The formation of the Past Continuous.

1. The Past Continuous is formed by means of the Past Indefinite of the auxiliary verb to be and Participle I of the notional verb.

2. In the interrogative form the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject.

In the negative form the negative particle not is placed after the auxiliary verb.

Affirmative	Interrogative	Negative
I was reading He was reading She was reading We were reading You were reading They were reading	Was I reading? Was he reading? Was she reading? Were we reading? Were you reading? Were they reading?	I was not reading He was not reading She was not reading We were not reading You were not reading They were not reading

3. The contracted negative forms are:

He wasn’t reading

They weren’t reading

4. The negative-interrogative forms are:

{Was he not reading?

Wasn’t he reading?

{Were they not reading?

Weren’t they reading?

The use of the Past Continuous.

1. The Past Continuous is used to denote an action which was going on at a definite moment in the past.

It was twelve and he was still sitting, when the presence of Cowperwood was

announced. (Dreiser)

The definite moment is indicated either by another past action expressed by a verb in the Past Indefinite or by an adverbial phrase.

When I returned,she was sweeping the floor. (Bennett)

At midnight he was still working, though he was feelingill and was longing

to go to bed.

The definite moment is often not expressed, but understood from the situation.

He did not notice what was going on around him — he was reading.

The Past Continuous is used to denote a certain state or quality peculiar to the person at a given moment in the past.

He knew he was being scientific and restrained. (Cronin)

2. The Past Continuous or the Past Indefinite is often used after such phrases as the whole day, all day long.

They were working in the garden all day long.

They worked in the garden all day long.

3. The Past Continuous is used to denote an action thought of as a continual process. In this case the adverbs always, ever, constantly are used. The Past Continuous in this use is often to be found in emotional speech.

She was constantly complaining of being lonely. (Shaw)

He was never able to look after his flowers at all, for his friend, the Miller,

was always coming round and sending him off on long errands or getting

him to help on the mill. (Wilde)

The Past Continuous is rendered in Russian by the past imperfective.

When I came home, she was cooking dinner.

Когда я вернулся, она готовила обед.

THE FUTURE CONTINUOUS

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