Past Continuous tense
It is used to express a continued or ongoing action in past, an ongoing
action which occurred in past and completed at some point in past. It expresses
an ongoing nature of an action in past.
For example, “he was laughing.” This sentence shows ongoing action
(laughing) of a person which occurred in past. Past continuous tense is also
called past progressive.
Rules:
Auxiliary verb “was or were” is used in sentence. 1st form of
verb or base verb + ing (present participle) is used as main verb in sentence.
Structure of sentence
Positive sentences
• Subject + auxiliary
verb + Main Verb (present participle) + object
• Subject + was/were +
(1st form of verb or base verb +ing) +object
If the subject is “he, she, It, I, singular or proper noun” then
auxiliary verb “was” is used. If subject is “you, we, they or plural” then
auxiliary verb “were” is used.
Examples.
She was crying
yesterday.
They were climbing
on a hill.
Negative sentences
• Subject + auxiliary
verb + NOT + Main verb (present participle) + object
• Subject + was/were +
NOT + (1st form of verb or base verb +ing) +object
Rules for using auxiliary verb after subject are same as mentioned
above.
Examples.
She was not crying
yesterday.
They were not
climbing on a hill.
Interrogative sentences
• Auxiliary verb +
Subject + Main verb (present participle) + object
• Was/were + Subject +
(1st form of verb or base verb +ing) +object
The interrogative sentence starts with the auxiliary verb. If the
subject is “he, she, It, I, singular or proper noun” then the sentence starts
with auxiliary verb “was”. If subject is “you, we, they or plural” then the
sentence starts with auxiliary verb “were”.
Examples.
Was she crying
yesterday?
Were they climbing
on a hill?