the Past Continuous tense

​The Past Continuous Tense

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Open Ended

What were you doing at 6 pm yesterday?

1. for a continuous action in the past which was interrupted by another action "I was reading the label, when the jar slipped out of my hands"; 2. to describe the atmosphere "The sun was shining"; 3. for two actions which happened in the same time in the past "I was sitting in the living room and she was taking a shower​

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​Forms and meaning

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​Questions

was, were + Subject + Ving​

​What was he doing when you called him?

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Were they still working at 7 pm yesterday?

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What were you doing while watching TV last night?​

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Negative sentences

was not (wasn't)

were not (weren't) + Ving​

​He wasn't sleeping when his wife came home.

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They weren't playing computer games when the teacher entered the classroom.​

Subject | Subject

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Multiple Choice

I (sit) in a cafe when you (call).

• was sitting, was calling

• was sitting, called

• sat, called

• sat, was calling

Multiple Choice

She (watch) TV when she (hear) the noise.

• was watching, was hearing

• watched, heard

• was watching, heard

• watched, was hearing

Multiple Choice

It was a nice day. The sun (shine) and the birds (sing).

• was shining, was singing

• was shining, were singing

• shone, sang

• was shining, sang

Multiple Choice

He was so annoying! He (always, complain) about everything.

• always complained

• was always complained

• was complaining always

• was always complaining

Multiple Choice

At 8 pm yesterday, they (cook) dinner.

• were cooking

• cook

• was cooking

• cooked