The formation of the past continuous. Past Continuous - Past Continuous

Hello my dear readers.

If you doubt your knowledge of such an important tense as the Past Continuous, then today's lesson is for you. Past Continuous: Rules and Examples is the topic of today's lesson.

You will learn how to correctly form a form, all the necessary rules, you will see examples of all possible ways to use time. Also, not for greater difficulty, but for your careful study, I will give you the rule in both Russian and English.

Icons used in this article:

V+ing (Ving)- English verb of the first form with the ending -ing.

Rule of time formation

The affirmative form of tense is formed as follows:

Subject + was/were + Ving

She was making pizza at that moment. She was cooking pizza at that time.

Of course, it is often necessary to form negative sentences. In this case, to auxiliary verbs was/were a particle is added not.

She wasn't making pizza at that moment. She wasn't cooking pizza at that time.

past simple- grammatical tense, which is used to indicate a completed action in the past. This is usually indicated by hint words. for example He finished school in 2002. He finished school in 2002. Thus, the indication 2002 is a hint word requiring the use of Past Simple.

Past continuous- in this grammatical tense, we are primarily interested in the continuous nature of a specific action in the past. Often this time is accompanied by hints in their own words. For example, He was drinking tea with his friends yesterday at 5. That is, we are interested in a specific moment in the past, and special words indicate this.

Clues

Let us dwell a little more on the clue words of these two tenses.

past simple- yesterday, ago, last, the day before yesterday, in ... (date), on ... (day). As a rule, all of the above clue words are used at the end of a sentence. However, speeches may use these words at the beginning of a sentence.

Past continuous- at ... (indication of time), all day long (all day), from ... till ... (from ... to ...). As in the Past Simple, hint words are placed at the end of the sentence, but they can also be used at the beginning of the sentence.

How Past Simple and Past Continuous are Formed

past simple

affirmative sentences- I started to work at shool in 2001. The subject is put in the first place, then the predicate in the second form (the ending ed is added to the regular verbs, the second form is learned from the wrong ones).

Interrogative sentences - Did you start to work at school in 2001? The auxiliary verb Did, which is not translated in any way, is put in the first place, then the subject and predicate in the FIRST (initial) form.

Negative sentences- I did not (didn't) start to work at school in 2001. (The subject is followed by did not + the verb in the initial form)

Past continuous

affirmative sentences- We were having breakfast yesterday at 5. The subject is put in the first place, then to be in past form(was / were - depending on the number of the subject. In the singular - was, in the plural - were.) + verb with the ending ...ing.

Interrogative sentences— Were you having breakfast yesterday at 5? The verb to be and the subject change places.

Negative sentences- We were not (weren't) having breakfast at 5. The particle not (not) is placed after the verb to be.

Sharing two tenses in one sentence

Often past simple and Past continuous are used side by side in the same sentence. The most important thing in this case is to correctly determine which time to use in which case. Consider an example: Sally came when I was having breakfast. Sally came in while I was having breakfast. Let's compare two actions. One of them has a long character - to have breakfast, the other one-time, quick character - to come. Thus, when two past actions collide in one sentence, you need to choose, arguing about which action lasted longer and which happened quickly. In such cases, two sentences are usually connected using conjunctions. when(when and while(while)

Examples from fiction

A chill wind was blowing that nipped him sharply and bit with especial venom into his wounded shoulder. // Jack London "The Call Of The Wild"

She was trying to see it in a mirror behind the counter without letting the truck driver know, and so she pretended to push a bit of hair to neatness. // John Steinbeck "The Grapes Of Wrath"

The man was limping on towards this latter, as if he were the pirate come to life, and come down, and going back to hook himself up again. // Charles Dickens "Great Expectations"

Exercises for Past Simple / Past Continuous (test)

The past continuous/extended is the past tense to denote an ongoing activity. It is formed by the form of the service verb be+ real communion. Past continuous negatives was not / wasn't, were not / weren't before communion.

The past continuous says that someone was in the process of doing something at a particular time. This action/situation has already begun by that time, but has not yet ended.

It was raining all night - Allnightlilo

Past continuous spelling

To add an end –ing

• consonant verbs + — e discard the last vowel (except being)

starve – starving

carve-carving

• verbs with a stressed vowel + consonant double the final consonant

rub-rubbing

stop-stopping

• verbs in — ie change it to – y-

lie-lying

die-dying

• vowel verbs + — l double the final consonant (in British English)

travel-travelling

cancel - cancelling

Past Continuous Values

• past actions (with a temporary indication)

At 7 o'clock yesterday evening they were having dinner - Yesterdayin7 pmtheyhad dinner

In May of last year she was studying hard for her final examspastMayshe isstubbornlypreparedtograduationexams

At 6 o'clock this morning I was walking along the beach6 a.mIwalkedonbeach

What were you doing at 10 o'clock last night? - WhatYoudidin10 pm?

• temporary situations (around another past interruption)

He was walking down the street when he ran into an old friend - Hewalkedonstreet, whencame acrosson thehisoldfriend

They were watching a film when we arrived - Whenwecame, theywatchedmovie

She was studying law when the war started - Onmomentstartwarsshe isstudiedjurisprudence

I waved to her but she wasn't looking - Iwavedher, butshe isevennotwatched

Ithoughtyouwerenevercoming - I already thought you would never come

• concurrent processes

Shewastalkingonhermobilephonewhileshewasdrivingtowork - She was talking on a mobile phone, while she was driving to work

While I was driving along this morning, I was thinking about what you'd saidIwasin the morningbehinddriving, Ithoughtaboveyourwords

He was cooking the dinner while she was talking to him - Byeshe iswiththemtalking, is hecookeddinner

• stage plots (introductions/prehistory of stories)

One beautiful autumn afternoon, Ben was strolling down a quiet country lane. The birds were singing and the leaves were rustling in the breeze - OnewonderfulautumnafternoonBenwalked

along a quiet lane. The birds sang and the leaves rustled in the breeze

The wind was blowing and the rain was beating down. John Snell was standing at the bus stop shivering. He was trying to imagine being at home sitting by a warm fire – Dulwind, andpoundedrain. John Snell stood trembling at the bus stop. He tried to imagine how he sits at home by a warm fire.

Temporary indication

while, when, as

I was walking home when I met Dave - Ialreadywalkedhome, whenmetDave

Ann was watching TV when the phone rang – AnnwatchedTV, whenrangtelephone

Tom burnt his hand when he was cooking the dinner – Tomburnedhandcookingdinner

• adverbial phrases

all morning/evening/day/yesterday/night/week

I was watching TV all evening - IwatchedTVthe wholeevening

Were you working all weekend? - Youworkedallweekend?

This time last yearI was living in Brazil – RivneyearbackIlivedinBrazil

English Joke

The little girl in the zoological park tossed bits of a bun to the stork, which gobbled them greedily, and bobbed its head towards her for more.

"What kind of a bird is it, mamma?" the child asked.

The mother read the placard, and answered that it was a stork.

"O-o-o-h!" the little girl cried, as her eyes rounded. Of course, it recognized me!

Knowledge of English is almost a vital necessity in our time. Children are introduced to its basics from a very early age, and a diligent high school student is completely able to speak English fluently. Like any other language, it has its own characteristics, which should be given a lot of attention.

According to those who started learning already in adulthood, one of the most difficult features of this language is tenses. English speech involves the division of all situations according to the time when they occurred, are occurring or will occur relatively this moment. It can sometimes be difficult for beginners to master this topic right away, but diligence, attention to theory and active practice will help you quickly adapt.

One of the most curious tenses is Past Continuous Tense

It is past tense, but continuous. That is, they use it, not just wanting to put the listener in front of a fact (for example, “Olya cooked dinner yesterday”), but aiming to describe it, indicate its duration (for example, “Olya cooked dinner yesterday: she baked a turkey and cooked a cake "). But - how to build such sentences in English?

How is the Past Continuous Formed?

Was and Were in Past Continuous

In order to create a sentence using this tense, you need to use the second form of the verb "to be" ("to be"), that is - was(if it is singular) or - were(if there are several subjects of conversation). In addition, the verb used in speech acquires the ending "ing"

The sentence itself, depending on its form, will be built as follows:

• Affirmative: singular (I/ he/ she/ it) + was…;

plural (we/ you/ they) + were…

• Negative: (I/he/she/it) + was not (wasn’t)…;

(we/you/they) + were not (weren’t)…

• Interrogative: was I/he/she/it… ?

were we/you/they… ?

AT negative sentences both the full form was not and were not, and the abbreviated form can be used. The second, by the way, is more common, while the full one is used extremely rarely, mainly in official speech.

When to use the Past Continuous

There are three main cases when in the process of narration it is necessary to refer to this particular time..

• If the described continuous action took place over a certain, unknown period of time, at some point in the past. That is, there is no clear data on how many minutes or hours the action lasted, but the very fact of its duration is important for the further course of the conversation.

I was walking at 18:00 yesterday.

• If it lasted at the time when some other action took place. That is, one of the events described was already going on for a certain moment, but suddenly another event began, inextricably linked with the first one.

When Jenny came home, Kate was sleeping.

• If several actions in the past occurred at the same time interval. It is not known whether they started at the same time, or whether the second connected at some point to the first. The fact is that both of them are equal and have the same meaning in a conversation.

While Tony was cooking, Ann was reading a book.

Remarkably, in the latter case, the words while or when are always used, which will be discussed in more detail below.

But there is another type of situation when you have to resort to the Past Continuous. These are discussions about plans for the future that took place in the past.

In order to say, for example, that Amy imagined how she would read a book on the beach, you need to make a construction like: Amy was planning how she would be reading a book on the beach.

The beginning of the sentence is a familiar construction, compiled according to the rules of the Past Continuous, while the second part of it begins with the words “would be” (in the negative form - wouldn’t be), after which the verb necessarily follows with the ending “ing”.

Thus, connecting within one sentence, two tenses are able to recreate the picture in its entirety, taking into account all the nuances.

What is the difference between Past Continuous and Past Simple

In order to operate with proper ease with the forms of verbs, building a competent sentence, you need to have a clear understanding of the cases in which this or that tense is used.

• Past Simple is distinguished primarily by the completeness of thought.
• Past Continuous, on the other hand, emphasizes the duration of the action.

That is, if you need to notify about the fact, to inform the listener, Simple is involved, and when you need to tell more about the event, then Continuous. Here, for example, the sentence: "Mary did her homework yesterday." And - another, similar at first glance: "Mary did her homework yesterday."

But the first should be framed in Past Simple, and the second in Past Continuous, due to the specified duration of the action: “Mary was doing her homework yesterday”.

While and When in Past Continuous

It happens that you need to talk about two actions taking place in the past in parallel, that is, during one, common to them, period of time. To talk about an event that was unfolding while another event was happening, use the words "while" or "when". What is the difference between them?

When the form of conversation is formal, not allowing colloquial sentences, use while. If we are talking about a friendly conversation, colloquial when will be more appropriate.

For example: "Kate was singing, when I was eating my breakfast."

The when form is simpler, unobtrusive, and ideal for conversations in an informal setting, but it is absolutely not suitable for formal conversations. When communicating with native speakers, you need to carefully monitor this! Inappropriate use of words that are inappropriate in their form can cause misunderstandings and conflicts, which, by the way, could easily have been avoided.

Thus, knowing the rules for using time, as well as the signs of situations that should be described using it, you can significantly improve your level.

The main thing is not to neglect the study essential rules and not be lazy to apply the learned information in practice, because it is it that helps to bring the application of knowledge to automatism, which, in fact, is the essence of free communication.

The English language is rich at times. Among them are not last place occupies Past Continuous Tense (Past Continuous), which is responsible for actions that lasted for some period in the past. But this is not its only function: we will talk about the formula of education, use and time indicators further.

General information

The Past Continuous is translated into Russian as the Past Continuous. The name speaks for itself. Past indicates that the action took place in the past, and Continuous is an aspect that describes the duration, the duration of the action.

There is no such time in Russian. Therefore, for Russian-speaking people, it is not very clear and causes difficulties. As a rule, Past Continuous is translated using verbs imperfect form in the past time.

Design

The Past Continuous is a compound time. Like Present Continuous(Present Continuous), this tense form is formed with the help of two verbs: the auxiliary to be and the main verb, to which the ending -ing is attached. But since the Past Continuous speaks of the duration of the action in the past, and not in the present, the auxiliary verb to be will also be in the past tense - was / were. All features of the formation of affirmative, negative and interrogative forms are presented in the following table:

Past Continuous rules and usage examples

As can be seen from the above examples of verb conjugation in the Past Continuous, the grammatical formula for the formation of the form does not cause any particular difficulties. The main thing is to choose one of the forms of auxiliary verbs correctly. Difficulties arise in practice and relate to cases when the Past Continuous is used. To avoid problems in the future, the following rules of use are suggested:

• To show an action that took place some time in the past. As a rule, the question of when exactly it began is not important for the speaker. The main thing is to highlight its presence in a given period of time:

At 7 o'clock yesterday she was drinking a cup of hot coffee. She was drinking hot coffee at 7 o'clock yesterday.

• To emphasize the process itself rather than the action or subsequent result:

My sister was drawing the whole day. My sister has been painting all day.

• To describe a short-term, short-lived situation in the past. The speaker clarifies, specifies when exactly this action took place:

His family was living in Japan for several months. – His family lived in Japan for several months.

• In complex sentences, where in one part Past Continuous (Past Continuous) is used to indicate a long action, and in the other - Past Simple (Simple Past) to describe a short single action. The following unions connect the two parts till (until), until (until), before (before), as (while), after (after), when (when):

He was reading a newspaper before we entered the room. He was reading a newspaper before we entered the room.

Not all verbs in English can be used in the Past Continuous. Exceptions include state verbs (to love - love, to like - love, like, to hate - hate).

Time period notation

There are "marker words" for each tense form in English. The Past Continuous is no exception. Usually in sentences where the predicate is expressed by the verb in the past continuous, certain pointer words are used:

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• Denoting a specific time : at 8 p.m. (at 8 pm), at 4 o'clock yesterday (yesterday at 4 o'clock), this afternoon (at lunchtime), this evening at 9 (at 9 in the evening), at midnight (at midnight) and others (My father was smoking at midnight - My dad smoked at midnight);
• denoting a period of time : all day (all day), last morning (yesterday morning), during some time (for some time), this time last week (at this time last week), this evening (tonight) and others (This time last month they were swimming in the sea - At this time last month they were swimming in the sea).