The tense is key element of English grammar so we have to know the uses and how to configure each of them well. Without tenses, you can't form a sentence and not express an yourself or other.
Sometimes we need to express an event or an act or something that happened in the past and continue and then move on to doing something that's happening now days and that's where the tense come .
In this lesson we explained the continuous past with simple and enough form with many examples .
First of all before explaining the continuous past we have to know the nature of this tense . In fact the ( continuous past ) what is nothing but an extension of the ( simple past tense ) .
The ( continuous past tense ) is used to refer to an act or event that began in the past and continues to our present time that's, it indicates continuity.
1- the continuous past tense used when determining a certain time in the past .
For example :
✔ Last night at 11 p.m, I was sleeping
2-used to express Two events that took place with each other without intersection .
For example :
And so we can conclude today's lesson after completing an explanation of the continuous past tense with all its uses and in all its cases.
Sometimes we need to express an event or an act or something that happened in the past and continue and then move on to doing something that's happening now days and that's where the tense come .
What's the continuous past ?
First of all before explaining the continuous past we have to know the nature of this tense . In fact the ( continuous past ) what is nothing but an extension of the ( simple past tense ) .
The ( continuous past tense ) is used to refer to an act or event that began in the past and continues to our present time that's, it indicates continuity.
How to formulate the continuous past tense in ( negative – affirmation –questioning ) ?
| Examples |
Formation |
case |
| -Sandy was singing in the kitchen . -He was selling books in this store. |
Was – Were + verb + ing |
Affirmation |
| -They weren't visiting their friend Mike . -We weren't playing basketball with each other |
Was – Were + not + verb +ing | Negative |
| -Were the horses running well in the race ? -Was the dog protecting the house ? -Were they eating their food? |
Was – Were +subject + verb + ing ? |
Question with the Auxiliary verb |
| -Where were your kids going on the summer vacation ? -When were they going fishing ? |
Question tool +was / were subject + verb + ing ? |
Question with ( wh ) |
Uses of the continuous past :
1- the continuous past tense used when determining a certain time in the past .
For example :
✔ Last night at 11 p.m, I was sleeping
2-used to express Two events that took place with each other without intersection .
For example :
✔ While my sister was cooking the food, I was studying my lesson
3-Used to express something or an act that happened in the past and lasted for a while.
For example :
3-Used to express something or an act that happened in the past and lasted for a while.
For example :
✔ Last Friday, My son was going to playing football.
Although semantics are not always evidence of a given tense, but in many cases it is a tool for recognizing the tense of the sentence and one of these words :
There are also many connecting tools that are frequently used in this tense .
For example :
The most important wards associated with the continuous past :
Although semantics are not always evidence of a given tense, but in many cases it is a tool for recognizing the tense of the sentence and one of these words :
- last night . week. Month……..
- Through the day – Through the last night
- For a long time – yesterday
There are also many connecting tools that are frequently used in this tense .
For example :
| While – as – when |
And so we can conclude today's lesson after completing an explanation of the continuous past tense with all its uses and in all its cases.
Category:
English Tenses