Past Continuous

PAST SIMPLE vs. PAST CONTINUOUSPast Simple Form+I/He/She/It

We/You/They

work .

?DidI/He/She/It

We/You/Theywork?

-I/He/She/It

We/You/They work.

eddidnt2Do You Know These Past Forms?becomecamechoosechoseflyfindfightfeelfalleatdriveflewfoundfoughtfeltfellatedrovebecamedreamdrawdocutcostdreamtdrewdidcutcostcomebreakbrokebroughtbeginbeganbewasbringbuildbuiltbuyboughtcatchcaughtdrinkdrankforgetforgot3Do You Know These Past Forms?giveledknowknewridereadputpaymeetmeanmakerodereadputpaidmetmeantmadegavelieletlendleavelearnlayletlentleftlearntleadhavehadheardgowentgetgothearhithitholdheldkeepkeptloselostrunran4Do You Know These Past Forms?seespokesleepsleptwearwakeunderstandthrowthinktellteachworewokeunderstoodthrewthoughttoldtaughtsawswimstealstandspendspellswamstolestoodspentspeltspeaksendsentshowedsellsoldsaysaidshowshutshutsingsangsitsattaketookwinwon5

(1) We use Past Simple to talk about past historic events and facts(2) We use Past Simple to talk about: completed actions in the pastShe woke up at 7:30 this morning.What did you do:At home this morning?At your last birthday party?On your last vacation?

7

Complete the sentences about yourself:

Past Simple time wordsWe normally use such time references as: Yesterday Last weekendA week agoLast Tuesday

When I was Last month

The other dayIn 1998On march the 3d 10Past continuous tenseThe farmer was working at 6 oclock yesterday evening

Past Continuous Form+I/He/She/It

We/You/They

work .

?I/He/She/It

We/You/Theywork ?

-I/He/She/It

We/You/They

work .

ingingingwaswereWaswasntWerewerent12This time yesterday the hairdresser was workingWe use the past continuous to say that somebody was in the middle of doing something at a certain time.

I started doingI finished doingI was doingWe often use such time references as:

At 5 oclock yesterday / from 07.00 till 08.00 etc.14Tim was talking on the phone at 13.30 yesterday.

15What were they doing at 11.50 yesterday?

16

What was she doing at 11.50 yesterday?

What were they doing: from ten till eleven?

18(2) We use Past Continuous for: General description of a background situation. The sun was shining but a cold wind was blowing. A lot of people were hurrying to catch a bus.

Describe what was happening when you left home this morning.19(3)Past simple and past continuous are used together when something happened in the middle of something else

The policeman broke his ankle while he was running after the dogThe past simple and the past continuous do not mean exactly the same. Compare:

When Mary arrived, we were having dinner.

This means that we already started dinner before Mary arrived.When Mary arrived, we had dinner.

This means that Mary arrived first and then we had dinner.Time expressions:While, as, when.

While the band was playing a mobile phone rang.What were Mike and Louise doing yesterday?

What were the students doing when the teacher arrived at school?

Practice: Do you have a good memory?Are you a good witness?Directions: Look at the following picture for one minute. Try to remember as many details as you can, but dont write anything.

Only one minute Ready, go .

One minute

What do you remember?How many people were there?Where were the people?What was hanging from the ceiling?What was the bank robber holding?What was the bank robber wearing?What color was his hair?What was covering the bank robbers face?Was the bank robber right-handed or left-handed?What was the bank manager doing?What was the bank teller doing?Who was walking into the bank?What time was it?What was under the bank managers desk?