m


 


c The j

 
(also called the j


j



  
) is commonly used in English
for actions which were going on (had not
finished) at a particular time in the past.
c § ƶưƻƬƮƱ Past Continuous ƶưƦƲƨƫƮƯƮƨƤƞƳƠƨ ƢƨƠ
ƯưƛƭƤƨƱ ƯƮƴ ƲƴƬƜơƠƨƬƠƬ ƲƤ ƲƴƢƩƤƩưƨƫƜƬƦ
ƶưƮƬƨƩƝ ƲƳƨƢƫƝ ƲƳƮ ƯƠưƤƪƧƻƬ.
‘
‘‘



 



c the past continuous is usually used when one

action began before another, and finished after
it. Consider this sentence:
c I was reading when he arrived.

c In other words I started reading (maybe at 8

o'clock), then he arrived (maybe at 9 o'clock),
then I finished reading (maybe at 10 o'clock).
´ưƦƲƨƫƮƯƮƨƤƞƳƠƨ ƢƨƠ ƫƨƠ ƯưƛƭƦ ƯƮƴ ƝƣƦ ƢƨƬƻƳƠƬ ƳƦ
ƲƳƨƢƫƝ ƯƮƴ ƲƴƬƜơƦ ƫƨƠ ƛƪƪƦ ƯưƛƭƦ ƲƳƮ ƯƠưƤƪƧƻƬ.
ƄƦƪƠƣƝ Ʀ ƯưƛƭƦ ƤƞƶƤ ƝƣƦ ƭƤƩƨƬƝƲƤƨ ƩƠƨ ƝƳƠƬ ƲƤ
ƤƭƜƪƨƭƦ ƻƳƠƬ ƜƢƨƬƤ Ʀ ƛƪƪƦ ƯưƛƭƦ. ƅƯƞƲƦƱ ƢƨƠ ƯưƛƭƦ
ƯƮƴ ƝƳƠƬ ƲƤ ƤƭƜƪƨƭƦ ƲƤ ƲƴƢƩƤƩưƨƫƜƬƦ ƲƳƨƢƫƝ ƲƳƮ
ƯƠưƤƪƧƻƬ.
c e can also use the tense when we talk about an action that
had already started and was still continuing at a particular
time:
c At five o'clock, it was raining.
c In other words it started raining (maybe at 4 o'clock), and
finished raining later (maybe at 7 o'clock).
c we can use this tense to describe T§ actions
that were B§TH continuing at the same time in
the past. In this case, we use the past
continuous for both actions:
c hile I was sleeping, she was working.
c ´ưƦƲƨƫƮƯƮƨƤƞƳƠƨ ƤƯƞƲƦƱ ƢƨƠ 2 ƯưƛƭƤƨƱ ƯƮƴ ƝƳƠƬ
ƲƤ ƤƭƜƪƨƭƦ ƳƦƬ ƞƣƨƠ ƽưƠ ƲƳƮ ƯƠưƤƪƧƻƬ, ƣƦƪƠƣƝ
ƲƴƬƜơƠƨƬƠƬ ƳƠƴƳƻƶưƮƬƠ.
c hile I was sleeping, she was working.
 
 
 

c hile (= ƤƬƽ)
c hen (= ƻƳƠƬ)
c As (= ƩƠƧƽƱ)
c ´ưƦƲƨƫƮƯƮƨƮƼƬƳƠƨ ƢƨƠ ƬƠ ƤƬƽƲƮƴƬ 2 ƯưƮƳƛƲƤƨƱ
ƯƮƴ ƲƴƬƜơƠƨƬƠƬ ƳƠƴƳƻƶưƮƬƠ Ɲ ƢƨƠ ƫƨƠ ƯưƻƳƠƲƦ
ƯƮƴ ƢƨƬƻƳƠƬ ƩƠƨ ƫƨƠ ƣƤƼƳƤưƦ ƯưƛƭƦ ƳƦƬ ƣƨƜƩƮƷƤ
( Ʋ·ƠƴƳƝ ƳƦƬ ƯƤưƞƯƳƸƲƦ Ʀ ŶƯưƛƭƦ ƯƮƴ ƢƨƬƻƳƠƬ
ƫƯƠƞƬƤƨ ƲƤ Past Continuous ƤƬƽ Ʀ ƣƤƼƳƤưƦ
ƯưƛƭƦ ƲƤ Simple Past).
 
 
 

c;ohn was sleeping when the phone rang.

or
hile ;ohn was sleeping , the phone rang.

c As he was walking down the street, he met a

friend.