Past Continuous Tense

Past Countinuous Tense Affirmative form singular plural I was working we were working you were working he/she/it was working they were working

Past Countinuous Tense Negative form singular plural I wasn’t working we weren’t working you weren’t working he/she/it was working they weren’t working *was not= wasn’t were not = weren’t

Past Countinuous Tense Interrogative form singular plural wasI working were we working wereyou working were you working was he/she/it working were they working

Past Countinuous Tense USE Actions in progress in the past. e.g. I was living there in When we don’t know whether the action was completed or not. e.g. He was working on his essay last night. *’Still’ is used to emphasise duration. e.g. He was talking to her when I came in and was still talking to her when I went out one hour later.

Past Countinuous Tense USE Situation or action in progress in the past, and simple past describes a shorter action or event. Situation in progress is often introduced by conjuctions like: when, as, just as, while. e.g. Just as I was leaving the house, the phone rang.

Past Countinuous Tense USE We use ‘while’ or ‘at the time’ to emphasise the fact that two or more actions were in progress at some time. e.g. While I was working in the garden, my wife was cooking dinner. For repeated actions. e.g. When he worked here, Roger was always making mistakes.

Past Countinuous Tense USE Polite inquiries – this use is more polite than simple past. e.g. I was wondering if you could give me a lift.