PAST CONTINUOUS

USES

 We generally use the past continuous to talk about actions and states in progress
(happening) around a particular time in the past.
At that time last week, I was travelling to Rome

 It can emphasize that the action or state continued for a period of time in the past.
When he was young, he was always falling in love.

 to show that something continued for some time:

My head  was aching all night.

 It is very common at the beginning of a story:

The other day I was waiting for a bus when …
Last week, as I was driving to work, …

 We do not normally use the past continuous with stative verbs:

When I got home, I really needed (NOT was needing) a shower.

Stative verbs are: like, love, hate, want, need, agree, know, believe, think (have an opinion),
seem, look (=seem), feel (have an opinion), have (possession) …

WARNING:

 We only use the past continuous for repeated background events. If they are repeated
main events, we use the past simple:

I phoned you four times last night. Where were you?

Not: I was phoning you four times last night.

FORMS

 Affirmative
subject + past form of verb To Be (was/were) + verb with -ing + the rest of the sentence
Marta was driving when her friend called her.

 Negative
subject + past form of verb To Be (was/were) +NOT + verb with -ing + the rest of the sentence
Marta was not driving when her friend called her

 Interrogative:
past form of verb To Be (was/were) + subject + verb with -ing + the rest of the sentence
Was Marta driving when her friend called her?
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PAST SIMPLE VS PAST CONTINUOUS

Ejemplo

I spent my holidays in Wales last year. I travelled around by bike. Every morning I got
up early, set off on my bike, visited the villages on the way and talked to people.
My friends preferred to spend their holidays by the sea. So, while I was cycling, my
friends were probably sitting on the beach.
But one day, when I was talking to a farmer in a village, my mobile rang. My friends were
phoning to tell me how awful the weather was at the seaside.

Exercises:
1. Complete the sentences with the past simple or past continuous. Choose the correct tense
of one of the verbs in the box.

visit / dial / play / travel / phone/ read/

a. While Carla …………….. golf, her husband…………… a book in the lounge.

b. Yesterday I told the Director the administrative assistant’s mobile number and she
immediately ………….. it and …………… her.
c. While I …………. around Australia, I ……………… many interesting places.

2. Complete theses sentences with the verbs in brackets. Past simple / past continuous.
a. While Emma …………… (watch) football on TV, Monica ………….. (listen) to the radio.
b. When I …………. (walk) down Fifth Avenue, I ………….. (discover) a wonderful boutique.
c. The angry little girl …………… (throw) her toy onto the floor and ………… (stamp) her
foot.
d. I ………… (receive) your SMS while I ………. (sit) in the doctor’s waiting room.
e. When Ruth …………. (be) little, she …………. (hate) the smell of coffee.
3. Choose the right combinations of words to complete the sentences. In some cases, there is
more than one correct answer.
1.- What at eight last night?

a) you were doing

b) you doing

c) were you doing

2.- The police stopped Willis as ___ to the airport.

a) was driving

b) he was driving

c) he is driving

3.- When I got to work, I realised that I ___ my watch

a) were not wearing

b) not wearing

c) wasn’t wearing

4.- Where ___ when they had their first child?

a) were Rob and Rebecca living

b) Rob and Rebecca were living

c) living Rob and Rebecca

5.- Anyway, what ___ about? I can't remember

a) were I talking

b) was I talking

c) I was talking

6.- By the time we got to the party, ___ home.

a) everybody was going

b) was everybody going

c) was going everybody