Study this example situation: Yesterday Karen and Jim played tennis. They started at 10 otclock and finished at 1130, So, at 10.30 they were playing ennis, They were playing - they were in the middle of playing. They had not finished playing. Was/were -ing is the past continuous: \he/sheric was | Plaving welyourthey were | Sine working «ic Iwas doing something = | was in the middle of doing something at a certain time. The action or sicuation had already started before this time, but had not finished: | started doing Iwas doing | finished doing + a ’ past past now ‘This time lase year | was living in Brazil ©. What were you doing at 10 otlock last night? | waved co Helen, but she wasn't looking ‘Compare the past continuous (| was doing) and past simple ( did): ‘Past continuous (in the middle of an action) Past simple (complete action) © Iwas walking home when | met Dan © walked home after the party lastnight {in the middle of walking home) {all the way, completely) Kave was watching TV when we ) Kate watched TV a lot when she arrived vas ill last year. We ofien use the past simple and the past continuous together to say that something happened in the middle of something else: © Matt phoned while we were having dinner Iwas. | saw you in the park yesterday. You were sitting on the grass and reading a book. I hurt my back while | was working in the garden. But we use the past simple to say that one thing happened after another: | was walking along the road when I saw Dan. So | stopped. and we had a chat Compare: ‘When Karen arrived, we were having O. When Karen arrived, we had dinner. dinner (=we had already started before (= Karen arrived, and then we had she arrived) dinner) Some verbs (for example, know and want) are not normally used in the continuous (see Unit 4A): ‘We were good friends. We knew each other well. (rot We were knowing) | was enjoying the party, but Chris wanted to ge home. (not was wanting)Exercises ‘The past continuous is not always necessary (see the second example). 1 (at 8 odiock yesterday evening) was having dinner - 2 (at otdock last Monday) was on a ius on my way home, 3. (@t 10.15 yesterday morning) . 3 4 (at430 this moming) - 5 (av 745 yesterday evening) 6 (half an hour ago) Use your awn ideas to complete the sentences. Use the past continuous. 1. Matt phoned while we ...wece haying dinner. 2 The doorbell rang while |__ es 3. The car began to make a strange noise when we - 4 Jessica fll asleep while she " 5. The television was on, but nobody — en o Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple. 193% _ (see) Sue in town || (meet) | (cycle) home yesterday, butshe | TomandJane at the airport a yesterday when a man —un-nns(MOt/ See) me, few weeks ago. They (step) our She “(g0) to Paris and into the road in front of me. | (look) the other way. esses 2 — (80) (0) quite fast, to Rome. We... (hava) but luckily 1 - achat while we (manage) to stop in cine and (walt) for Our Fights, (MOE / Hit) him @ Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple. 1 Jeriny waa wealting (wait) forme when | attWed _ (arrive) 2 ‘What. nnn (yOu / do) at this time yesterday?’ ‘Iwas asleep! até {you / go) out last night?” 'No, | was too tire! 4 How fast (you / drive) when the accident (happen)? 5 Sam (take) a picture of me while | (not / look). 6 We were ina very difficult position. We ei (not / know) what to do. 7 havent seen Alan forages. When last. em (508) him, he (try) to ind a job. al (walk) along the street when suddenly | (hear) footsteps behind me. Somebody ........ atten neem (follow) me. | was, scared and |. —_. (start) to run 9) When | was Young Ln (want) to bea pilot 10 Last night | (drop) a place when | (do) che washing-up. Fortunately it (not / break).