PAST CONTINUOUS AND TELLING TIME

Past Continuous
Forma Afirmativă Forma Negativă Forma Interogativă
Subiect + was/were + verb+-ing Subiect + was/were + not + verb+-ing Was/Were + Subiect + verb+-ing
Subiect + wasn’t/weren’t + verb+-ing

I was playing I wasn’t playing Was I playing?

You were playing You weren’t playing Were you playing?
He/She/It was playing He/She/It wasn’t playing Was he/she/it playing?
We were playing We weren’t playing Were we playing?
You were playing You weren’t playing Were you playing?
They were playing They weren’t playing Were they playing?

Adverbe și expresii de timp asociate:

 Yesterday și combinatii cu yesterday
 While (în timp ce), when (când), as (în timp ce), still (încă (mai))
 Adverbe care indică exact momentul acțiunii: at 2 o’clock last Monday.

Utilizare
Folosim Past Continuous pentru a exprima:
 Acțiuni care se aflau în curs de desfășurare într-un moment cunoscut din trecut: John was studying for his exam
on Sunday evening. = John învăța pentru examen duminică seara.
 Acțiuni simultane din trecut: Mother was cooking while Joe was doing his homework. = Mama gătea în timp ce
Joe își făcea tema.
 Acțiuni în curs de desfășurare în trecut întrerupte de alte acțiuni scurte (exprimate cu Past Simple):
While/When/As she was watching (Past Continuous) TV, the power was cut off (Past Simple). = În timp ce ea se
uita la televizor, s-a întrerupt curentul.

Telling the time

Complete the gaps with the past continuous of the verbs in brackets and the time when the actions happened.

1. Serena _____________________________ (train) for Wimbledon at 4:15 _____________________________

yesterday.
2. Clive _____________________________ (walk) his dog, Rambo, at 4:50 _____________________________ yesterday
afternoon.
3. George _____________________________ (read) a bedtime story to his grandson at 9:30
_____________________________ last night.
4. Diana _____________________________ (get) ready for the New Year’s party at 11:40
_____________________________ last night.
5. Simon _____________________________ (look) for a Christmas present for his wife at the jeweller’s at 3:55
_____________________________ last Tuesday.
6. Little Rosie _____________________________ (take) a nap at 2:10 Saturday afternoon.
7. Janet _____________________________ (still/ working) at 5:45 _____________________________ last Friday.
8. The neighbour’s children _____________________________ (fight) over their toys at 7:30 Wednesday evening.

Complete the gaps with past simple and past continuous, as it is suitable for each context:

1. At camp, the boys _____________________________ (chop) wood while the girls _____________________________
(put) up the tents.
2. Grandma _____________________________ (bake) mince pies while her grandkids
_____________________________ (decorate) the Christmas tree.
3. Darren _____________________________ (make) a snowman while Julie _____________________________ (build)
an igloo.
4. Santa Claus _____________________________ (read) the ”naughty-and-nice” list while the elves
_____________________________ (check) the sleigh.
5. Fiona _____________________________ (skate) on the frozen lake when she _____________________________
(slip) and _____________________________ (fall).
6. Victor and Annie _____________________________ (sing) carols when they _____________________________
(hear) a knock on the door.
7. Helen _____________________________ (dance) when she _____________________________ (trip) over the carpet.
8. The kids _____________________________ (watch) ”Home Alone” on TV when their mother
_____________________________ (call) them to dinner.