LESSON:

THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

Mgtr. Gimena Vanessa Sialer Herrera.

Inglés para los negocios II
Let’s watch a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgHYy90qj2w
PAST CONTINUOUS: USE
• We use the past continuous to describe an
interrupted activity which continued for a
period in the past and to talk about things
happening for a continuous period in the past.
For example: Lilly was cooking when the phone
rang.
PAST CONTINUOUS: USE

• We also use the past continuous tense

to say that somebody was in the
middle of doing something

He was playing
computer games.
PAST CONTINUOUS: USE
• For two things happening at the same
time
He was playing computer games while
she was watching TV.
GRAMMAR
Affirmative form
• We form the past continuous tense with the
verb to be (past tense) was/were + verb in
gerund (V1 + -ing).
I
He You
She WAS We WERE
It They
Some examples:

oI was doing exercises yesterday afternoon.

oMy best friend was driving when I called her.

oWe were eating together when we saw the accident.

oI was talking to Sam while you were reading.

 Rules to add –ing
The main rule says we have to add “ing” at the end of the verbs.
Play playing
Exception 01: If the verb ends in “e”, drop the “e” and add “ing”.
Dance
dancing
Exception 02: If the verb is has one syllable and ends in CONSONANT-
VOWEL-CONSONANT, we double the last consonant and add “ing”.
Run

running
All the students were dancing in the party.
The baby was playing during the day.
We were running in the park.
Negative form
• We form the past continuous tense with the
verb to be (past tense) in negative form
wasn’t/weren’t + verb in gerund (V1 + -ing).
Some examples:
I wasn’t working yesterday morning.
My parents weren’t watching TV this afternoon.
Eleonor and Thomas weren’t studying on Thursday.
 Interrogative form

• We form questions by using the verb To Be

was/were + subject + Verb(ing) + ?
I playing… ?
you studying… ?
he eating… ?
WAS WERE we driving… ?
she sleeping… ?
they talking… ?
it running… ?
Short answers:
Was Jennifer studying yesterday? Were they sleeping?
(+) Yes, she was (+) Yes, they were
(-) No, she wasn’t (-) No, they weren’t
Remember…
To get extra information we use the WH-QUESTIONS

Where was Jennifer studing yesterday?

When were they sleeping?
• https://www.liveworksheets.com/ug3134274gr

• https://www.liveworksheets.com/du7862cq
• What were you doing…?
https://wordwall.net/es/resource/56912296
Make a dialogue using the past
continuous tense.

Write at least 10 sentences.

 ACTIVITY:
complete the
sentences
• Which hotel ________ (you/stay) in
when you lost your passport?
• Which hotel were you staying in
when you lost your passport?
• I _________ (live) in London when I
met them.
• I was living in London when I
met them.
• It ______ (snow) when I left home this
morning.
• It was snowing when I left home this
morning.
• I tried to explain my problem to him, but
he ________ (not/listen).
• I tried to explain my problem to him, but he
wasn’t listening.
• What ________ (you/do) at 3 o’clock
yesterday afternoon?
• What were you doing at 3 o’clock yesterday
afternoon?
• Fortunately, I _______ (not/drive) too
fast when the child walked into the road
in front of me.
• Fortunately, I was not driving too fast when
the child walked into the road in front of me.
Answer the questions
What was Mike doing?

•He was having a shower.

What was Kate doing?

•She was cooking.

What were Peter and Rose doing?

•They were dancing at the disco.

She was cooking
They were dancing at the disco
He was having a shower.
she was watching TV.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento known as Pelé is one of the best
soccer players of all time.
Pelé was born on October 23, 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil.
Pelé played soccer at the age of 15 because of his ability with the
ball.
At the age of 17, he made his debut in the Santos FC professional
team and became a world star.
Pelé won three World Cups with the Brazilian team and numerous
titles with the Santos FC team.
Pelé said goodbye to football in 1977 and died on December 29,
2022.

M. Tesen
Mgtr. Gimena Sialer Herrera.
Email: gsialer@usat.edu.pe