Kurdistan Regional Government - Garmian

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific

Research of Kalar Technical Institute special to
english language and information technology IT
One stage

past continuous
Prepared by
Tara bahman Faraj

Supervisor /
Mr. Faraidun Ezadin

2022-2023
Summary
Continue introducing the past continuous by asking students simple questions
in the past simple about events. Follow up these questions with a question
asking what was happening when the event occurred. When did you leave home
this morning - At nine o'clock.

introduction
The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense, describes
ongoing actions in the past, such as I was writing my research paper all night. It
uses the same construction as the present continuous tense except with the past
tense of the verb to be.

What is the rule of past continuous?

In order to form the past continuous tense, we use the past tense of the verb be
followed by the present participle of the verb. The present participle is a form
of a verb that ends in the suffix -ing. For example, the present participle of read
is reading.
How to form past continuous tense
In order to form the past continuous tense, we use the past tense of the verb be
followed by the present participle of the verb. The present participle is a form
of a verb that ends in the suffix -ing. For example, the present participle of read
is reading.

What is the past continuous tense?

The past continuous tense shows a continuous action that began in the past. It
is the past tense version of the present continuous, which also describes ongoing
actions. The present and past continuous are very similar, but the past
continuous uses was and were, the past tense of to be.

Past continuous tense formula

The past continuous tense formula involves the past tense of to be (was or were)
and the present participle of the verb, the –ing form.

[was/were] + [present participle]

While I was studying, my friends were playing.

Keep in mind that you must conjugate to be to match the subject. Use was for
first- or third-person singular subjects, such as I, he, she, or it.

She was working on an email when the fire alarm rang.

The team was playing well until the second half.

Use were for all other subjects, including all plural subjects and the singular
second-person subject, you.

You were becoming a great novelist before switching to screenplays.

The days were getting shorter as winter approached.

Verbs you cannot use in the past continuous tense

As we explain in our grammar guide, there is a certain type of verb that cannot
be used in any continuous tense, including the past continuous tense. These are
called stative verbs, also known as state-of-being verbs or, fittingly, non-
continuous verbs.
Stative verbs are less like actions and more like states or feelings. They describe
continual states of mind, such as opinions, needs, or awareness. Some of the
most common examples of stative verbs include:

believe
dislike……)
l
want
Because stative verbs are inherently continuous, it sounds odd to put them in a
continuous tense. Avoid using the above words in the past continuous—you can
use them in the simple past instead.

I was understanding math class until we started fractions.

I understood math class until we
started fractions.
5 past continuous tense uses and
examples

1 An action in the past that gets

interrupted
One of the most common uses of
the past continuous tense shows
a past action that was interrupted
by another past action. These are
often complex sentences
featuring subordinating
conjunctions like when, while,
before, after, until, or whenever.

Put the action that was

interrupted in the past
continuous tense and the action
that interrupts it in the simple
past.

Past continuous tense examples:

Marta was leaving her apartment

when she heard the
thunderstorm.
They were sleeping peacefully until the alarm rang.

My parents arrived while I was shopping.

2 Ongoing actions at a specified time

When you mention an exact time in the past, use the past continuous tense if
the action started before that time and continued afterward. If the action begins
at the time mentioned, use the simple past instead.

Past continuous tense examples:

The players were training all year for this match.
She was gardening all morning and missed the delivery.
I was trying to complete the final level for hours.
5 Setting the background for a story
When telling a story (or writing one), you can use the past continuous tense to
“set the scene,” or describe exactly what was happening at the beginning of your
story. We use the past continuous tense because these actions were,
presumably, already happening before the story began.

Past continuous tense examples:

The birds were singing, and the sun was shining. I knew it would be a good day.
Everyone at the cafe was enjoying their coffee. Then the stranger appeared.
The city was going about its business without knowing the aliens had arrived.

Conclusion
The past continuous tense means the action started before the other action.
The simple past means one action started after the other.
In the example below, which uses the past continuous, the speaker started
running before the whistle blew:
When the whistle blew, I was running.
In this example using the simple past tense, the speaker started running after
the whistle blew:
When the whistle blew, I ran.
Reference:
1. Ur, P., 2009. English as a lingua franca and some implications for English
teachers. Chomsky, N. (1965). Aspects of the Theory of Syntax.
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
2. Chomsky, N. (1986). Information Processing Theory New horizons in the
Study of Language and Mind. Retrieved from https:// goo.gl/88KejG
(Accessed 10 August 2018).
3. Newby, D., 1998. Theory and practice in communicative grammar: a guide
for teachers. ADVANCES IN DISCOURSE PROCESSES, 63, pp.151-164.
4. Petraki, E. and Hill, D., (2010). “Theories of grammar and their Influence
on Teaching Practice: Examining language teachers’ Beliefs” Deborah Hill
University of Canberra Retrieved from https://goo.gl/ GKpR7J (Accessed
2 August 2018).
5. Brown, H. D. (1994). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents. Ellis, R. (1993). The
structural syllabus and second language acquisition. TESOL Quarterly,
27, 91-113.