PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE is a verb form that is used to express actions that occur during a particular moment in the past. Action can occur singly, repeatedly, or interrupted by another action.

Use of past continuous:

1. Past Continuous Tense is used to express the events that are happening at a specific time in the past. In this case, the time specifications are usually expressed in hours (ie what time it happened).

The formula:

(+) S + Was / Were + V-ing + O / C + Adv.Of Time

(-) S + Was / Were + Not + V-ing + O / C + Adv.Of Time

(?) Was / Were + S + V-ing + O / C + Adv.Of Time

For example:

(+) She was playing piano at there last week

(-) She was not playing the piano at there last week

(?) Was she playing piano at there last week?

2. Past Continuous Tense is used to express the activity is going on or are taking place in the past, which was interrupted by another event. In this case, the formula is as follows:

• When / While + subject1+ simple past tense, + past continuous + subject2
• Subject1+ past continuous + when + subject2 + simple past tense

Events / activities that interrupt stated in the past tense, and serves as a testimony of time. If placed at the beginning of the sentence, insert a comma (,) before the main kalusa.

Example:

• When father read a book, the mother was cooking for dinner.
• My brother was playing playstation, when i was broke a mirror.

3. Past Continuous Tense is also used to express the two events occur at the same time in the past. In this case, the following formula is usually used:

• While + subject1 + past continuous, + past continuous + subject2
• Subject1 + past continuous + while + past continuous + subject2

Example:

• While jessica was waiting in the living room, tiffany was wearing make-up.
• I was playing a guitar, they were singing a song

Negative form of sentences in the Past Continuous Tense is made by adding 'not' after be were / was, as seen in the following formula:

• Subject + (was / were) + not + (verb1 + ing) + object + modifier

Example:

• Kevin was not selling the cake at twelve o'clock last sunday.
• When she screamed for help, we were not chitchatting

Interrogative form of the sentence is past continuous tense:

• Was / Were + S + Verb1-ing + O + modifier?

Example:

• English he was discussing with his classmates at 3 pm last Tuesday?

From the examples above sentence we can see that the modifier of time (time information) for sentences in past continuous tense is the form advervial phrases, namely:

1.    at + time + last night / two days ago / yesterday morning, and so on.

For example: at ten o'clock last night, at 7 this morning, etc.

2.    When + simple past tense.

For example: when I came home, when I called her last night, etc.

3.    while + past continuous tense.

     For example: while I was playing, while we were eating, etc.