Past Continuous

THE PAST CONTINUOUS or PROGRESSIVE

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9t4rt7M6wU (Embed)
• Caption: Listen the video and write in your notebook tha sentences in Past Progressive

Uses of the Past Continuous

• FORM
• [was/were + present verb + ING]
• Examples:
• You were studying when she called.
• Were you studying when she called?
• You were not studying when she called.

USES

• USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past
• Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.
• Examples:
• I was watching TV when she called.
• When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
• While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
• What were you doing when the earthquake started?
• I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
• You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off.
• While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.
• Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.
• While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.
• A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?
• B: I was snowboarding.

USES

• USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption
• In USE 1, described above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.
• Examples:
• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
• At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
• Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.
• IMPORTANT In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show when an action began or finished. In the Past Continuous, a specific time only interrupts the action.
• Examples:
• Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner.
• I started eating at 6 PM.
• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
• I started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the process of eating dinner.

USES

• USE 3 Parallel Actions
• When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.
• Examples:
• I was studying while he was making dinner.
• While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.
• Were you listening while he was talking?
• I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes.
• What were you doing while you were waiting?
• Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either.
• They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.

SENTENCES FORMS

• AFFIRMATIVE
• Subject +
• a form of be + verbing
• + rest of sentence
• I / He / She / It
• was finishing
• the exam when the bell rang
• You / We / They
• were paying
• the bill while I was waiting to be seated

SENTENCES FORMS

• Subject +
• a form of be + verbing
• + rest of sentence
• I /He / She / It
• wasn’t crying
• when you came home
• You / We / They
• weren’t hiking
• there when the earthquake hit

SENTENCES FORMS

• A form of Be
• + subject +
• verbing
• + rest of sentence + ?
• Was
• I
• walking
• too fast?
• Was
• he / she / it
• shouting
• while you were trying to sleep?
• Were
• you / we / they
• waiting
• for her when the plane landed?

ANSWERS

• SHORT ANSWERS
• * Was your mother cooking when the phone rang?
• Yes, she was / No, she wasn't
• * Were you studying while your father was watching TV?
• Yes, he was / No, he wasn't
• LONG ANSWERS
• * Where were you standing when the trouble started?
• I was standing near your mother.* Why wasn’t she
• waiting at the meeting point?
• Because, she was attending her sick mother.

READING COMPREHENSION

• 1-Read this text.
• A STRANGE EXPERIENCE
• Last month I was on holiday in Ireland with my mum and dad. One day, we were driving through a small village. It was time for lunch, so we stopped at a restaurant .
• It was a large , old builiding. We looked through the window. There were lots of people in the restaurant. They were eating , drinking and chatting . A musician was playing the violin. But there was something strange about the people . They weren't wearing normal , modern clothes. They were wearing hats, jackets and dresses from another century . We couldn't understand it. But we were hungry , so we opened the door .
• When we went into the restaurant, everything was different. The people were wearing normal clothes. The musician wasn't there- the music was on CD. It was a very strange experience !
• Daniel
• 2- Now copy these questions in a new file and answer them .
• 1- Who was Daniel on holiday with ?
• 2- Why did they stopa at a restaurant ?
• 3- What were the people in the restaurant doing ?
• 4- What instrument was the musician playing ?
• 5- What was strange about their clothes?
• 6- When they went into the restaurant, did they see the musician ?

READING COMPREHENSION

• WRITING -
• 1-Look at the picture and write what these people were doing when the teacher arrived at the school ?
• Example
• 1- When the teacher arrived , the girl in number 1 was sitting on a bench and she was studying .
• Write your sentences in the new file .
• 
• Caption: 1-Look at the picture and write what these people were doing when the teacher arrived at the school ?

FINAL PART

• GOOD LUCK!!!