PAST CONTINUOUS

TENSE
&
SIMPLE PAST
TENSE
 PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE

▪ We use Past Continuous Tense to

say that somebody was in the
middle of doing something at a
certain moment in the past.
 PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE

I started doing I finished doing

PAST PAST NOW

I was doing
 PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
• I
• He WAS
• She + Ving
• It
• You
• We WERE
• They
 PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE

• This time last

year I was living
in Malatya.
 PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE

• A: What were you doing at 12

o’clock yesterday?

• B: I was having lunch.

 PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
• Sue was playing
tennis at two
o’clock
yesterday
afternoon.
 PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE

• Mr. Bean was

studying in his
office at 10
p.m. last night.
 PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE

• Anna was
reading a book
at this time
yesterday
afternoon.
 PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE

• He was
dreaming at 3
o’clock last
night.
 PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE
▪ I was walking home at 9 o’clock
last night.
▪ You were sleeping in your bed at
half past four this morning.

▪ Mrs. Johnson was ironing her

clothes two hours ago.
PAST CONTINOUS
TENSE /EXERCISES

• MAKE SENTENCES.
 WHAT WERE YOU
DOUNG AT THE
FOLLOWING TIMES?
1. (at 8 o’clock yesterday
evening)cook dinner
2. (at 5 o’clock last Saturday)go on a
train.
3. (at 10:15 yesterday morning)
study lesson
 ANSWERS
1. I was cooking at 8 o’clock
yesterday evening.
2. I was going on a train at 5 o’clock
last Saturday.
3. I was studying lesson at 10:15
yesterday morning.
 EXERCISES
4. (at 10:15 yesterday morning)study
lesson.
5. (at 5:30 this morning) sleep in my
bed.
6. (at 7:45 yesterday evening) watch
TV.
 ANSWERS
4. I was studying lesson at 10:15
yesterday morning.
5. I was sleeping in my bed at 5:30
this morning.
6. I was watching TV at 7:45
yesterday evening.
 SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

▪ We often use the Simple Past

Tense and Past Continuous Tense
together to say that something
happened in the middle of
something else.
 SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

WHEN +PAST SIMPLE,

PAST CONTINUOUS.

• Simple past indicates short actions.

• Past continuous indicates long
actions.
 SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• When we arrived home, Jane was

reading a book in her room.
OR
• Jane was reading a book in her
room when we arrived home.
SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• Juliet was
playing bowling
when it started
to rain.
SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• The doctor was

looking at the
X-Ray when the
patient knocked
on the door.
SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• They were
playing in the
garden when
their mother
came.
 SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• When our
favourite TV.
programme
started, we
were having
dinner.
 SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• When the
telephone rang,
John was playing
the computer
games.
SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• Robert was
dancing when
his father came
home.
 SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS
• Beril was working when Gülşen came to
the office.
• When the boss came in, Mary and Betty
were talking.
• Deniz was making a cake when she burnt
her finger.
• When Jesse met Tony, he was going to
clinic.
SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

WHILE(AS) + PAST CONTINUOUS,

PAST SIMPLE.
 SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• While(As) I was going to my office,

I met my best friend.
OR
• I met my best friend while (as) I
was going to my office.
 SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• His son began

to cry while
Mr. Cruz was
painting the
wall.
 SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• While Mr.
Brown was
checking Terry’s
homework,
the bell rang.
SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• Her daughter
called her while
she was working
in front of the
computer.
 SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• While Tim was

riding a bike,
he fell down.
 SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

• While Benek
was running, a
man stopped his
car at the corner
of the street.
SIMPLE PAST-PAST
CONTINUOUS

•EXERCISES
 CHOOSE THE
SUITABLE ONE
• While I ____________ (watched / was watching),
television, the telephone _________ (rang / was ringing)

• When I ______________ (walked/was walking) to

college, I
(saw/was seeing) my friend.

• David __________ (fell/was falling) while he

____________
(played/was playing) football.
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
• While I was watching television,
the telephone rang.
• While I was walking to college, I
saw my friend.
• David fell while he was playing
football.
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
1. I (walk) ........................... home
when I (see) ............................
my brother in law.
2. The private investigators
(watch) ................ the house when
the burglars (return) ...................
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
1. I was walking home when I saw
my brother in law.
2. The private investigators were
watching the house when the
burglars returned .
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
3. I (meet) ................... my
girlfriend while I
(stay) ........................... in
Paris.
4. John (read) ............. a
mystery book when the cat
(start) .................... to
meow.
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
3. I met my girlfriend while I was
staying in Paris.

4. John was reading a mystery book

when the cat started to meow.
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
5. While the hunter
(walk) .........through the forest,
he (see) ..................... a very
unusual animal.
6. A car with no number plate
(drive) .............. past her while
she (try) ............................
to cross the street.
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
5. While the hunter was walking
through the forest, he saw a very
unusual animal.
6. A car with no number plate drove
past her while she was trying to
cross the street.
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
7. When I (arrive) .................... at
the station Mary
(wait) ...................... for me.
8. Joe (write) .............................. a
message when his computer (break
down) ................................ .
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
7. When I arrived at the station,
Mary was waiting for me.

8. Joe was writing a message when

his computer broke down. .
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
9. Richard……………………… (receive) the
call while he ……………………………… (look)
after June’s children.
10. The police …………………… (stop) him
while he …………………(drive) to
Chicago.
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
9. Richard received the call while he
was looking after June’s children.
10. The police stopped him while he was
driving to Chicago.
 PAST CONTINUOUS

WHILE+ PAST CONTINUOUS,

PAST CONTINUOUS.
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST

• While Paul was

reading a book,
Mike was doing his
homework.
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
•While Jack was
playing guitar,
Tim and his girlfriend
were dancing.
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
• While Mary was
reading a book,
her mother was
watching the
dishes in the
kitchen.
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST

•My mother was cooking,

while my father was
waiting for the bus.
 PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST
•While Mr. Brown
was fishing, they
were watching.
PAST CONTINUOUS-
SIMPLE PAST