Past Continuous
We use the Past Continuous to talk about:
actions that were happening at a specific time in the past:
1. He was buying his coursebooks for school at three
o’clock yesterday afternoon.
2. They were talking about their trip to the shopping
centre at dinner time.
actions in progress at the same time in the past:
1. While she was playing tennis, her father was sleeping.
2. I was baking cupcakes while my parents were making
dinner.
Move on 8º ano | Isabel Teixeira e Paula Menezes
Affirmative sentences in the Past Continuous.
I, He, She, It was sleeping all afternoon.
We, You They were playing online games.
Move on 8º ano | Isabel Teixeira e Paula Menezes
Build sentences in the affirmative using the Past Continuous.
1.They / have lunch / one o’clock
yesterday.
They were having lunch at one o’clock
yesterday.
2. He / get ready / to go / school / eight
o’clock / morning.
He was getting ready to go to school at
eight o’clock in the morning .
Move on 8º ano | Isabel Teixeira e Paula Menezes
Negative sentences in the Past Continuous.
I, He, She, It wasn’t watching TV.
We, You, They weren’t jogging in the park.
Move on 8º ano | Isabel Teixeira e Paula Menezes
Build sentences in the negative using the Past Continuous.
1. I / not ride / bike / last Sunday afternoon.
I wasn’t riding my bike las Sunday
afternoon.
2. We / not study.
We weren’t studying.
Move on 8º ano | Isabel Teixeira e Paula Menezes
Interrogative sentences in the Past Continuous.
What was I / she / he / it doing?
Were we / you / they working at home?
Move on 8º ano | Isabel Teixeira e Paula Menezes
Build sentences in the interrogative using the Past Continuous.
1. you / skateboard / yesterday / three /
o’clock / ?
Were you skateboarding yesterday at
three o’clock?
2. your father / wait / you / ?
Was your father waiting for you?
Move on 8º ano | Isabel Teixeira e Paula Menezes
Put the verbs in brackets in the Past Continuous.
was your brother ________
1. What ______ doing (do) when you got home?
was hanging out (hang out) with his friends in the garden.
He ________________
Were you __________
2. ______ sleeping (sleep) when I called?
was
Yes, I _____.
3. They weren’t
______________
making (not make) dinner.
were watching (watch) a film on TV.
4. We ______________
was driving (drive) her daughter to
5. Sonia _____________
school when the car broke down.
Move on 8º ano | Isabel Teixeira e Paula Menezes
Put the verbs in brackets in the Past Continuous.
was having
1. While I _______________ (have) lunch at the shopping centre
were doing (do) the shopping.
with my classmates my parents ____________
were listening
2. Last night you ________________ (listen) to music while I
was studying
_______________ (study)
was trying (try) to call her friend on the phone but
3. She _____________
she couldn’t reach her .
were watching (watch) the football match on TV .
4. The children ______________
wasn’t having (not have) fun at his neighbour’s
5. Mr Bayley _______________
party.
Move on 8º ano | Isabel Teixeira e Paula Menezes
