Week 6 session 13
Grammar Past Continuous
The past continuous describes actions that were happening at a specific moment in the past.
It uses the past form of "to be" (was/were) + the verb with -ing.
Structure:
Subject + was/were + verb-ing
Examples:
I was reading a book at 9 p.m.
They were playing football when it started to rain.
Uses of the Past Continuous:
➢ Action in Progress at a Specific Time in the Past
Use the past continuous to describe what someone was doing at a certain time in the past.
Example: At 7 p.m., I was cooking dinner.
Example: Yesterday at noon, they were working on the project.
➢ Two Actions Happening at the Same Time in the Past
When two actions were happening at the same time, we use the past continuous for both
actions.
Example: While she was studying, her brother was watching TV.
Example: They were dancing while we were talking.
➢ Action Interrupted by Another Action
Use the past continuous to describe an ongoing action that was interrupted by a short action
in the past (often expressed with the past simple).
Example: I was watching TV when the phone rang.
Example: They were driving home when it started to rain.
➢ Background Information in Stories
The past continuous is often used to describe the background or setting for a story.
Example: The birds were singing, and the sun was shining as we walked through the park.
➢ Temporary Actions in the Past
The past continuous can show that an action was temporary or happened for a limited
period.
Example: She was living with her parents last year.
Example: He was working on a project for a few weeks.
Time Expressions:
Common time expressions used with the past continuous are:
While: While I was cooking, they were watching TV.
When: I was walking home when I saw my friend.
At [specific time]: At 3 p.m., we were having lunch.
All day/night: She was studying all day.
Practice : exercise 1 :Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb (past continuous or
past simple):
1. She ______________ (watch) TV when her brother ______________ (come) home.
2. They ________________ (study) while their parents ____________ (prepare) dinner.
3. I _______________ (read) a book at 10 p.m. last night.
4. When we _________________ (walk) home, it _______________ (start) to rain.
5. At 6 p.m., I _________________ (not/work) on the project, I __________ (relax).
Exercise: Describe what you and your family or friends were doing yesterday evening at 7
p.m. Use the past continuous to explain.
Exercise 2: Error correction
Find and correct the mistakes in these sentences.
I was doing my homework when my friend was calling me.
____________________________________________________________________
At 9 a.m. yesterday, I was meet my colleague for coffee.
___________________________________________________________________
While they were watched the movie, the power went out.
_____________________________________________________________________
She was worked all day on the project.
______________________________________________________________________
We was having a great time at the party when it started to rain.
____________________________________________________________________
Exercise 4: Story completion
Complete the short story using the past continuous and past simple.
"It was a sunny afternoon, and the birds ______________ (sing). I _______________ (walk)
through the park when I suddenly ______________ (hear) a loud noise. I
_________________ (look) around and _______________ (see) a man who ____________
(ride) a bike. While he ________________ (cycle) down the hill, a dog _______________
(run) in front of him. He _______________ (try) to stop, but he _____________ (fall) off his
bike."
