Past continuous

Mariana Cavazos Eddy

PAST CONTINUOUS

Federico Fellini

" A different language is a different vision of life"

They stopped playing cards

They were playing cards

They started playing cards.

5:00?

4:00

11:00?

They started playing cards before 4 o'clock, and the probably continued playing afterwards.

Use the past continuous when you talk about things which were happening at a particular time in the past.The action started before, and probably went on after, that particular time.

they were still playing cards at 4 o'clock

Example

PAST CONTINUOUS

The past simple and the past continuous do not mean exactly the same.I had dinner at 8 o'clock. (past simple)This means he started to have his dinner at 8 'clock.I was having dinner at 8 0'clock (past continuous)This means he started to have his dinner before 8 o'clock, and probably continued after 8 o'clock.

Past continuous or past simple?