A overview of the Past Continuous

1. Past Continuous

2. He was watching TV.

3. form

4. was / were + ING

5. I
he
was
she
it watching TV.
we
you were
they

6. +ive
He was watching TV.

7. -ive
He was not watching TV.

8. -ive
He wasn’t watching TV.

9. ?ive
Was he watching TV?

10. s.a.
Yes, he was.
No, he wasn’t.

11. The Past Continuous is used
to indicate a verb in course
at a point in the past.

12. The Past Continuous is used
to indicate a verb in course
at a point in the past.

13. I was reading a book…

14. I was reading a book…
at 11.00 pm.

15. at 11.00 pm
now
I was reading

16. The point in the past can be
a time expression:
at 11.00 pm
at midnight
in 1995
at the start of the lesson

17. I was reading a book…

18. I was reading a book…
when the phone rang.

19. when the
phone rang
now
I was reading

20. The point in the past can be also
a verb in the past simple:
when the phone rang
when sun rose
when I arrived
when the lesson started

21. don’t forget

22. don’t forget
state verbs are not used
in the continuous tenses

23. I was wanting an ice-cream.
I wanted an ice-cream.

24. when and while

25. She was studying when he called.
=
When he called, she was studying.

26. subordinate
introduced by
‘when’
She was studying when he called.
=
When he called, she was studying.

27. She was studying when he called.
When she was studying, he called.

28. main clause can be
past continuous or
simple
She was studying when he called.
When she was studying, he called.

29. He called while she was studying.
While she was studying, he called.

30. ‘while’ only before
continuous
subordinate
He called while she was studying.
While she was studying, he called.

31. pronunciation

32. He was talking.

33. He was talking.

34. ə
He was talking.

35. ə
hiː wəz talkɪŋ.

36. We were talking.

37. wiː wə talkɪŋ.

38. ə
wiː wə talkɪŋ.

39. exercise

40. compose 3 unusual questions
for each type

41. What were you doing at… ?
What were you doing when… ?
Were you … at/when … ?

42. ask and answer
with your neighbour

43. homework

44. module 4, part 3
take your ‘Biggest Diamond’
stories and add 4 sentences
with the Past Continuous