THE PAST

CONTINUOUS(PROGRESSIVE)TENSE
PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE = WAS/WERE + VING

• To talk about actions in progress at

a particular time in the past .
 LAST NIGHT 08.00

• She was dancing at 8.00 last night.

 POSITIVE FORM

I
SHE
HE was
IT Verbing ….
WE
YOU were
THEY
 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON

• They were playing table tennis yesterday

afternoon.
 YESTERDAY EVENİNG 06.00

• Jane was cooking at 6 yesterday evening.

(SHE)
 NEGATIVE FORM

I
SHE was not
HE wasn’t
IT Verbing ….
WE were not
YOU
THEY weren’t
 YESTERDAY EVENİNG

X Sue wasn’t playing computer games yesterday

evening.
She was doing homework yesterday evening.
 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON

X Jim and Tim were’nt playing football

yesterday afternoon.

They were playing table tennis.

 I
Was SHE
HE
IT Verbing … ?
WE
Were YOU
THEY
• Was he watching TV last night?
(-) No,he wasn’t.

• Was he reading a book?

(+) Yes,he was.
• Were they singing?
(+) Yes,they were.

• Were they dancing?

(-) No,they weren’t.
• What were they doing at 5 yesterday
afternoon?
They were drinking coffee.
• Where was he going at 8 yesterday morning?
He was going to school.
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
SIMLE PAST & PAST CONTINUOUS :

SIMLE PAST TENSE:

• To talk about completed actions in the past.

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE:

* To talk about actions in progress at a particular
time in the past .
 SIMLE PAST =V2

He ate dinner at 7 yesterday evening.

 Past Continuous = was/were+Ving
• He was eating dinner at 7 yesterday evening.
SIMLE PAST TENSE:
• To talk about short actions in the past.

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE:

* To talk about long actions in the past .
 SIMLE PAST =V2
• She cut her finger yesterday.
 Past Continuous = was/were+Ving
• He was cutting a tree yesterday afternoon.
The man was running. The man fell down.
• The mouse saw the cat and it ran.
• The mouse was running on the wheel last night.