The Past Continuous

1.

The Past Continuous
formation and use

2.

The formation of the Past
Continuous
was/were + V ing
Affirmative
Interrogative
Negative
I was reading
Was I reading?
I was not reading.
He was reading
Was he reading?
He was not reading.
She was reading
Was she reading?
She was not reading.
We were reading
Were we reading?
We were not reading.
You were reading
Were you reading?
You were not reading.
They were reading
Were they reading?
They were not reading.
The contracted forms: I wasn’t reading. They weren’t reading.
The negative-interrogative forms: Was/were he/they not reading? Wasn’t he reading?

3.

The use of the Past Continuous
1.
of
The Past Continuous is used to denote an action which was going on
at a definite moment in the past.
It was twelve and he was still sitting, when the presence
Cowperwood was announced.
The definite moment is indicated either by another past action
expressed by a verb in the Past Indefinite or by and adverbial phrase.
When I returned, she was sweeping the floor.
The definite moment is often not expressed, but understood from the
situation.
him-he was reading.
He didn’t notice what was going on around

4.

The use of the Past Continuous
The Past Continuous is used to denote a certain state or quality peculiar to
the person at a given moment in the past.
He knew he was being scientific and restrained.
2. The Past Continuous or the Past Indefinite is often used after such phrase
as the whole day, all day long.
They were working in the garden all day long.
They worked in the garden all day long.
3. The Past Continuous is used to denote an action thought of as a continual
process. In this case the adverbs always, ever, constantly are used. In this
case it’s often to be found in emotional speech.
She was constantly complaining of being lonely.
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