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3.6.1.1.1.1.1.1.1: Past Continuous Tense

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    122315
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    Past Continuous Tense

           The past continuous tense is used to describe two related actions or activities that happened in the past at the same time.  Its emphasis is on showing the relationship of the actions relative to the duration of time each takes.  The action of longer duration uses the past continuous tense; the action of shorter duration takes the simple past tense.  It simply says, "While this was happening, something else happened."  The second action interrupts the first action that is already happening.  Note:  The past continuous tense may be used for a single action in the past, but this usage is rare and it is employed only when the speaker wishes to emphasize the continuous action of the verb.  The past continuous tense can also be used when two or more actions take place in the past for the same duration of time.  “While I was working in my garden, my wife was cooking.”

    Examples of Two Actions at the Same Time:

    While we were studying, the telephone rang.

    My front tire blew out while I was driving home from school.             

    When their mother was preparing dinner, the boys came home.             

    When I got to class, my students were waiting for me.

    Examples of Two Actions of Equal Duration of Time:             

    While I was ironing my clothes, I was watching a DVD.             

    While my older son was taking a shower, my younger son was waiting for him to finish so that he could take a shower.                     

    While my son was driving my car, I was sitting next to him. 

    Examples of One Action Use of the Past Continuous Tense             

    Yesterday I started working in my garden at 8:00 AM and stayed in my garden until 8:00 PM.  I was working all day long in my garden.             

    I was correcting homework papers for four hours last night.                   

    Both of my sons were still sleeping at 2:00 PM yesterday.          

    My sons and I were watching movies all afternoon long on Saturday.

    Exercise 10:  Make one sentence using the following actions.  One of the actions will require the past continuous tense and the other one will require the simple past tense.

    For example:            pick potatoes in my garden     find a piece of glass 

    While I was picking potatoes in my garden yesterday, I found a piece of glass.

    1.  stop to buy a coffee                           drive to school

     

    2.  drive to work                                     get a phone call from my wife

     

    3.  talk to my friend                                tell him about a problem

     

    4.  break a glass                                     help my wife in the kitchen 

     

    5.  listen to music                                   fall asleep 

     

    6.  work in the kitchen                           open a window 

     

    7.  shop with my sons                            buy some books for them

     

    8.  drink beer with a friend                     look at a pretty girl walking across the street 

     

    9.  have a nightmare                            sleep

     

    10.  do my homework                          call my wife 

      

    11.  mow my lawn                               run out of gas in the lawnmower

     

    12.  answer the phone                         read the newspaper 

     

    13.  answer the teacher’s question       sit in class


    This page titled 3.6.1.1.1.1.1.1.1: Past Continuous Tense is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Don Bissonnette.

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