PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

1. Understanding Past Continuous Tense

Past continuous tense or past progressive tense is a verb form used to
indicate that an action is occurring at a certain time in the past.

2. Past Continuous Tense Form

A. Positif
The positive shape sentence pattern is S + was / were + V-ing.
Subject Be 2 Verb-ing Object

I Was Writing A story

You Buying A shirt

We Were Cleaning The room

They Playing Tennis

He Going To school

She Was Giving A present

It Swimming very fast

Example:
 I/He/She/It was going to the store at 11 a.m yesterday.
 We/You/They were going to the store at 11 a.m yesterday.
 Sonia was talking to dewi when I saw them
 When rudi came to may house, I was helping my sister
 Titin and Kristin were playing tennis, while I was waiting for them .
 While father was reading a magazine, mother was making a dress
Past Continuous Tense uses the "When" statement then the next sentence should be
the form "Simple Past tense".
Past Continuous Tense uses the "while" statement then the next sentence is the
same (Past Continuous Tense).

B. Negatif
Positive form sentence pattern is S + was / were + not + V-ing.
Subject Be 2 not Verb-ing Object

I Was not Writing A story

You Buying A shirt

We Were not Cleaning The room

They Playing Tennis

He Going To school

She Was not Giving A present

It Swimming very fast

Example:
 I/He/She/It was not (wasn’t) going to the store at 11 a.m yesterday.
 We/You/They were not (weren’t) going to the store at 11 a.m yesterday.
 3. Questions
The yes / no question sentence pattern is was / were + S + V-ing +?
Be 2 Subject Verb-ing Object

Was I Writing A story?

You Buying A shirt?

Were We Cleaning The room?

They Playing Tennis?

He Going To school?

Was She Giving A present?

It Swimming very fast?

Example:
 I was going to the store at 11 a.m yesterday. Were you going to the store at 11 a.m
yesterday?
 She was going to the store at 11 a.m yesterday. Was she going to the store at 11 a.m
yesterday?

4. Time Markers
a) Time markers used in the past continuous tense include:
 All morning yesterday (sepanjang pagi kemarin)
 When (ketika)
 While (sementara/ketika)
 At 07.00 o’clock yesterday (pada jam 7 pagi kemarin)
 As (pada saat/sewaktu)
 At the same time yesterday (pada jam sama kemarin).
 b) State activities that are being performed at a certain time in the past.
Example:
 We were gardening at 7 a.m yesterday. (Kami sedang berkebun pada jam 7 pagi
kemarin).
 He was eating at 8 p.m last night. (Dia sedang makan pada jam 8 tadi malam).

c) Declare the activities that are being done when other activities occur in the
past.
Example:
 I was cooking when the phone rang.
 When the phone rang, I was cooking.

d) Stating two more events that are happening simultaneously in the past.
Example:
 While I was sweeping the floor, my father was watering plants.
 You were lying on the sofa while Sule was washing the car yesterday morning.