. Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.
A:What were you doing when you broke your leg? What were you doing when you broke your leg?
B:I was snowboarding. - Snowboarding.

• Another characteristic case is long-term actions, that happened at the same time in the past. In this case, the union helps us " while' and sometimes just ' and».

I was studying while he was making dinner. I was studying while he was cooking dinner.
While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television. While Helen was reading, Tim was watching TV.
Were you listening while he was talking? Did you listen while he spoke?
I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes. - I wrote the letter inattentively, so I made a few mistakes.
What were you doing while you were waiting? What were you doing while you were waiting?
Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either. Thomas didn't work, and I didn't work either.
They were eating dinner, discussing their plans and having a good time They had dinner, discussed plans and just had a good time.

• A slightly rarer and more specific case is the use of the Past Continuous to describe the atmosphere and setting in stories and stories.

When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were talking on the phones, the boss was giving orders, and customers were waiting to be served. one customer was yelling at a secretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each other about the bad service. - When I entered the office, several people were busily typing, someone was talking on the phone, the boss was giving instructions, and the customers were waiting to be served. One client yelled at the secretary and waved his arms. Others complained to each other about poor service.

• And finally - a case for the advanced: we use the Past Continuous to describe repetitive actions or habits, that annoyed us in the past. It looks like using used to", but with a negative connotation. This is where the words " always" And " constantly».

She was always coming to class late. She was always late for class.
He was constantly talking. It announced everyone. - He was constantly talking. It annoyed everyone.
I didn't like them because they were always complaining. I didn't like them because they complained all the time.

Nota Bene: do not forget that the so-called " state verbs» (state verbs) we are in Continuous tenses do not use.

Education Past Continuous Passive

Like most other tenses, the Past Continuous can be used in passive bail .

Statement: subject + was/were + being + V3

The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the store. - The seller helped the buyer when the thief entered the store.

Negation: subject + was/were + not + being + V3

The TV was not being watched when electricity went off. Nobody was watching TV when the power went out.

Question: was/were + subject + being + V3?

Was he being listened to by anyone when Linda arrived? - Was anyone listening to him when Linda came?

Differences from Past Simple

We hope that by reading up to this point, you have already understood how Past Continuous differs from Past Simple, but just in case, let's clarify.

past simple is a short, completed action in the past, while Past continuous is a process, a long-term action that took place over a period of time in the past.

That, in general, is all you need to know in order to distinguish between these times. Easy peasy.

He came home at 7 p.m. - He returned home at 7 pm.
He was coming home at 7 p.m. - He returned home at 7 pm.
She said said when I saw her.
She was saying something when I saw her. - She's something spoke when I saw her.

Working with Past Continuous is simple and pleasant (compared to the same Present Perfect, for example), and in order to properly understand it and learn everything to the smallest detail, we recommend you to exercise on our online simulator.

Conclusion

So, today we have carefully and in detail analyzed the Past Continuous Tense. We hope that this article was useful for you, and you will handle this time as cleverly as any native, and will be able to tell everyone long stories about your exciting pastime over the past weekend.

We offer you to get acquainted with other tenses of the English language

Past continuous is the long past tense of English. Used to indicate a process that took place some time in the past, while the exact time when the action took place must be indicated or it must be clear from the context of the sentence. Below are the rules for the formation of the Past Continuous in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences, auxiliary words and examples of its use.

Education Past Continuous

Past Continuous in the affirmative sentence is formed with the help of the auxiliary verb was / were (this is the verb to be in the 2nd form) and the verbs in the first form with the addition of the ending -ing to it. The auxiliary verb was is used only with the 1st and 3rd person singular, in other cases were is used. Formula:

Noun + was / were + verb in form 1 with -ing added to it

An example of a declarative sentence:

When you called I was taking a shower. I was taking a shower when you called.

I was watching TV at 5 o'clock yesterday. I was watching TV at five o'clock yesterday.

In the negative sentence, the auxiliary verb was / were is also used, but the share not is added to them at the end. Education rule:

Noun + was / were + not + verb in form 1 with -ing added to it

At the same time, was / were can merge with the not share and form was not / were not. Objection examples:

In the evening I was not watching TV. — I didn’t watch TV in the evening.

I was not walking on the street when you called me. I wasn't walking outside when you called me.

To create an interrogative sentence in the Past Continuous, the auxiliary verbs was and were are placed at the beginning of the sentence. rule:

Was / Were + noun + verb in 1 form with the addition of the ending -ing to it

Examples of interrogative sentences:

Were you sitting here at 8 o'clock in the morning? — Were you sitting here at 8:00 in the morning?

Was he doing his homework when I came? Was he doing his homework when I came?

Auxiliary words Past Continuous

In Past Continuous, unlike Past Simple, there are no pronounced auxiliary words. In fact, there are only three words and phrases that always use the past long.

cases, VwhichusedPast continuous

The following are cases in which the use of the Past Continuous is appropriate. There are five in total in English.

I use case: interrupted action in the past

Interrupted Action in the Past

The Past Continuous is used to indicate long-term actions in the past that were interrupted. To indicate a short duration of action, Past Simple is used. In this case, a long break can be valid or only as a time break. examples:

I was watching TV when she called. I was watching TV when she called.

I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm. — I listened to the iPod, and did not hear the fire alarm.

You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off. You didn't listen to me when I told you to turn off the stove.

II use case: action in the past, which is tied to time

Specific Time as an Interruption

In this case, the Past Continuous is used to indicate an action, it is tied to any time in the past. examples:

Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner. I had dinner yesterday at 6:00 pm.

At midnight, we were still driving through the desert. At midnight we were still driving through the desert.

Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work. Yesterday at the same time I was sitting at my desk at work.

Use Case III: Parallel Actions in the Past

Parallel Actions

The Past Continuous can be used to refer to two continuous actions in the past happening at the same time. Actions are parallel, and while is often used to link them. examples:

I was studying while he was making dinner. I was studying while he was cooking dinner.

Were you listening while he was talking? Did you listen when he spoke?

Thomas was not working, and I was not working either. Thomas didn't work and I didn't work either.

IV use case: atmosphere transfer

In rare cases, Past Continuous is used to convey the atmosphere of what action. Eg:

When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at a secretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each other about the bad service. — When I entered the office, several people were busy typing, some were talking on the phone, the boss was yelling at everyone, and customers were waiting for help. One client yelled at the secretary and waved his arms. Others complained to each other about poor service.

Use Case V: Transferring Repetitive Actions and Annoyance

Repetition and Irritation with Always

Past Continuous can be used with the words always or constantly to convey your irritation with actions that often happened in the past. Similar to used to, but with a very negative connotation. The words always and constantly must always be placed between the auxiliary verb and the -ing verb. examples:

She was always coming to class late. She was always late for lessons.

He was constantly talking. He announced everyone. “He kept talking. It annoyed everyone.

I didn't like them because they were always complaining. I didn't like them because they always complained