past continuous

Past Continuous?


Positive Structure:

Was /were + (verb + ing)

I was watching tv last night at 8pm
You were watching ….
He/she was watching tv…
We were watching tv…
You were watching tv…
They were watching tv….

Negative:

I wasn’t watching…
You weren’t watching ..
He / she wasn’t watching tv
We weren’t watching tv
You weren’t watching
They weren’t watching tv…

Question?

Was I watching tv last night at 8pm
Were you watching tv…
Was he / she watching tv…
Were we atching tv…
Were you watching tv..
Were they watching tv?

Uses:

We use it 2 describe a continuous action in the past as opposed to a single action in the past (past simple).

Example:

Last night I was reading a book at 10pm
Last night I read a book about Gorillas.

We also use the past continuous when we contrast a short action (past simple) with a longer continuous action (past continuous) in the same sentence.

Examples:

While I was studying, the doorbell ran or
The doorbell rang while I was studying.

The while clause is always continuous so we use the past continuous here. It contrasts with the shorter action – doorbell ringing – past simple.