Past continuous Tense

Identification of the Tense: - The event was happing in recent past. Ex:-

  1. Rajiv was going to school.
  2. I was playing football.
  3. He was not studying.
  4. Were they living here?
There was continuity in the happening of all the events given in the above examples.
Usage:- In Past Continuous Tense we usually use 
  1. First form of the verb + ing and
  2. was (with singular subject)/were(if the subject is plural I)
Explanation:-
In the first sentence "Rajiv was going to school."
Singular noun Rajiv is followed by helping verb was followed by first form of the verb go+ing.
In second sentence "I was playing football."
Singular Pronoun I  is followed by helping verb was followed by first form of the verb play+ing.
In third sentence "He was not studying"
Being a negative sentence the helping verb was is followed by not which itself is followed by first form of the verb study+ing.
In the fourth sentence"were they living here."
In this interrogative sentence helping verb were is preceeding plural noun they following by first form of the verb live+ ing ie living.
Example sentences in Past Continue Tense:
  
Affirmative
Negative
I was studying.
We were studying.
You were studying...
He was studying.
They were studying.
Vivek was studying.
Girls were studying.
I was not studying.
We were not studying.
You were not studying.
He was not studying.
They were not studying.
Vivek was not studying.
Girls were not studying.

Interrogative
Negative interrogative
Was I studying?
Were we studying?
Were you studying?
Was he studying?
Were they studying?
Was Vivek studying?
Were girls studying?
Was I not studying?
Were we not studying?
Were you not studying?
Was he not studying?
Were they not studying?
Was Vivek not studting?
Were girls not studying?

Use of Past Continuous Tense:-
to express an action that was in progress at some time in the past.
  • She was taking my bath at 7o’clock.
  • I was playing in the garden when he came.
to express two or more actions in progress at the same time.
  • While I was doing my home-work, my brother was playing outside.
  • The students were talking when the teacher was writing on the black-board.
to express an often repeated (undesirable) past action.
  • She was always taunting him.
  • She was always coming at odd hours.   

Practice Exercise for Past Continuous Tense:-

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