6. PAST CONTINUOUS (I was doing)

ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE FOR INTERMEDIATE

6. PAST CONTINUOUS (I was doing)

A	Study this example situation: Yesterday Karen and jim played tennis. They started at 10 o'clock and finished at 11.30.  So, at 10.30 they were playing tennis. They were playing = they were in the middle of playing. They had not finished playing. Was/were -ing is the past continuous: I/ he/ she/ it we/ you/ they was were playing doing working etc
B	I was doing something= I was in the middle of doing something at a certain time. The action or situation had already started before this time, but had not finished:   This time last year I was living in Brazil. What were you doing at 10 o'clock last night? I waved to Helen, but she wasn't looking.
C	Compare the past continuous (I was doing) and past simple (I did): Past continuous (in the middle of an action) Past simple (complete action) I was walking home when I met Dan. (in the middle of walking home) Kate was watching TV when we arrived. I walked home after the party last night. (=all the way, completely) Kate watched television a lot when she was ill last year.
D	We often use the past simple and the past continuous together to say that something happened in the middle of something else: Matt phoned while we were having dinner. It was raining when I got up. I saw you in the park yesterday. You were sitting on the grass and reading a book. I hurt my back while I was working in the garden. But we use the past simple to say that one thing happened after another: I was walking along the road when I saw Dan. So I stopped, and we had a chat. Compare: When Karen arrived, we were having dinner. (= we had already started before she arrived) When Karen arrived, we had dinner. (= Karen arrived, and then we had dinner)
E	Some verbs (for example, know and want) are not normally used in the continuous (see Unit 4A): We were good friends. We knew each other well. (not We were knowing) I was enjoying the party, but Chris wanted to go home. (not was wanting)

EXERCISES

6.1	What were you doing at these times? Write sentences as in the examples. The past continuous is not always necessary (see the second example). 1 (at 8 o'clock yesterday evening) __ I was having dinner____ 2 (at 5 o'clock last Monday) ___ I was on a bus on my way home ____ 3 (at 10.15 yesterday morning) ________________________________________ 4 (at 4.30 this morning) ________________________________________ 5 (at 7.45 yesterday evening) ________________________________________ 6 (half an hour ago) ________________________________________
6.2	Use your own ideas to complete the sentences. Use the past continuous. 1 Matt phoned while we _____ were having dinner ____________ 2 The doorbell rang while I _____________________ 3 The car began to make a strange noise when we _____________________ 4 Jessica fell asleep while she _____________________ 5 The television was on, but nobody _____________________
6.3	Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.
6.4	Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple. 1 Jenny ___was waiting ______ (wait) for me when __arrived ___ (arrive). 2 'What _________ (you /do) at this time yesterday 'I was asleep.' 3 _____________________ (you /go) out last night?' 'No, I was too tired.' 4 How fast ______________ (you /drive) when the accident _____________ (happen)? 5 Sam ________ (take) a picture of me while I ____________ (not /look). 6 We were in a very difficult position. We ______________ (not /know) what to do. 7 I haven't seen Alan for ages. When I last _____________ (see) him, he ______________ (try) to find a job. 8 I _____________ (walk) along the street when suddenly I __________ (hear) footsteps behind me. Somebody _______________ (follow) me. I was scared and I _______________ (start) to run. 9 When I was young, I _______________(want) to be a pilot. 10 Last night I ________ (drop) a plate when I _________________ (do) the washing-up. Fortunately it __________________ (not I break).

ANSWER KEY