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Past Continuous: Was / Were + Verb + - Ing

The document discusses the past continuous tense in English. It is used to describe an action that was ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past. Examples are given using "was/were + verb+ing" like "I was working in my office" and "My friends were having breakfast." The past continuous can describe the situation at the start of a story and is used for actions happening simultaneously or before another past action.

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Lizzy Ramirez
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572 views4 pages

Past Continuous: Was / Were + Verb + - Ing

The document discusses the past continuous tense in English. It is used to describe an action that was ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past. Examples are given using "was/were + verb+ing" like "I was working in my office" and "My friends were having breakfast." The past continuous can describe the situation at the start of a story and is used for actions happening simultaneously or before another past action.

Uploaded by

Lizzy Ramirez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

2B past continuous: was / were + verb + -ing

At 8:45 last Saturday I was working in my office.


I wasn’t doing anything important.
My friends were having breakfast. They weren’t working.
A Was it raining when you got up? B No, it wasn’t.
A What were you doing at 11 o’clock last night? B I was watching TV.

• Use the past continuous to describe an action in progress at a


specific moment in the past.
• We often use the past continuous to describe the situation at
the beginning of a story or narrative.
2B past continuous: was / were + verb + -ing

+ I
He was working.
You
We were working.
She They
It

– I
He
You
wasn’t working. We weren’t working.
She They
It

?✓ Was
Were
he
they
working?
working?
Yes, he was. / No, he wasn’t.
Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.
2B past continuous: was / were + verb + -ing

simple past or past continuous?

I was working in my office when the boss walked in.


I was having lunch when my sister arrived.

• Use the simple past for a completed action in the past.


• Use the past continuous for an action in progress before or at
the time of the simple past action.

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