INTROD DUCT
ION
ED he police are questioning a burglary suspect. Read and listen to
part of the police interrogation.
Police: What were you doing last Tuesday between 6:00 and
Suspect:
9:00 pa?
Well, let’s see. I was probably doing what | always do. 1
was with my wife, We were eating dinner, We finished
around 7:00. :
Police: OK. So what were you doing between 7:00 and 9:00?
Suspect: Between 7:00 and 9:00? [was watching TV.
Police: And what was your wife doing while you were
‘watching TV?
Suspect: I think she was talking
onthe phone. That's KPOLICE ; DE °F
right. I remember, Farrage mre
now. | was watching G l
TV when the phone
rang, That was at 7:30.
Police: Hmm. I thought the
phone wasn’t
working because
of the storm.
at 7:00.
when-my brother called
| while he was talking.‘PASTPROGRESSIVE AND SIMPLE PAST TENSE ¥ 53
—
at 7.00?
a a working while he was talking?
we
Were you ‘
they
SHORT ANSWERS ‘SHORT ANSWERS
enamel
‘AFERMATIVE Necarve
free —
you | were. weren't.
{i was. wasn't. |
feherse asses
Yes, | she j} was. No, | she | wasn't.
i it it
you you
y we were. we weren't.
they they
te
at 7:00?
i ov tee ite working | while he was talking?
we
were | you54 ¥ UNT7
1, Use the past progressive (also called
the past continuous) to describe an
action that was ip progress at a specific
~~ time im the past. The action began
before the specific time and may or may
not continue after the specific time.
My wife and | were eating dinner at 6:00,
Now
00
Past xs Fate
Prem
‘2, Be carefull Non-action verbs are not
usually used in the progressive.
I had a headache last night. Nov Hwas:
having headache lastnight.
3, Use the past progressive with the
imple past tense to talk about an
action that was interrupted by another
action. Use the simple past tense for
the interrupting action. Use when to
introduce the simple-past-tense action.
Iwas watching TV when the phone
"rang.
oR
‘When the phone rang, | was watching
‘TV. (The phone call came in the mile
cof what | was doing.)
Notice that the time clause (when the
phone rang) can come at the beginning
or the end of the séntence. The
meaning is the same. Use a comma after
the time clause when it comes at the
beginning.
Future
"28 wane
4, Use the past progressive with while (or
when) to talk about two actions in
progress at the same time in the past.
Grammar Notes Bae :
Use the past progressive in both,
clauses.
“While |was watching TY, my wife was.
‘ali ofthe prove
My wife was talking ‘on the phone ‘while |
‘was watching TV,
Future
5, Be carefull Sentences with roth elauses
in the simple past tense have avery
different meaning from sentences with
‘One clause in the simple past tense and’
‘one clause in the past progressive. ~
‘When the bell rang, | ate dinner. (Fst the,
-bell rang; then | ate dinner.)
‘When the bell rang, | was eating dinner.
First | was eating dinner; then the bell
ng.)
Now
oe
Past ——x—x: Foture
Future
6. Use the past progressive to focus on
the duration of an action, not its
‘completion, Use the simple past tense
to focus on the completion of an action,
Paul was reading a book last nisht. We.
‘don’t know if he finished the book)
Paul read a book last night: (He probably
finished the book.) xPAST PROGRESSIVE AND SIMPLE PAST TENSE V 55
FOCUSED PRACTICE
i Qe
Discover the Grammar
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. In which sentence do we know that the man died?
a, He was drowning.
(b)He drowned. ;
2. Which sentence tells you that the woman finished the magazine article?
a. She was writing a magazine article.
} b. She wrote a magazine article.
3. Which sentence talks about an interruption?
a. When the phone rang, I answered it
. When the phone rang. I was taking a bath,
4, Which sentence talks about two actions that were in progress at the same time?
a. While Mary was painting the living room, Jeff was typing a letter.
b. Mary put down her brush when Jeff entered the room,
5, In which sentence did the guests arrive before dinner began?
a. When the guests arrived, we were cating dinner.
b. When the guests arrived, we ate dinner.
a Describe the Suspects
Look at the picture of the suspects yesterday. Write about them. Use the past progressive.
wae wearing a hats
Serger (emma
i 2.He wasn't wearing a hat.
| Teoh
: 3. They
Teanga
: 4.She
i “Gales
| 5.He
i Tama
t 6.She
Galea
‘YESTERDAY 7. They
elena)
8. They,
Tai56 V UNT7
j
“3, At the Scene of a Traffic Accident
Complete the conversation with the simple past tense or the past progressive
form of the verbs in parentheses.
Reporter: What was the cause of the accident, Officer?
Officer: Well, it looks like there were many causes. First of all, when the accident
occurred ,thedriver___as driving ___ much too fast. And while he
eee Tae)
she to a client on his car phone. When he
Tie Tea
the pedestrian, he immediately onthe
Tey Tay
brakes, but it was too late. The victim wasn't paying attention, either. First of all, he didn’t
wait for the traffic light to change. He ; against a red light when the
car him.He______--the approaching car because he
EO ase
to his friend. The friend wasn't paying attention, either. He
easy
a an ice cream cone while he the street. When
he the car, he
aT Try
way, but it was too late.
Reporter: How is the victim doing?
Officer: Well, when the ambulance. = he from his head
ae To Beas
wound, but the doctors stopped the bleeding, and they think he'll be OK.
Answer Carefully
The police are questioning another suspect in the burglary last Tuesday.
Read this suspect's answers. Use the words in parentheses and the past
progressive or simple past tense to write the police officer's questions.
1. Police: What were you doing Tuesday night?
Suspect: I was visiting a friend.
2, Police:
rea SNaT
Suspect: My girlfriend. I got to her house at 5:30 and drove her to work.
8, Poliee:.__ oe
Sea Ta
Suspect: Yes, she was working the late shift.
4, Police:
EE NANT
Suspect: No. She was working alone.PAST PROGRESSIVE AND, SIMPLE PAST TENSE 57
} (5 Police: ee
‘Whaiyouldandilelanewer)
‘Suspect: I was reading the paper in her office.
6. Police: But there was a terrible storm Tuesday night. The lights went out.
Co ae
Suspect: | was still reading the paper.
f 7. Police:
i Talaananlcre sso
Suspect: When the lights went out, we left the building.
8. Police: |
‘anv patel ya
‘Suspect: We were running because we wanted to get out of the rain. ‘
i a Earthquake
i In 1989 a big earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California. At
that time, many people were at the World Series baseball game in
Candlestick Park. Combine these pairs of sentences about the earthquake.
Use the simple past tense or the past progressive form of the verb.
1. a, The earthquake struck. '
b. Thousands of people sat in Candlestick Park. |
: When the earthquake struck, thousands of people were sitting In Candlestick Park. \
2. a. The earthquake struck. i
b. The lights went out.
When the earthquake struck, the lighte went out,
I 3. a. The crowd felt the earth move.
i b. They knew immediately it was an earthquake,
i
When.
i 4, a. The electric power went out. -
b. Millions of people watched the game on TV.
\
|
|
|
When |
|
5. a. The earth stopped moving.
b. The police told the crowd to leave the stadium calmly.
; When,
(continued on next page)