Past Continuous
Meaning
a. The past continuous tells on the course of an action in the past.
b. The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past.
c. Use verb past be ; was: singular subject, I, he, she, it | were: plural subject, they we, you.
d. After putting the verb past be is present particple .
Example:
Infinitive: cook
Present participle: cooking
e. We translate in Indonesia as sedang me/ber .
f. Past continuous means past progressive. They are same.
The Use of Past Continuous
a. An action in the past which overlaps another action or a time. The action in the past continuous starts before and often continues after the other shorter action or time.
- I was walking to the station when I met John.
(I started walking before I met John, and maybe I continued afterwards.)
- At three o'clock, I was working.
(I started before three o'clock and finished after three o'clock.)
- It was eight o'clock. I was writing a letter.
Compare: At eight o'clock I wrote (= started writing) some letters.
b. In the same way, we can use the past continuous for the background of a story. ( We often use the past simple for the actions.) This is really a specific example of Use 1.
The birds were singing, the sun was shining and in the cafés people were laughing and chatting. Amy sat down and took out her phone.
The other day I was waiting for a bus when …
Last week, as I was driving to work, …
c. Temporary habits or habits that happen more often than we expect in the past. We often use 'always', 'constantly' or 'forever' here. This is the same as the way we use the present continuous for habits, but the habit started and finished in the past. This thing doesn't happen now.
He was always leaving the tap running.
She was constantly singing.
d. To emphasize that something lasted for a while. This use is often optional and we usually use it with time expressions like 'all day' or 'all evening' or 'for hours'.
I was working in the garden all day.
He was reading all evening.
e. We could not normally use the past continuous with stative verbs. We use the past simple instead.
When I got home, I really needed (NOT was needing) a shower.
Pattern of Past Continuous
Positive: S + (Verb: was, were + present participle) + O
Negative: S + (Verb: was, were not a + present participle) + O
Question: was/were + S + present participle + object?
WH Question: wh question = was/were + S + present participle + object?
Note WH Question: What, Where, Who, When, Why + How
Example:
- Positive: Andri was studying.
- Negative: Andri was not studying.
- Question: was Andri not studying?
- WH Question: What was Andri studying?
The positive pattern:
- Rio was sleeping.
- They were working hard.
- Jerry was coming.
- Luffy was reading 'War and Peace'.
The negative pattern- you just add 'not':
- Rio was not sleeping.
- They were not working hard.
- Jerry was not coming.
- Luffy was not reading 'War and Peace'.
And, just like the past simple with 'be', to make a 'yes / no' question, put 'was / were' in front of the subject:
- Was he listening?
- Were
Doni and Andri working? - Was he living in Ungaran at the time?
- Was Ungaran snowing when you arrived?
To make a 'wh ' question (of course) put the question word like WH questions at the beginning:
- What was he listening?
- Where were
Doni and Andri working? - When he
living in Ungaran at the time? - When was Ungaran snowing when you arrived?
More Example of Past Continuous
- He was playing football.
- While she was preparing dinner, he was washing the dishes.
- When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly rang.
- My head was aching.
- Everyone was shouting.
- I was practicing every day, three times a day.
- They were meeting secretly after school.
- They were always quarrelling.
- The children were growing up quickly.
- Her English was improving.
- My hair was going
grey . - The town was changing quickly.
Exceptional Spelling
a. final e is dropped (but: ee is not changed)
Example: come – coming (but: agree – agreeing)
b. after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled
Example: sit – sitting
c. L as final consonant after a vowel is doubled (in British English)
Example: travel – travelling
d. final ie becomes y
Example: lie – lying
Source:
learnenglish.britishcouncil.org
www.perfect-english-grammar.com
www.ego4u.com
