Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous образуется при помощи вспомогательного глагола to be в Past Indefinite и причастия I основного глагола.

Утвердительная форма	Отрицательная форма	Вопросительная форма
I She He was It working We They were You	I She He wasn’t It working We They weren’t You	I she Was he it working? we Were they you

Past Continuous употребляется:

для выражения действия, происходящего в какой-то момент в прошлом; этот момент может быть выражен:

1. обстоятельством времени

At five o’clock in the morning she was still writing the composition. – В пять часов утра она всё ещё писала сочинение.

It was evening; the boat was approaching the land. – Был вечер; лодка приближалась к земле.

We were writing our composition from 5 till 7 o’clock. – Мы писали сочинение с 5 до 7 часов.

2. каким-либо другим действием, передаваемым глаголом в Past Indefinite:

I was translating the article when you came in. – Я переводил статью, когда ты вошёл.

When night came the travelers were walking along the narrow path. – Когда наступила ночь, путешественники шли по узкой тропинке.

Exercise 49. Here is a page from Mr. Cook’s diary.

8.00 – collect the car from the garage 7.30 – the organ concert at the Cathedral

10.30 – meet the manager 10.00 – walk the dog

2.00 – lunch with Peter 11.00 – drive Mother home

4.30 – 5.30 – visit the dentist

Write sentences saying what he was doing at these times:

1. At 8 o’clock he was collecting his car from the garage.

2. At 10.45 he _________________________________________________________

3. At 2.20 _____________________________________________________________

4. At 5 o’clock _________________________________________________________

5. At 8 o’clock _________________________________________________________

6. At 10.05 ____________________________________________________________

7. At 11.10 ____________________________________________________________