PAST CONTINUOUS

PAST CONTINUOUS

1. FORMS

   • POSITIVE
     • I was speaking
   • NEGATIVE
     • I was not speaking.
   • QUESTION
     • Was I speaking?

2. EXCEPTIONS

   • ADDING -ING
     • final e is dropped (but: ee is not changed)
       • EXAMPLE: come - coming agree - agreeing
     • after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled
       • EXAMPLE: sit – sitting
     • l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled (in British English)
       • EXAMPLE: travel – travelling
     • final ie becomes y
       • EXAMPLE: lie – lying

3. Use of Past Continuous

   • puts emphasis on the course of an action in the past EXAMPLE:He was playing football.
   • two actions happening at the same time (in the past) EXAMPLE: While she was preparing dinner, he was washing the dishes.
   • action going on at a certain time in the past EXAMPLE: When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly rang.