The Past Continuous

What was Sheldon Cooper doing yesterday at

5 oclock in the afternoon?

He was learning Chinese.

The Past Continuous

WAS / WERE + -ing.

He was learning Chinese.

Affirmative
I
You
We
They
He
She
It

was
were

was

playing

Past continuous tense

Were Sheldon and his friends watching a film

yesterday at 7pm?
No, they werent. They were eating Chinese food.

Past continuous tense

NEGATIVE

was not
wasnt

You were not

We
werent
playing
They

He
She
It

was not
wasnt

INTERROGATIVE

Was

you
Were we
they
Was

he
she
it

playing?

Uses of the past continuous

1-We use the past continuous tense to
describe a past action over a period of
time

What were they doing yesterday at 8 oclock?"

They were having dinner.

3 - Past simple and past continuous are used

together when something happened in the middle of
something else

Sheldon had an idea while he was thinking.

Sheldon heard a noise while he was speaking.

Past continuous tense

Time expressions:
while / when
mientras / cuando

3 - Past simple and past continuous are used

together when something happened in the middle of
something else

Sheldon heard a noise when he was speaking.

Sheldon heard a noise while he was speaking.
Sheldon heard a noise as he was speaking.

4. Parallel actions. Both actions were happening at

the same time

Sheldon was playing on the computer

while he was talking to his friends.

What was he doing?

WORK

Sheldon

on a physics problem.

What was he doing?

WORK

Sheldon was working

on a physics problem.

SLEEP
KNOCK

Penny

on her door .

when Sheldon

SLEEP
KNOCK

Penny was sleeping when Sheldon knocked

on her door .

TALK

KISS

Amy and Sheldon

him.

when she

TALK

KISS

Amy and Sheldon were talking when she

kissed

him.

SIT

HUG

Penny and Leonard

when she

on the sofa
him.

SIT

HUG

Penny and Leonard were talking on the sofa

when she

hugged

him.

Past continuous
Past continuous (WAS/WERE + -ING)
Action happening at a specific time in the past.
What was Sheldon doing yesterday at 5 oclock?
He was learning Chinese.

Do doing
Make making
Hug hugging

Past continuous
Past continuous (long action) / past simple (short action)
A short action happened in the middle of a longer action
Amy and Sheldon were talking when she kissed him.

when / while / as
Past continuous / Past continuous
Two actions happening at the same time.
Sheldon was playing while his friends were watching a film.