Past Continuous

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Past Continuous

CEN Grammar

Learning goals

1. I can talk about longer actions that took place in the past.

Be careful!

Do not use any shortened forms (like weren't) in the coming exercises.

Put the verb in the correct tense.
I ___ (watch) a movie, so everyone had to be quiet.

verb = werkwoord

Put the verb in the correct tense.
She ___ (work) in the garden when suddenly a car crashed into the house.

Put the verb in the correct tense.
Peter ___ (go) to tell you, but he forgot.

Put the verb in the correct tense.
My parents ___ (talk) to that strange man when I saw them.

Put the verb in the correct tense.
I ___ (wait) for the bus, but it never came.

Put the verb in the correct tense.
Shane ___ (not - play) guitar, he was at the shop.

Put the verb in the correct tense.
They ___ (not - talk) to Mike, but to Susan. Couldn't you see that?

Put the verb in the correct tense.
What ___ (you - do) when I called you?

Put the verb in the correct tense.
___ (she - do) her homework when you entered the room?

What are we going to find out

• When to use the past continuous
• How to put the verb in its correct form

Past Continuous

Try to find out when we use the past continuous using these examples

• Mike was playing the guitar when I came in the room.
• They were waiting on the bus when it started to rain.
• They were playing rugby all afternoon.
• Mum was working in the garden when Dad tried to call her. 
• I was doing my homework, so I didn't have to do it later.
• We were planning to go to grandma, but she was ill.

Tip

When are the people doing this? Is it different from what they normally do?

Past Continuous

We use the past continuous...

• when we talk about things that were going on / happening for a longer time in the past.
  In other words: someone was doing something.
  She was watching her favourite show when I came in the room.
  Mum was working in the garden when the phone rang.
  Our teacher was grading our tests when I saw him.

I understand when to use the present continuous.

Yes

Not entirely, but I do not need any help.

Not entirely and I would like some help.

I do not get it at all...

Past Continuous

Try to find out how to form the past continuous using these examples

Affirmative
I was studying!
You were doing your homework.

She was talking to Fred.
He was playing the guitar.   

It was going well, until I fell.

We were watching that new movie.

They were listening to music.

affirmative = bevestigend (een normale zin)

• In an affirmative sentence we create the past continuous with the correct form of the verb     to be (was/were) and adding the present participle      (verb + ing)

verb = werkwoord

present participle = onvoltooid deelwoord

Dit is altijd het werkwoord met ing erachter, bijvoorbeeld: walking, studying, playing, etc.

Spelling matters

Try to find out what the exceptions are.

#1
I was baking a cake.

We were making a present.

#2
The old man was dying!

I knew he was lying.

#3

They were swimming in the lake.

Mike was running to get the bus.

1. If you have a word that ends with a 'silent' e, do not write the e, so not takeing.
   
   
2. If you have a word that ends with ie, like die / tie / lie; change the ie into y. 
   
   
3. One-syllable      words that end with a CVC structure (consonant - vowel - consonant)       get a double consonant, so no swiming or runing.

syllable = lettergreep

consonant = medeklinker

vowel = klinker

What is the correct form?

1. trying
2. trieing

What is the correct form?

1. aiming
2. aimming

What is the correct form?

1. bakeing
2. baking

What is the correct form?

1. stoping
2. stopping

What is the correct form?

1. using
2. useing

Past Continuous

Try to find out how to form the past continuous using these examples

Negative
I was not studying!
You were not working.

She was not talking to Fred.
He was not playing the guitar.   

It was not going well.

We were not watching that new movie.

They were not listening to music.

negative = ontkennend

• In a negative sentence we create the past continuous  by the correct form of the verb     to be (was / were) and adding not, followed by the present participle      (verb + ing)

verb = werkwoord

present participle = onvoltooid deelwoord

Dit is altijd het werkwoord met ing erachter, bijvoorbeeld: walking, studying, playing, etc.

Past Continuous

Try to find out how to form the past continuous using these examples

Questions
Were you studying?

Wa she talking to Fred?
Was he playing the guitar?

Were they watching that new movie?

questions = vragen

• In questions we create the past continuous by the correct form of the verb     to be (was/were) , followed by the subject      and the present participle      (verb + ing)

verb = werkwoord

present participle = onvoltooid deelwoord

Dit is altijd het werkwoord met ing erachter, bijvoorbeeld: walking, studying, playing, etc.

subject = onderwerp

Be careful!

Do not use any shortened forms (like weren't) in the coming exercises.

Put the verb in the correct tense.
My father ___ (try) to open the door, but failed.

Put the verb in the correct tense.
James ___ (learn) for his test when I entered his room.

Put the verb in the correct tense.
I ___ (not - talk) to you!

Put the verb in the correct tense.
___ (you - talk) to Mike when I saw you?

Put the verb in the correct tense.
Mike ___ (call) his parents when I saw him.

Put the verb in the correct tense.
William and Susan ___ (walk) in the park when suddenly they were attacked.

Put the verb in the correct tense.
She ___ (bake) a cake when suddenly the oven exploded.

Put the verb in the correct tense.
We ___ (not - listen) to the teacher, that's why he got angry.

I understand how to form the present continuous.

Yes

Not entirely, but I do not need any help.

Not entirely and I would like some help.

I do not get it at all...