THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

The past continuous tense tvori se od prošlog svršenog vremena (past simple)
pomoćnog glagola be (was/were) i participa prezenta (present participle)
glagola koji mijenjamo, npr.:

I was reading - čitao sam

Niječni oblik tvori se tako da se iza pomoćnog glagola be (was/were) stavi not,
npr.:

I was not reading – nisam čitao

Upitni oblik tvori se tako da se pomoćni glagol be (was/were) stavi ispred

subjekta, npr.:

Was I reading? – jesam li čitao?

Niječno – upitni oblik tvori se tako da se iza upitnog oblika pomoćnog glagola
be (was/were) stavi subjekt pa not i particip prezenta (present participle), npr.:

Was I not reading? – nisam li čitao?

Umjesto punih/duljih oblika pomoćnog glagola be obično se u niječnom i

niječno – upitnom obliku upotrebljavaju sažeti/kraći oblici, npr.:

I was not – I wasn't was I not? – wasn't I?

you were not – you weren't were they not? – weren't they?
The past continuous tense glagola READ

potvrdni oblik upitni oblik

1 I was reading 1 Was I reading?

2 you were reading 2 Were you reading?

3 he was reading 3 Was he reading?

she was reading Was she reading?

it was reading Was it reading?

1 we were reading 1 Were we reading?

2 you were reading 2 Were you reading?

3 they were reading 3 Were they reading?

niječni oblik

1 I was not reading I wasn't reading

2 you were not reading you weren't reading

3 he was not reading he wasn't reading

she was not reading she wasn't reading

it was not reading it wasn't reading

1 we were not reading we weren't reading

2 you were not reading you weren't reading

3 they were not reading they weren't reading

niječno – upitni oblik

1 Was I not reading? Wasn't I reading?

2 Were you not reading? Weren't you reading?

3 Was he not reading? Wasn't he reading?

Was she not reading? Wasn't she reading?

Was it not reading? Wasn't it reading?

1 Were we not reading? Weren't we reading?

2 Were you not reading? Weren't you reading?

3 Were they not reading? Weren't they reading?

The past continuous tense upotrebljava se:

1) za radnju koja je u prošlosti već trajala u trenutku kad se zbila neka druga
prošla radnja. Ta se druga prošla radnja izriče s past simple tense (prošlim
svršenim vremenom), npr.:

I was just having lunch when he rushed into the room.

Upravo sam ručao kad je on uletio u sobu.

When he left the house, the sun was shining.

Kad je otišao iz kuće, sjalo je sunce.

When we arrived, they were playing cards.

Kad smo došli, oni su se kartali.

2) za dvije radnje koje su trajale istodobno, bez obzira na to kad su počele i
završile, npr.:

The children were playing while their mothers were chatting.

Djeca su se igrala dok su njihove majke čavrljale.

While it was raining, he was sitting in a cafe.

Dok je padala kiša, on je sjedio u kavani.

3) u zavisnoj surečenici umjesto present continuous ako je u glavnoj surečenici

prošlo svršeno vrijeme (past simple), npr.:

I knew that he was talking to her about her daughter.

Znao sam da s njom razgovara o njezinoj kćeri.

He could hear that the bell was ringing, yet he did not open the door.

Čuo je da zvono zvoni, a ipak nije otvorio vrata.