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Past Progressive Tense

Uses of the past progressive

  1. To describe actions were in progress at special time in the past.
    • Example: He was reading a book yesterday evening.
  2. To describe actions that were in progress at the same time in the past, but these actions don’t influence each other.
    • Example: He was running while she was reading a book.
  3. Is typically used together Past Simple to describe an action in progress when another action happened.
    • Example: While we were having dinner, my father came.

Grammar Structure

Affirmative Subject + was/were + Ving + Complement
Negative Subject + was/were + not + Ving + Complement
Question Wh + was/weret + Subject + Ving - Complement + ?

Spelling rules

To form the Past Progressive, we use the Past Simple of the verb ToBe followed by the “ing” form of the main verb. Be careful with the rules

  1. If the verb ends with “e”, we replace it with “ing”
    • Example: Work => working
  2. "vowel + consonant" we double the consonant and add "ing"
    • Example: Run => running
  3. If the verb ends with “ie”, we replace it with “y” and add “ing”
    • Example: Lie => Lying

Examples

Affirmative

  1. They were speaking loudly.
  2. Yesterday I was taking a shower while my brothers were having breakfast.
  3. Today I was sleeping when the phone rang.

Negative

  1. They weren’t speaking loudly.
  2. Yesterday I wasn’t taking a shower while my brothers were having breakfast
  3. Today I wasn’t sleeping when the phone rang

Interrogative

  1. Were they speaking loudly?
  2. Was I taking a shower yesterday while my brothers were having breakfast.
  3. Where were you living before you bought your own home?