past continuous

Past continuous

What is past continous?

The past continuous tense shows a continuous action that began in the past. It is the past tense version of the present continuous, which also describes ongoing actions. The present and past continuous are very similar, but the past continuous uses was and were, the past tense of to be.

Structure

I was reading the book

I wasn't reading the book

was he reading the book?

They weren't reading the book

Past continuous does not apply for all verbs

There is a certain type of verb that cannot be used in any continuous tense, including the past continuous tense. These are called stative verbs, also known as state-of-being verbs or, fittingly, non-continuous verbs.

Stative verbs are less like actions and more like states or feelings. They describe continual states of mind, such as opinions, needs, or awareness. Some of the most common examples of stative verbs include

believe = creer dislike = disgustar hate = odiar involve = involucrar/suponer know = saber like = gustar love = amar need = necesitar prefer = prferir realize = percatar / darse cuenta seem = parecer understand = entender want = querer

I was understanding math class until we started fractions. I understood math class until we started fractions.

Because stative verbs are inherently continuous, it sounds odd to put them in a continuous tense. Avoid using the above words in the past continuous—you can use them in the simple past instead.

Uses of past continuous

An action in the past that gets interruptedOne of the most common uses of the past continuous tense shows a past action that was interrupted by another past action. These are often complex sentences featuring subordinating conjunctions like when = cuandowhile = mientras que before = antes que after = despues que until = hasta que whenever = siempre que/ cuando quiera

Put the action that was interrupted in the past continuous tense and the action that interrupts it in the simple past.Past continuous tense examples: Marta was leaving her apartment when she heard the thunderstorm. They were sleeping peacefully until the alarm rang. My parents arrived while I was shopping.

Uses of past continuous

Ongoing actions at a specified timeWhen you mention an exact time in the past, use the past continuous tense if the action started before that time and continued afterward. Past continuous tense examples: At midnight,people at the party were still having fun. I was working as a cashier in October. By the age of nine, I was training to be a ninja.

Uses of past continuous

Habitual actions in the past (usually with adverbs like always) Use the past continuous tense to talk about an action that used to be done frequently in the past but is not done in the present. This form is usually used with adverbs and adverb phrases, specifically ones that suggest the action was done a lot, like those listed below: all the time = todo el tiempo always = siempre constantly = constantemente continuously = continuamente forever = por siempre perpetually = perpetuamente the entire time = todo el tiempo You can also use the main adverbs of frequency rarely = raramente seldom = rara vez sometimes = algunas veces occasionally = ocacionalmente often = a menudo frequently = frecuentemente usually = usualmente

Uses of past continuous

Past continuous tense examples: As a baby, my brother was always making a mess. My first year of college, I was making spelling mistakes all the time. She was forever trying to impress her crush.

Uses of past continuous

Emphasizing how long a past action took You can also use the past continuous tense to emphasize how long an action took and highlight just how much time was spent doing it. This form usually uses adverb phrases that explain the length of time, such as: all morning/afternoon/evening = toda la mañana/tarde/noche all day/night = todo el día/noche all week/month/ year = todo la semana/mes/año for hours/days/weeks/months/years = por horas/días/semanas/meses/años the whole time = todo el tiempo Past continuous tense examples: The players were training all year for this match. She was gardening all morning and missed the delivery. I was trying to complete the final level for hours.

Uses of past continuous

Setting the background for a story When telling a story (or writing one), you can use the past continuous tense to “set the scene,” or describe exactly what was happening at the beginning of your story. We use the past continuous tense because these actions were, presumably, already happening before the story began. Past continuous tense examples: The birds were singing, and the sun was shining. I knew it would be a good day. Everyone at the cafe was enjoying their coffee. Then the stranger appeared. The city was going about its business without knowing the aliens had arrived.

Complete using past continuous

Yesterday at noon I_____(watch) a film. Last night Alan______(take) a bath. Do not lie, friday evening you______(not/study). Last month I______(eat) in that restaurant. The whole time Sarah______(play) chess. When they______ (learn) English, they made many mistakes. The ducks_______(swim) in the pond all day. It______(rain) two days ago.At the last month party, Carol and Jim_______(dance). _____they______(sleep) when you arrived?

Please translate to english.

Duncan estaba bailando todo el dia

Mario y Luigi estaban saltando la semana pasada

María estaba jugando con los niños

Estaba nevando ayer

Nosotros estabamos caminando el otro día

Tu estabas buscando esa informacion el mes pasado

Listening

Past simple vs past continuous

The past continuous is often confused with simple past tense—this might be because some sentences can use either. My brother was sleeping all day. My brother slept all day. The simple past is generally more commonly used. However, there are subtle differences worth mentioning.

Past simple vs past continuous

When you use a subordinating clause (such as a clause starting with when) with another action, keep these distinctions in mind: The past continuous tense means the action started before the other action. The simple past means one action started after the other. In the example below, which uses the past continuous,the speaker started running before the whistle blew:When the whistle blew, I was running. In this example using the simple past tense, the speaker started running after the whistle blew: When the whistle blew, I ran.

Past simple vs past continuous

Likewise, when you mention a time directly, the past continuous tense means the action started before the time, whereas the simple past means the action started at the time. Here, the speaker started eating lunch before noon: At noon I was eating lunch. Here, the speaker started eating lunch at noon: At noon I ate lunch.

past simple vs past continuous

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