Ingls IV

UNIT I PAST LIFE

PAST CONTINUOUS OR PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE 1. Duration in the past 2. Interrupted actions in progress PAST CONTINUOUS

3. Actions in progress art the same time in the past. 4. Irritation

5. Polite questions.

AFFIRMATIVE FORM OF THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

SUBJEC AUXILIARY T WAS/WERE I You Robert Tanya was were was was MAIN VERB IN GERUND working living studying talking

COMPLEMENT
in a hotel before I started working as a teacher. in Mexico City before you moved to this town. at this school before he began to work here. to her parents for about an hour.

N.B. We can form the gerund of most of the verbs adding the -ing ending . However, we should be careful as in some verbs with handle the gerund in a different way . E.g. Play = playing Talk = talking Like = liking Live = living hit = hitting cut = cutting let = letting put = putting

NEGATIVE FORM OF THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

SUBJECT AUXILIARY NEGATIVE VERB WORD MAIN VERB COMPLEMENT

I
You

was
were

not
not

working in a hotel before I started working as a teacher.

living in Mexico City before you moved to this town.

Robert Tanya

Was was

not not

studying at this school before he began to work here. talking to her parents for about an hour.

N.B. We can use the contraction of the auxiliary verb and the negative form. E.g. I was not working = I wasnt working You were not living = You werent living Robert was not studying = Robert werent studying. Tanya was not talking = Tanya wasnt talking.

INTERROGATIVE FORM OF THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

AUXILIARY SUBJECT HAD Was Were Was Was I You Robert Tanya MAIN VERB IN PAST PARTICIPLE working living studying talking

COMPLEMENT
in a hotel before I started working as a teacher? in Mexico City before you moved to this town? at this school before he began to work here? to New York before our trip?

1: Duration in the past We use the Past Continuous to talk about actions or situations that lasted for some time in the past, and whose duration time is unknown or unimportant.

I was watching TV yesterday in the evening.

She was sleeping on the couch. The dog was barking.

2: Interrupted actions in progress The Past Continuous is often used when one action in progress is interrupted by another action in the past. The Past simple is used in such sentences. We usually use when or while to link these two sentences. My wife was cooking when the children got home. I was talking with James when the telephone rang. While Angelica was playing tennis, the plane crashed. When Bob was painting windows, it started raining.

3: Actions in progress at the same time

We also use this tense to talk about two or more activities happening at the same. We usually use when or while to link the two sentences. I was watching TV and Barbara was reading a book. The family was eating the dinner and talking. When Bob was painting windows, Mary was working in the kitchen.

4: Polite questions
If we want to ask a polite question, we can use the Past Continuous. I was wondering if you could open the window.

I was thinking you might help me with this problem.

Even though the sentences have a Past Continuous form, they refer to the present moment. Their meaning is similar to the "could you" sentences, but they are more polite.

Choose the correct verb forms. Use Simple Past or the Past Progressive.

1. sit/ring

2. meet/work

3. leave/shine

4. play/come

1) We________________ at the breakfast table when the doorbell ___________

2) He__________ a lot of friendly people while he_____________ in California. 3) When they________________ the museum, the sun________________ .

4) The students_________________ cards when the teacher_______________ in.

5. sleep/watch 10. take/eat

6. start/water

7. open/rain

8. have/swim 9. hear/talk

5) While the children______________ , their parents_______________ TV.

6) It_____________ to rain while she ______________the flowers in her garden. 7) When I __________________the door, it_______________________________. 8) While Henry_____________ a drink at the bar, his wife______________ in the sea. 9) He ___________________a loud bang while he_______________ to his friend. 10) While he_______________ a shower, his dogs_________________ his steaks.

Remember that you can also express irritation over somebody or something in the past.

She was always coming late for dinner!

- lick for answer Click C

1. Peter was at home yesterday. He was helping his mother in the morning. Then he was playing with some friends in the street. In the afternoon he was writing a long letter to a friend. And in the evening he was listening to some CDs.

Questions 1. Where was Peter yesterday?

2. What was he doing in the morning? 3.When was he writing a long letter?

4. What was he listening to in the evening?

5. Was he helping his mother in the afternoon?

2. The teachers were on the beach yesterday. In the morning the beach was full. The teachers were swimming a lot and they were lying on the sand, too. In the afternoon they were sailing a boat. And in the evening they were eating on the beach. Now the beach was almost empty. Questions 1. Where were the teachers yesterday? 2. Was the beach empty in the morning? 3. What were they doing in the morning? 4. When were they sailing a boat? 5. Where were they eating in the evening? 6. Was the beach very full in the evening?

3. At five o'clock yesterday afternoon, the other students were at the cinema. They were watching a film. It wasn't very good, so they weren't very interested in it. At eight o'clock in the evening they were going up and down the street and talking about the bad film. Questions 1. Where were the students yesterday afternoon? 2. What time were they watching the film? 3. Was the film good? 4. What were they doing at eight o'clock? 5. What were they talking about?

1 I ______________letters all day yesterday. (write) 2 You ______________very slow about it. (be) 3 You ___________on the phone for hours and hours. (talk) 4 They ______________much business before lunch. (do NEGATIVE) 5 She_______________ to me all week. Silly cow. (speak NEGATIVE) 6 It ________________for long. (rain NEGATIVE) 7 What ______________ when I phoned yesterday? (you/do) 8 _________________ TV when it happened? (you/watch) 9 What ____________________ at the party? (you/wear) 10 My favorite team ______________soccer very bad when we turned on the TV! (play)

WHILE AND WHEN

While the baby was sleeping, my wife was reading a book. The phone rang while I was watching TV. I was watching TV when the phone rang. It was raining when the plane landed. Mike was working at the factory when he suffered an accident. I was taking a shower when you arrived