The Past Continuous Tense is used to describe the running action of the past time. This tense defines the continuous work for a short period of time in the past.
Two types of verbs are used in this tense:
- Past form of auxiliary verb (was, were)
- Main verb with adding “ing” form.
Structure 1 (a):
Positive Form
Subject + past form of be verb (was, were) + main verb with ing + Remaining Part of the sentence (If have).
Example: They were discussing about this matter.
To compare the sentence according to the structure,
Subject= They
Past Form of be Verb (was,were) + main verb with ing = were discussing
Remaining Part of the sentence= about this matter.
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Structure 1 (b):
Negative Form:
Subject + past form of be verb (was/were) not + main verb with ing + Remaining Part of the sentence (If have)
Example:
- He was not working here.
To compare the sentence according to the structure,
Subject = He
Past form of be verb (was, were) not + main verb with ing = was not working
Remaining Part of the sentence = here.
Structure 2:
Question Form (Yes/No Question)
Past form of be verb (was/were/wasn’t/weren’t + subject + main verb with ing + remaining part of the sentence (if have) ?
Example 1:
- Were you cleaning your desk?
To compare the sentence according to the structure,
Past form of be verb (Was/Were) = Were
Subject + main verb with ing = you cleaning
Remaining Part of the sentence= your desk?
Example 2: Was not he going there?
To compare the sentence according to the structure,
Past form be verb (Was not/Were not)= Was not
Subject + Main verb with ing = he going
Remaining Part of the sentence= there?
Structure 3:
Question Form (Wh Question)
Wh word (What/Who/How/Which etc.) + past form of be verb (was/were/wasn’t/weren’t + subject + main verb with ing + remaining part of the sentence (if have)?
Example 1:
- What were you doing here?
To compare the sentence according to the structure,
Wh word (What/Who/How/Which etc.) = What
Past form of be verb (was/were) = were
subject + main verb with ing = you doing
Remaining part of the sentence = here?
Example 2:
- What were not they allowing in this shop?
To compare the two sentences according to the structure,
Wh word (What/Who/How/Which etc.) = What
Past form of be verb (wasn’t/weren’t) = were
subject + main verb with ing = they allowing
Remaining part of the sentence= in this shop?
Structure 4:
Question Form (Wh Question)
Wh word (What/Who/How/Which etc.) + past form of be verb (was/were/wasn’t/weren’t + main verb with ing + remaining part of the sentence (if have) ?
Example 1:
- Who were doing this job?
To compare the sentence according to the structure,
Wh word (What/Who/How/Which etc.) = Who
Past form of be verb (was/were) + main verb with ing =were doing
Remaining part of the sentence = this job?
Example 2:
- Who were not attending in this ceremony?
To compare the sentence according to the structure,
Wh Word (What/Who/How/Which etc.) = Who
Past form of be verb (wasn’t/weren’t) + main verb with ing = were not attending
Remaining part of the sentence = in this ceremony?
Structure 5:
Question Form (Wh Question)
Wh Word (What/Who/How/Which etc.) + Noun + Past form of be verb (was/were/wasn’t/weren’t + subject + main verb with ing + remaining part of the sentence (if have) ?
Example 1:
- Which books were you searching?
To compare the sentence according to the structure,
Wh word (What/Who/How/Which etc.) + Noun = Which books
Past form of be verb (was/were) + subject + main verb with ing = were you searching?
Remaining part of the sentence = the following sentence has no remaining part.
Example 2: Which pen were not you finding in the classroom?
To compare the sentence according to the structure,
Wh word (What/Who/How/Which etc.) + noun = Which pen
Present form of be verb (wasn’t/weren’t) + subject + main verb with ing = were not you finding?
Remaining part of the sentence = in the classroom?
Structure 6:
Question Form (Wh Question)
Wh Word (What/Who/How/Which etc.) + Noun + Preposition + Noun + Past form of be verb (was/were/wasn’t/weren’t + subject + main verb with ing + remaining part of the sentence (if have)?
Example 1:
- What kinds of foods were you eating in this restaurant?
To compare the sentence according to the structure,
Wh word (What/Who/How/Which etc.) + Noun + Preposition + Noun = Which kinds of foods
Past form of be verb (was/were) + subject + main verb with ing = were you eating
Remaining part of the sentence= in this restaurant?
Example 2:
- Which types of products were not you getting in the shop?
To compare the sentence according to the structure,
Wh word (What/Who/How/Which etc.) + Noun + Preposition + Noun = Which types of products
Past form of be verb (wasn’t/weren’t) + subject + main verb with ing = weren’t you getting
Remaining part of the sentence = in the shop?
The Past Continuous tense is indeed significant in English grammar as it allows speakers to describe ongoing actions or situations that were happening at a specific moment in the past. It provides a context for understanding the timeline of events and helps differentiate past actions from present ones.
Using the Past Continuous tense accurately helps clarify the temporal sequence of events and avoids confusion between past and present actions. It’s an essential tool for effective communication in English.
