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Past Continuous Tense Guide

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Thùy Yên Trần
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26 views10 pages

Past Continuous Tense Guide

Uploaded by

Thùy Yên Trần
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

ENG

ENGLISH MS YEN 0969206879

PAST CONTINUOUS (QUÁ KHỨ TIẾP DIỄN)

a. Form:
(+) S + was/ were + V-ing + O

(-) S + wasn’t/ weren’t + V-ing + O

(?) Was/ were (not) + S + V-ing + O?

b. Uses (Cách sử dụng)


- Diễn tả hành động đang xảy ra tại 1 thời điểm xác định trong quá
khứ
Ex: - I was sleeping at 12 o’clock last night

- Diễn tả một hành động đang xảy ra thì một hành


động khác xen vào: hành động đang xảy ra dùng QKTD; hành
động xen vào dùng QKĐ.

Ex: - I was studying when he came in.

- Diễn tả nhiều hành động xảy ra đồng thời trong quá khứ
(đi với while)

Ex: Yesterday evening, my mother was cooking while my father was reading
books

c. Advs (Trạng ngữ nhận biết)

At …. (specific time)
From ... to... last night, yesterday, one year ago .… At
this/ that time
At the moment
Past simple While/ When Past
continuous Past continuous

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ENG
ENGLISH MS YEN 0969206879
d. Một số lưu ý đối với thì quá khứ tiếp diễn:
* Phân biệt While & When:
Nếu xét theo định nghĩa thì while và when có chức năng tương đương nhau và có
ý nghĩa gần giống nhau, tuy nhiên khi muốn đề cập đến một hành động xảy ra ở quá
khứ, thì các động từ sau “when” thường được chia ở quá khứ đơn, trong khi đó theo
sau “while” động từ thường được chia ở quá khứ tiếp diễn và “while” thường nhấn
mạnh đến khái niệm “trong suốt khoảng thời gian”.
 I was studying when she called.
 While I was studying, she called.
 Xét 2 ví dụ trên, while và when được sử dụng với ý nghĩa giống
nhau tuy nhiên lại nhấn mạnh vào phần khác nhau của câu.

* Những động từ không chia ở các thì tiếp diễn:

Một số động từ chỉ cảm xúc (like, love…) hay (know, believe, want) ko được chia
ở các thì tiếp diễn (kể cả hiện tại tiếp diễn hay quá khứ tiếp diễn).

Verbs of thinking believe, doubt, guess, imagine, know, realize,


suppose, understand.
Verbs of the senses hear, smell, sound, taste
Verbs of possession belong to, have (meaning possess), own,
possess.
Verbs of emotion dislike, hate, like, love, prefer, regret, want,
wish.
Verbs of appearance appear, seem.
Others contain, depend on, include, involve, mean,
measure, weigh, require.

Ex:
 Jane was being at my house when you arrived.
 Jane was at my house when you arrived.

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ENG
ENGLISH MS YEN 0969206879

BÀI TẬP

Exercise 0. Fill in the blanks with “was” or “were”.

1) Jane doing homework.


2) We eating cookies.
3) The dog barking.
4) Mom cooking dinner.
5) The boys _ playing baseball
6) Dad watching TV.
7) It raining outside.
8) The baby _ crying.
9) The girls listening to music.
10) I _ taking a photo.

Exercise 1: Rewrite each sentence as a positive, negative, or question.

Example: At this time yesterday they (play) __were playing football.


At this time yesterday they were not playing football.
At this time yesterday were they playing football?
1. At this time yesterday we (play) tennis in the schoolyard.
2. At 7:00 pm yesterday I (watch) TV.
3. Yesterday while my father (watch) TV, my mother
(read)
the newspaper, my sister (do) _her
homework and I (play) chess with my friend.
4. What were you doing when I phoned you? I (have) a bath.
5. She (do) _ her homework at the time yesterday.
6. Marry (water) the flowers at 3:00 p.m yesterday.
7. They (visit) the zoo at ten o’clock yesterday.
8. Peter and I (do) the exercise at this time last night.
9. Last night my father (feed) the pigeons at 7:00.

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ENG
ENGLISH MS YEN 0969206879
10. At this time last year we (learn) English in London.

Exercise 2: Put the verb in the past simple tense or the past continuous.

1. When I (arrive) at this house, he still (sleep)


.
2. The light (go) out while we (have) dinner.
3. Bill (have) _breakfast when I (stop) stopped
at this house this morning.
4. She (wash) _ up when Vinh (arrive) at this house.
5. As we (cross) the Street, we (see) _ an
accident.
6. Tom (see) _ a serious accident while he (stand) __ at the bus
stop.
7. The children (play)……. Football when their mother …..(come)
back home.
8. The bell (ring) while Tom (take) _ a bath.
9. He (sit) in a car when I (see) him.
10. We (clean) the house when she (come)
yesterday.

Exercise 3: Put the verb in the past continuous tense.

1. I (go) down the street when it began to rain.


2. At this time last year, I (attend) an English course.
3. Jim (stand) _under the tree when he heard an explosion.
4. The boy fell and hurt himself while he (ride) _ a bicycle.
5. When we met them last year, they (live) in Santiago.
6. The tourist lost his camera while he (walk) __ around the city.
7. The lorry (go) very fast when it hit our car.
8. While I (study) _ in my room, my roommate (have)
a party in the other room.

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ENG
ENGLISH MS YEN 0969206879
9. Mary and I (leave) _ _ the house when the telephone rang.
10. We (sit) in the café when they saw us.

Exercise 4. Choose the best answer.

1. The boys broke a window when they _ football.


A. played B. were playing C. half played D. are playing
2. I _ about him when suddenly he came in.
A. talk B. talked C. am talking D. was talking
3. Last night at this time, they the
same thing. She and he _ the newspaper.
A. are doing/is cooking/is reading
B. were doing/was cooking/was reading
C. was doing/has cooked/is reading
D. had done/was cooking/read
4. When Carol last night, I my favorite show on television.
A. was calling/watched
B. called/have watched
C. called/was watching
D. had called/watched
5. When I _ home last night, I _ _ that Jane a
beautiful candle light dinner.
A. had arrived/discovered/preparing
B. was arriving/has discovered/was preparing
C. have arrived/was discovering/had prepared
D. arrived/discovered/was preparing
6. While I TV last night, a mouse ran across the floor.
A. watch B. watched C. was watching D. am watching
7. When it began to rain, they in the yard.
A. played B. had played C. were playing D. have played
8. When I woke up this morning, it _ wake up

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ENGLISH MS YEN 0969206879
A. rained B. was raining C. has rained D. is raining
9. While Tom tennis, Ann a shower.
A. played/took B. playing/taking
C. was playing/was taking D. was play/was take
10. When they in the garden, the phone .
A. worked/was ringing B. were working/rang
C. worked/rang D. work/rings
11. They tea when the doorbell _ .
A. have/is ringing B. were having/rang
C. had had/ rang D. having/ringing
12. Father _ his pipe while mother a magazine.
A. smoked/read C. had smoked/read
B. was smoking/was reading D. smoking/reading
13. When I into the office, my boss for me.
A. came/was waiting B. was coming/waited
C. had come/waited D. came/waiting
14. When I John, he across the road.
A. see/ walks B. see/was walking
C. saw/was walking D. saw/is walking
15. When he , we dinner.
A. arrived/having B. arrived/were having
C. was arriving/had D. had arrived/had
16. While they chess, we the shopping.
A. playing/doing B. were playing/doing
C. played/did D. were playing/were doing
17. They football when the lights in the
stadium out.
A. were playing/went B.
played/was going
C. were playing/ was going D. playing/went
18. While George and John their room, she the ironing.

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ENG
ENGLISH MS YEN 0969206879
A. cleaning/doing B. were cleaning/was doing
C. were cleaning/doing D. cleaning/was doing
19. While I _ TV last night, a mouse ran across the floor.
A. watch B. watched C. was watching D. am watching
20. While George and John their room, she the ironing.
A. cleaning/doing B. were cleaning/was doing
C. were cleaning/doing D. cleaning/was doing

Exercise 5. Choose the best answer.

1. When I phoned my friends, they to music and .


A. was listening/ dance C. were listening/ dancing
B. were listening/ dance D. were listen/ dance
2. Yesterday at six I dinner for my family and friends.
A. was preparing C. were preparing
B. were prepare D. was prepare
3. The kids in the garden when it suddenly rained heavily.
A. were play C. are playing
B. was playing D. were playing
4. I a song when my mother came home.
A. am singing C. were singing
B. was singing D. is singing
5. What at 9 P.M yesterday?

A. you were doing C. were you doing


B. was you doing D. you were doing
6. At this time yesterday, we in the park.
A. were sitting B. sits C. were sit D. was sitting
7. The storm started while Linda workplace.
A. was driving B. drove C. were drove D. were driving
8. My father nine symphonies; he another

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ENG
ENGLISH MS YEN 0969206879
symphony when he died.
A. wrote/ writing C. wrote/ was writting
B. wrote/ was writing D. was writing/ wrote
9. Alice hurt herself while she .
A. were skating B. was skates C. was skating D. skated
10. I met my neighbor while I home from work.
A. was walking B. was walk C. walking D. walked
11. Kien stepped on Maria's feet while they together.
A. was dancing B. dancing C. were dancing D. danced
12. Sally dinner last night when somebody clocked the door.
A. were having B. had C. having D. was having
13. Jane when the telephone rang.
A. sleeping B. was sleeping C. were sleeping D. slept
14. As I to the lab, I met my friend.
A. were walking B. was walking C. walking D. walked
15. When I Brian, he a taxi.
A. see/drives B. see/was driving C. saw/was driving D. saw/is driving

Exercise 6: Find and correct the mistakes.

1. Nick went to several concerts while she were staying in New York.
2. The soldiers prepared to leave when the bomb exploding.
3. I saw an accident while she was waitting for the taxi.
4. Last month, a bank robber escaped while the police were puting.
5. I watching TV when she called to make a invitation.
6. When the phone rang, she was writting a letter for her boyfriend.
7. While we had the picnic, it started to rain.
8. What are you doing when the earthquake started?
9. I were listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
10. You were not listen to me when I told you to turn the oven off.

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ENGLISH MS YEN 0969206879
Exercise 7: Find and correct the mistakes.

1. While John was sleeping tonight, someone stole his car.


2. Sammy waited for us when we got off the plane.
3. While I was write the email, the computer suddenly went off.
4. What you were doing when you broke your leg?
5. Last night at 6 PM, I had dinner.
6. At midnight, we were still drive through the desert.
7. Yesterday at this time, I was siting at my desk at work.
8. He constantly talked. He annoyed everyone.
9. I didn't like them because they was always complaining.
10. I made a presentation in front of 500 people when the microphone stopped
working.

Exercise 8. Write sentences in past continuous.

1.- George/travel/ by train /to work.

2.- Margaret /look out/ of the window.

3.- Daniel / sweep/ the kitchen floor.

4.- Beth/ run/ in the park /at 5.30pm

5.- Your friends /hitchhike/on the road.

6.- Jenny / practise/ karate /at the gym.

7.- The girls /wear/ red shoes.

8.- John /listen/to rock music.

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ENG
ENGLISH MS YEN 0969206879
9.- Jimmy /clean/ his apartment.

10.- Anne/ride/ her horse.


.

Exercise 9. Write questions to the underlined words:

1. They were watching TV. →


2. He was writing a letter. →
3. Nick was singing at 2 o’clock yesterday. →
4. Pat was playing basketball. →
5. She was helping her brother. →
6. They were training in the gym. →
7. We were writing a test. →
8. He was riding a bike in the park. →
9. The cat was sleeping under the table. →
10. Liz was cleaning her room. →
11. Nick was reading a new novel. →
12. Ben was standing at the door. →

10

Common questions

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The past continuous tense's structure inherently includes reference to time frames, affecting comprehension and accurate use. Phrases like 'at 7:00 PM yesterday' provide temporal context that clarifies the duration of an activity ('I was watching TV'), contrasting with instant actions in past simple ('I watched TV'). Understanding these temporal relationships helps learners distinguish ongoing from complete actions, enhancing their grammatical and narrative coherence .

The imperfective aspect of the past continuous tense, emphasizing ongoing and incomplete actions, adds depth to storytelling by creating vivid, dynamic scenes. Its use ('She was walking when the storm hit') conveys tension and movement, showcasing real-time development and interwoven timelines. This descriptive power enriches narratives, adding layers to characters’ experiences and environmental conditions increasing engagement and reader immersion .

Differentiating between actions using 'when' and 'while' bolsters cognitive benefits like enhanced sequential thinking, memory processing, and analytical skills. Learners discern temporal relationships and causal sequences ('While studying, he called' vs. 'He called when I was studying'), aiding memory retention and accurate event depiction. This sharpens their ability to process complex sequences and enhances linguistic dexterity, essential for advanced language proficiency and analytical reasoning .

Learning rules alongside exceptions in grammar helps students develop a nuanced understanding and expands their ability to use language creatively and precisely. Recognizing exceptions equips learners to navigate complex language scenarios, enhances critical thinking, and prevents overgeneralization that can lead to errors. For instance, knowing that 'believe' doesn't form 'was believing' helps students use correct forms, enhancing both their written and spoken communication proficiency .

While and when both indicate timing for past actions, yet they emphasize different aspects. 'While' highlights the continuation of an action during a time frame, often used with past continuous. 'When' introduces a specific event that occurred during another action, usually requiring past simple. Examples demonstrate that while emphasizes duration ('While I was studying, she called'), while when marks an interruption ('I was studying when she called').

Exercises that involve constructing sentences with multiple simultaneous actions using past continuous tense help students synthesize different grammar rules and enhance fluency. When learners practice sentences like 'My mother was cooking while my father was reading,' they understand how actions can overlap in time, promoting cognitive processing of concurrent actions. This leads to improved syntax and a deeper understanding of temporal relationships in language expression .

Rewriting sentences from past continuous to past simple or perfect forms requires students to evaluate the context and nuanced meaning of actions. This practice highlights differences in aspectual views: ongoing versus completed actions or earlier completions ('I was watching' vs. 'I watched' or 'I had watched'). Such exercises cultivate an advanced understanding of aspectual nuances, promoting sophisticated language use reflecting intended temporal and aspectual meanings .

Distinguishing between action and stative verbs is crucial for appropriate tense usage and meaning clarity. While action verbs denote dynamic processes requiring continuous tense (e.g., 'was playing'), stative verbs signify conditions or states inappropriate for continuous forms ('knew'). Misusing stative verbs disrupts semantic integrity, as states don't inherently depict ongoing processes. Understanding these distinctions ensures grammatical accuracy and avoids conveying unintended temporal meanings .

Certain verbs such as those expressing emotions, senses, possession, thinking, and appearance are not used with continuous tenses because they represent states rather than actions. For instance, 'know' and 'want' describe mental states that don't involve ongoing action or process, hence they appear in simple forms ('I wanted,' not 'I was wanting'). This distinction clarifies the inappropriate usage of continuous tense for non-dynamic states ('Jane was at my house,' not 'Jane was being at my house').

Exercises using past continuous tense, such as gap-filling and sentence rewriting, provide practical application, reinforcing concept comprehension and grammar usage. Activities like completing sentences with 'was/were' ('The boys were playing baseball') or shaping statements into questions help learners grasp form and usage. These exercises enable learners to apply rules in varied contexts, ensuring improved retention and understanding of context-specific language use .

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