https://youtu.be/8m4zA7WJkrg #learningisfun #englishgrammar Tenses | Past Progressive or Continuous Tense | Lesson 5 Past Progressive Tense

1. Past progressive or continuous
• Where do we use past continuous?
• Examples
• Rules
• Difference between simple past and past
continuous.
• Writing exercise using past continuous
forms of verbs.

2. What were they doing yesterday evening?

3. What were they doing yesterday evening?
Rose was relaxing.

4. What were they doing yesterday evening?
The girl was swinging.

5. What were they doing yesterday evening?
Tim was watching from the window.

6. What were they doing yesterday evening?
Helen was combing her hair.

7. What were they doing yesterday evening?
The ladies were talking.

8. Rose was relaxing.
The girl was swinging.
Tim was watching from the window.
Helen was combing her hair.
The ladies were talking.

9. Time period 7.00 am to 8.00 am.
Sara was swimming.
Past progressive / continuous
Sara started
swimming at
7.00 am.
In-between
Sara was
swimming.
Sara finished
swimming at
8.00 am

10. Simple Past vs Past Continuous
Simple Past
I went to the club
yesterday evening.
Past Continuous
I was reading a book
when the phone rang.
Completed action at a point of
time, habit and facts in the past
Interrupted action, specific time as an
interruption, parallel action,duration of
action.

11. Past progressive / continuous
An action that was in progress at a particular point in the
past.
It is formed by using past form of be verb (was/were)
and adding –ing to the main verb.
She was cooking at that moment.

12. Use of Past Continuous
Describe an action that was in progress at specific
point of time in past.
now
past Specific time
Continuing past action

13. I was speaking to my
younger brother last
evening.
The boys were
discussing about the
football match.
Use of Past Continuous
What were they doing at 4 pm last evening?

14. Use of Past Continuous
An action was in progress interrupted by another past
action.
He was
eating
dinner
when the
phone
rang.
phone rang –short action
Eating – long action

15. I was watching TV when she called.
Use of Past Continuous

16. Use of Past Continuous
Two actions that were in progress at the same time in
the past.
While I was describing the theft the
police officer was writing down
everything.

17. To talk about a temporary situation
Use of Past Continuous
They were not enjoying the meeting at that
moment.

18. To talk about a temporary situation
Use of Past Continuous
He was waiting at the bus stop for 2 hours.

19. For activities as background description.
Use of Past Continuous
The storm wind was blowing heavily and
the trees were shaking violently.

20. To talk about something that is background
not the main news.
Use of Past Continuous
I didn’t like him – he was continually
borrowing money.
Past progressive used with words like
‘always’, ‘continually’ to talk about
unexpected and repeated action .

21. Use of when and while
They were enjoying the morning when the
thief stole the briefcase.

22. When + short action (simple past tense).
While + long action (past continuous tense)
Use of when and while
I was watching TV when Harry knocked the
door.
Short action
(knocked)
Express with simple
past tense.
Long action (was watching)
Expressed with past continuous tense.

23. Past continuous structure
Affirmative
Subject + be +
verb - ing
I was working at
that moment.
You/we/they were
looking for a job.
He/she/it was
waiting for you.
Negative
Subject + be + not
+ verb - ing
I was not driving
very fast.
You/we/they were
not walking fast.
He/she/it was not
playing then.
Interrogative
Be + subject +
verb – ing ?
Was I dreaming?
Were you/we/they
dreaming?
Was he/she/it
dreaming?

24. Non-continuous / without –ing verb
Some verbs do not appear in the –ing form.
The verbs are
like – love – hate – want – need
believe – understand – know – remember – suppose
see – sound – hear
Exceptions
Verbs like ‘be’ and ‘have’ may appear in the –ing form
with a change in meaning.

25. Look at the picture
Kartick _______ walking on the road.
Rita and Kartick ________ walking on the road.

26. Look at the picture and write what they were
doing yesterday morning.
Ravi was painting.
John was listening music.