The Formation of the Past Continuous

1. We form the Past Continuous by means of the auxiliary verb TO BE in the Past Indefinite (was / were) and Participle I of the main verb.

WAS + PARTICIPLE I (Ving) WERE

E.g. I was writing a letter then.

She was still reading the book.

They were making a report at that time.

2. In negative sentences we place the negative particle NOT after the auxiliary verb TO BE (was / were). In informal English we use short negative forms.

E.g. I was not / wasn’t writing a letter then.

She was not / wasn’t reading the book.

They were not / weren’t making a report at that time.

Full negative forms	Short negative forms
I (he, she, it) was not working.	I (he, she, it) wasn’t working.
We (you, they) were not working.	We (you, they) weren’t working.

3. In interrogative sentences (questions) we place the auxiliary verb TO BE (was / were) before the subject.

E.g. Was I writing a letter then?

Was she reading the book?

Were they making a report at that time?

4. In negative - interrogative sentences (negative questions) we place the auxiliary verb TO BE (was / were) before the subject and the negative particle NOT after the subject. In informal English we place short negative forms before the subject.

E.g. Was I not / Wasn’t I writing a letter then?

Was she not / Wasn’t she reading the book?

Were they not / Weren’t they making a report at that time?

Full negative-interrogative forms	Short negative-interrogative forms
Was I (he, she, it) not working? Were we (you, they) not working?	Wasn’t I (he, she, it) working? Weren’t we (you, they) working?

The Use of the Past Continuous

We use the Past Continuous to denote:

An action in progress at a definite moment in the past

· with adverbials: then, at that moment, at that time, the whole day (yesterday), all day long, all through that winter, from 6 till 7 (yesterday), etc.

E.g. She was reading a rule at that time.

We were playing chess from 5 till 6 yesterday.

Sometimes the definite moment can be understood from the context or indicated by another past action.

E.g. When we went to the Crimea our children were staying with Granny.

A temporary characteristic of a person in the past

E.g. Usually he was an obedient boy, but that day he was being naughty.

An action regarded as a continual process in the past (criticism)

· with the adverbs: always, constantly, continually, ever, etc.

· with an element of irritation or exaggeration.

E.g. She was always helping people.

Two simultaneous actions in progress in the past

· connected by the conjunctions while and when

E.g. He was sleeping while she was washing up.

Tom Brown was working in the hospital when we were living in London.

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