In PROGRESS around a particular PAST TIME, BACKGROUND events, TEMPORARY activities, UNFINISHED and interrupted
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| credit Mike Gruhn |
We use the Past Continuous to say that something was in progress (going on) around a particular time in the past.
- What were you doing around 8 o'clock yesterday evening?
- When I got up yesterday morning, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. (got up - short activity, was shining - description)
1. The Past Simple and Continuous: finished vs unfinished
- I read the book last night. (finished)
- I was reading a book last night when you phoned. (unfinished)
2. When we want to say that an activity was in progress at every moment during the period of time:
- I was painting all day yesterday.
- They were quarrelling the whole time they were together.
3. NON - PROGRESSIVE verbs:
- I tried the soup to see how it tasted. (not: I tried the soup to see how it was tasting.)
4. BACKGROUND events: We often use the past continuous together with the past simple. The past continuous shows the longer background action or situation and the past simple shows the shorter activity that happened in the middle of the longer or interrupted it:
- I was watching a film when my son woke up. (when he woke up I stopped watching)
- As they were walking down the road they saw Bill.
- Mozart died while he was composing the Requiem.
5. TEMPORARY vs PERMANENT:
Don't use the past continuous when you talk about longer, more permanent actions:
- When I got home I saw that water was running down the kitchen walls. (temporary)
- Explorers believed that the river ran into the Atlantic. (permanent)
- It happened while I was living in Vienna last year. (temporary)
- We lived in Berlin when I was a child. (permanent)
6. DESCRIBING PEOPLE or ATMOSPHERE:
- She was wearing a long red dress and black shoes.
- It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining so I went out for a walk.
- When I walked in, Susan was watching TV, Mark was trying to do his homework and granny was cooking in the kitchen.
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| derivative of Nina Paley |
7. TWO activities happening at the same time:
- While I was cleaning the floors the children were washing the windows.
- Were you listening while he was talking?
- I wasn't paying attention while the teacher was speaking so, when she gave me one of those looks, I was really embarrassed.
