7. THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE 7.1, THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE — FORMS AFFIRMATIVE | NEGATIVE | INTERROGATIVE | NEGaTiyy i ce I was not write | was I/he writing? | was /he not wn, He/she/ ing ing? it, You — | were writing | were not writ. | were you writing? ing ing! We were not writ- | were we/you/they You ing writing? They 7.2, THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE - USE weren't we/you/ they writing? 1. Actions that were in progress at a given moment in the past: I was taking a shower when you came in. At five o'clock we were all having tea in the garden. They were still fighting when the police arrived. 2. Continuous activities during a definite period in the past: We were playing bridge from 8 p.m. till midnight. She was shopping between 3 o'clock and four, They were quarrelling all last night. 3, Parallel continuous actions in the past: ‘Sue was peeling the potatoes while Andy was cooking the fish. She was talking to me and writing something down at the same time. He was digging in the garden and singing to himself all day. 4. Definite future arrangements made in the past: They refed Yo itation becnuse they were leaving for Melbourne te 56 Scanned with CamScanner~~ He put on his best suit as he was meeting the ambassador at six. The children cleaned their teeth carefully for they were seeing their den- tist that afternoon. 5, Other uses: Iwas wondering if you could help me tonight. (polite form of address- ing people) They were always complaining about everything. (persistent past activities that were annoying, etc.) I was reading about it somewhere recently. (incomplete actions in the past) I was talking to your mother the gther day. (casual past actions) Exercises I, Put the verbs in parentheses into the Past Simple or the Past Continuous: The ship (approach) Cape Town when the tornado (begin). The bomb (go) off when the president (give) a speech. He (not hear) the bell because the radio (play). When I (get) home everybody (dance). The plane (catch) fire when it (take) off. Whenever I (come) to see them they always (quarrel). Tim (crash) into a street light because he (drive) too fast. Cindy (lay) the table while the kids (trim) the Christmas tree. She (make) pastry when the telephone (ring). 10. He (peep) through the keyhole when the door suddenly (open). 11. Father (shave) and (sing) a silly song at the same time. 12, What you (do) last night between 11 o'clock and midnight? 13. The teacher (write) something on the blackboard while the children (throw) paper balls at one another. 14 She (break) down when she (hear) the news. . 15. I (think) about their proposal all night but I (not make) any decision. 16. I (see) Lisa Minelli in the theatre last night. She (sit) in the first row. 17. We (fly) over the desert when the engine (stall). 18.. They (work) very hard when the inspector (enter). 19. The tyre (blow) up when she (drive) on a deserted country road: 20. She (take) a shower when the snake (creep) into the bathroom PENA 57 Scanned with CamScanner™~ IL. Supplement the missing parts of the following sentences According 1, le: . ie example: Teese when the telephone rang. (newspaper) 1 was reading a newspaper when the telephone rang. . Martha ..... when the gas stove exploded. (dinner) - while the kitten was playing with yarn. (sweater) . when the needle broke. (injection) crews when it started to rain. (kite) 1 2. 3, 4. 5. 6. . when he swallowed some toothpaste. (teeth) 7. + +++, When a wolf attacked them. (mushrooms) 8. The mountaineer ..... when the rope snapped. (Mount Everest) 9. The secretary . when the boss called her on the intercom. (letters) 10. The robbers . . ... when the alarm went off. (safe) 11. We..... when the war began. (Paris) 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. .. Professor Ward ..... when the students’ riot began. (lecture) . The reporter... .. . when the police put him under arrest. (pictures) . The lumbermen ... . .. when the accident happened. (tree) . The sergeant..... while the soldiers were carrying them out. (orders) . Nigel ..... when he started to cough. (cigar) . Michael Jackson ..... while his fans were trying to climb the stage. (“Bad”) 18. Sheila..... when she pricked her finger. (roses) 19. The gardener . - when he found a silver coin in the grass. (lawn) 20. The surgeon ..... when the patient woke up. (operation) IIL. Fill in the gaps with suitable verbs in the Simple Past or the Past Continuous: 1, Linda ____1. inher hotel room one night. It___ 2. almost midnight when she __3. a horrible scream. She ___4. up in her bed and __5: The scream ____6. again. Linda __7. for the phone to call the police when she___8. that somebody ___ 9. TV next door. 2. Philip ___ 1. the door without knocking and ___2. in. The secretary ——3.on the phone, but she __4. down the receiver the moment she — 5. his face. “Yes,” she __6. in a trembling voice, “the boss __” you, Mr. Taylor.” Richardson ____ 8. through the accounts when Philip 9. He ___ 10. up from his desk and__ 11. with horror - Philip_— J2.agun! 3. Yesterday 1___1.downa street whenI__2. into Brian. He» on the street comer __ 4. newspapers to the passers-by. When I> 58 Scanned with CamScannerwhy he & that, he___7. me that he __8, unemployed and he _? money. oe 1 inhis officelon the 51st floor when the firealarm__2. 4, Sin tothe lift but it___4. out of order. Several people__5. to gb downstairs but the blaze__6. them. The only way to go__7. upstairs. They — 8. to the roof. About twenty people __9. there impatiently for the rescue helicopter. 5,11. along a mountain road that winter when I ____2. out of fuel. 1__ 3. at the edge of a forest and ____ 4. a cigarette in the fresh air. ‘Although thesun___5.1__6. quite cold, sol____7. back into the car and ___ 8. on the radio. The The weather forecast ___ “9. against a possible threat of avalanches in the area. I___10. up through my windshield over the tops of the trees. And then I ___ 11. it. A huge mass of snow __12. down on me! 6. Amanda ____ 1. lunch in a hamburger bar when she suddenly __2. someone ___ 3. her. She___ 4. up and ___ 5. aman who __6. ata table in the corner of the room. She quickly ___7. her meal and ___8. She ___ 9. on a number seven bus and ____ 10. in a back seat upstairs. When she __ 11. back through the window she ___ 12. the man again. He____ 13. after the bus with her handbag in his hand! 7. Jeremy ____ 1. more and more impatient. It ___2. five o’clock and he ——3.to the pictures with Wendy at 5:30. But the union meeting __ 4. to have no end. The workers ___5. about their wages. At 5:15 Jeremy ——6.upand____7., “I’m sorry, I have an appointment.” He ___ 8. his ——39.to his car and ___ 10. away. He ___11. to the cinema at 5:45. Wendy ___ 12. for him by the box office. Her eyes __ 13. with anger. 8 oo 1. to the children how to draw a cone and every- ——2. to her attentively. Everybody but Max. Max always ___ 3. out of he winken He 4. school and he ____ 5. for the holidays ‘ocome. His father __ 6. him for an African safari that summer! ha —— 1. to Harrods’ summer sale last week. They __ 2. everything falfprice.1__3. some lovely dresses for £15. While I___ 4, whether to Y One OF Not, s somebody else___5. and ___ 6. them all! him He — 10.1__1.in the gard ike a big vase len when the UFO 2.1t___ 3. likea and it —— 4. humming noises. After a while door —_5.and 67 Scanned with CamScanner™_ jooking —— 7. at them i le creatures 6. out. I in ; wile they 8. their fingers at me. Suddenly one of 9. forward and 10. “Happy Birthday to you!’ ~ IV. Translate into English: - 1. Ce faceai pe malul raului azi-dimineaja la ora 6? ~Pescuiam, 2. Cortina se ridica in momentul in care dirijorul lesina, 3. Autobuzul a pomit brusc in timp ce femeia se urca in e!, 5. 4. Pentru ca ploua, copii se jucau in casa. . Cine era fata aceea cu care dansai cind am intrat eu? 6. Cum fi-ai rupt piciorul? — Am cazut de pe scara clnd vopseam tavanul, 7. Nu mi-a placut cfinele lor. Aducea mereu noroi in apartamenty nostru, 8. Munca era perfect organizata. Cand barbatii taiau lemnul, femeile strangeau frunze. 9. Am plecat mai devreme, pentru c4 a doua zi urma s zburam la Detroit. . 10. De cate ori l-am intalnit, purta (mereu) o umbrela. 11. Speram o marire de salariu, dar seful a refuzat. 12. Toby si-a pierdut pe undeva ceasul, pe cand patina in parc pe patine cu rotile. 13. Dolly a spart doua farfurii cand a spalat vasele azi dupa cina. 14, Cand am venit la ea, era rezemata de perete si plangea 15. Cenugareasa avea mult de lucru. Daca nu freca a rochiile surorilor ei vitrege. ae | 16. Matusa imi spunea intotdeauna sa fac lucruri pe care eu nu vroiam | fac. 17. Cum feribotul se scufunda cu repeziciune, am sarit in barca de salvare. 18. Cand ii explicam aceasta problema, el se gandea la altceva. | 19. Baietii au batut mingea toata ziua, pana ciind au spart fereastra 20. La intrunirea de ieri, au luat in considerare toate argumentele profi | contra, dar n-au luat nici o decizie. Scanned with CamScanner