THE PAST TENSE CONTINUOUS

• Turn the verbs into the past tense continuous to indicate actions in progress at a point in time in the
past.
Model: We are working in class now.
We were working in class at this time yesterday, too.

• The students are practicing in the language lab now.

_____The students were practicing in the language lab at this time yesterday,
too.______________________________________________________________________________
• The carpenter is working on a new shelf now.
_____The carpenter was working on a new shelf at this time yesterday,
too.______________________________________________________________________________
• Jane is typing some letters now.
_____Jane was truping some letters at this time yesterday,
too______________________________________________________________________________
• We are reading a beautiful poem by Byron now.
_____We were reading a beautiful poem by Byron at this time yesterday,
too.______________________________________________________________________________
• The plane is landing now.
_____The plane was landing at this time yesterday,
too______________________________________________________________________________
• Miss Smith is going shopping now.
______Miss Smith was going shopping at this time yesterday,
too._____________________________________________________________________________
• The wind is blowing now.
_____The wind was blowing at this time yesterday,
too.______________________________________________________________________________
• Grandmother is knitting now.
_____Grandmother was knitting at this time yesterday,
too______________________________________________________________________________
• The actors are performing now.
_The actors were performing at this time yesterday,
too.__________________________________________________________________________________
• Tom is painting the fence now.
 _Tom was painting the fence at this time yesterday,
too__________________________________________________________________________________
• The boys are trying to mend the radio.
_The boys were trying to mend the radio at this time yesterday,
too.__________________________________________________________________________________
• The teacher is giving a lesson now.
______The teacher was giving a lesson at this time yesterday,
too._____________________________________________________________________________

• Read this situation and then answer the questions following it. Supply the verbs.
Situation: William was absent from school yesterday. At 7 pm in the evening he telephoned several
classmates to see what his homework was for the next day. None of them was at home. The next day
William asked them: WHAT WERE YOU DOING AT 7 PM YESTERDAY?
What did his classmates answer:
Example: Peter: dog for a walk
I was talking the dog for a walk at 7 pm yesterday.
• Mary: at the baker’s;
____She was going at the baker's at 5 pm
yesterday.________________________________________________________________________
• Billy: to the cinema;
____He were looking to the cinema at 8 pm
yesterday________________________________________________________________________
• Dan: into the letter –box;
____He were putting into the letter-box at 7 am
yesterday________________________________________________________________________
• Jenny: in the library;
____He were coming in the library at
yesterday________________________________________________________________________
• Roger: at the box-office
____He were working at the box-office at 4 pm yesterday
________________________________________________________________________
• Jane: home
_____He were going home at 10 pm
yesterday_______________________________________________________________________
• Harry: in the park
 _____He were playing in the park at 6 pm
yesterday_______________________________________________________________________
• Alice: to the radio
____She was listening to the radio at 2am
yesterday________________________________________________________________________
• Janet: a football match
____He were playing a football match at 8 pm
yesterday_______________________________________________________________________
• George: in the swimming-pool;
____He were swimming in the swimming-pool at 10 am
yesterday________________________________________________________________________

• Notice the use of the past tense continuous with a point in time indicated by a phrase or by a clause.
Translate the sentences into Romanian.
• Ann was writing a letter at 5 o’clock yesterday.
_____Ana scria o scrisoare ieri la ora
5_____________________________________________________________________________
• The sun was shining when I got up this morning.
____Soarele stralucea cand m-am trezit azi
dimineata___________________________________________________________________________
___
• It was raining at breakfast time.
____Ploua in timpul micului
dejun______________________________________________________________________________
• I was walking to town at 8 o’clock.
____Mergem in oras la ora
8______________________________________________________________________________
• My father was working in the factory (at) this time yesterday.
____Tatal meu lucra la fabrica ieri pe timpul
asta______________________________________________________________________________
• When my parents came back home, I was watching the parade on television.
____Cand parintii mei s-au intors acasa, eu ma uitam la parada la
televizor____________________________________________________________________________
__
• I was still watching television at dinner time.
 ____Ma uitam la televizor in timpul
cinei______________________________________________________________________________
• We were all having dinner when my friend rang me up.
____Noi luam cina cand prietenul meu ma
suna______________________________________________________________________________
• What were you doing at 8 o’clock yesterday evening?
I was still having dinner.
_____Ce faceai ieri seara la ora 8?
_____________________________________________________________________________
________Imi luam
cina__________________________________________________________________________

• Put the verbs in brackets in the past tense continuous to practice the use of this verbal form with a
period of time indicated by: FOR
FROM…. TO ALL DAY, etc
Model: He ___________________ for 4 hours yesterday. (read)
He was reading for 4 hours yesterday.

• Did you watch the whole show on TV last night? No. I only _____were watching_____________ TV for an
hour. (watch).
• Father ______were working_______________________ on a building site throughout 1976. (work)
• What ___were_____ you _____doing___________ from July to September? I ______making___________
the tour of the country. (do/ make)
• The builders ________were installing___________________ plumbing and electricity all last week.
(install)
• Jack, what __were_____ you _____doing__________ all yesterday afternoon (do)
• From 3 to 5 I __________was playing___________________________ tennis (play)
• Between 5 to 7 I ________was doing____________________ my homework. (do)

• Answer the question below according to the model, to practice the use of the past tense continuous
with a period of time indicated by ALL DAY FROM….. TO
Question: Jack, what were you doing all day yesterday?
Model: 8 – 9 have breakfast
From 8 to 9 I was having breakfast.
 • 9 – 11 do my homework. _____From 9 to 11 I was doing my
homework_______________________________________________
• 11- 12 cook lunch _____From 11 to 12 I was cooking
lunch_______________________________________________
• 12 - 12.30 have lunch ___From 12 to 12:30 I was having
lunch_________________________________________________
• 12.30 – 1 get ready to go to school ____From 12:30 to 1 I was get readying to go to
school________________________________________________
• 1 – 1.30 walk to school ___From 1 to 1:30 I was walking to
school_________________________________________________
• 2 – 7 have classes ___From 2 to 7 I was having
classes_________________________________________________
• 7 – 7.30 walk back home ___From 7 to 7:30 I was walking back
home_________________________________________________
• 7.30 – 8 make the tea ____From 7:30 to 8 I was making the tea
________________________________________________
• 8 – 10 watch TV ____From 8 to 10 I was watching
TV________________________________________________

• Read the dialogue below and put the verbs in brackets in the past tense continuous to express a past
action going on for a longer period of time.
Situation: Mr. Plumb was on a business trip to Suceava for a month. Now he is back and everybody is
asking him questions about the time he spent there.
Model: Mrs. Plumb: Did you enjoy Suceava? Where (you – live)
Did you enjoy Suceava? Where were you living?
Mr. Plumb: I ____________ in a hotel in the centre of the town. (live)
I was living in a hotel in the center of the town.

• Angela: What sort of hotel _________were you living___________________________________

in? (you – live)
• Mr. Plumb: It was very new and modern and it had a nice view. I _____was sharing ______________
(share) the room with another man actually.
• George: Who was the man you ____were sharing______________ (share) the room with?
• Mr. Plumb: He was also an engineer. His name was Peter Grant. We ______were
working______________ (work) on the same building – site at the same time.
• Mrs. Plumb: What sort of building-site ________were you working on_____________________ (you
– work on)?
• Mr. Plumb: We _______were working______________ (work) on a big dam project.
• George: Who ____were you working___________________ (you – work) for?
• Mr. Plumb: We ______were helping_________________ (help) the people in the local building firm.
• Angela: Did you enjoy your work there?
• Mr. Plumb: Yes, very much. Everybody was very helpful and hard working. We made very good
progress with building the dam.

• Answer these questions using the past tense continuous to express an action done repeatedly over a
period of time.
Situation: I took some of my pupils on a trip on Sunday. I had quite a lot of trouble with them.
When we returned, their form teacher asked me how the girls had behaved.
Model: Form teacher: Did Sheila ask any questions?
English teacher: Oh, she was asking questions all the time.
• Did Patricia complain? ____Oh, she was complaining all the
time________________________________________________
• Did Sally grumble? _______Oh, he were grumbling all the
time_____________________________________________
• Did Kitty contradict you? ___Oh, he were contradicting you all the
time_________________________________________________
• Did Betty talk nonsense? ___Oh, she was talking nonsense all the
time_________________________________________________
• Did Linda buy any ice-cream? ___Oh, she was buying any ice-cream all the
time_________________________________________________
• Did Helen and Jill giggle? ___Oh, they were giggling all the
time_________________________________________________
• Did Joan get lost? ___Oh, he were geting lost all the
time_________________________________________________
• Did Alice tell jokes? ___Oh, she was telling jokes all the
time_________________________________________________

• There are many contexts in which verbs which are not normally used in the continuous aspect may
occur with the past tense continuous. Match (column A) with their context (column B)
A.
 • 1. Peter was hoping Ann would phone him.
• 2. I was forgetting it was a holiday today
• 3. We were thinking of going to the theatre tonight.
• 4. I was hearing they had a new English teacher.
• 5. I was including delivery in the price.

B.
a) I had been planning activities which cannot be carried on such a day.
b) The hope had been in his mind for some time.
c) We had that intention but may do something else if you want us to.
d) I want to make my intention clear in case you think the price is too high.
e) I heard the news casually.

1--b
2--a
3--c
4--e
5--d