4th - Interrupted past

Interrupted past

What's the interrupted past?

The interrupted past, also known as the past continuous tense, is used when we want to talk about actions that were happening in the past when another action suddenly interrupted them.

Past continuous

1. Write the helping verb was, were based on the subject.
2. Add -ing to the main verb.

Examples: The Tyrannosaurus Rex was hunting for prey in the jungle. The Velociraptors were chasing after its prey at lightning speed.

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Past simple

1. Write the main verb in its past form.

Examples: The dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. The Ankylosaurus had a hard, bony armor. The Spinosaurus was a giant predator.

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Combine the past continuous and the past simple

While the t-rex was hunting its prey, the velociraptors came out of the junle.

Interrupted past

While = past progressive While the Brachiosaurus was standing on its legs... The action that interrupts = simple past ... the volcano erupted.

Interrupted past

While the velociraptors were roaming, the rain started. While the triceraptos was sleeping, a lightning struck a tree.

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