Tomado de Isabel Perez.com

English Verb Tenses Form and Use. Past Continuous Tense

I was dancing when I met Javi
I wasn't dreaming, it was real
What were you doing when you met your best friend?

Hello dears! My name is Lady Past Continuous. I'm also very nostalgic like my friend the Past Simple Boy .

We were together in many occassions when we were young. While I was studying to be a secretary he was studying to be a teacher and we lived in the same street in Granada.

When I was going out with his best friend Javi, the Past Simple Boy was going out with my best friend Margarita. This is an old story but I like thinking about the past.

I met the Past Simple Boy again two years ago in our English Club in Mijas called The Happy Verby Gang. We were talking for hours about the past times.

These days, I usually go out with another guy, the Present Perfect Man, we work in the same company and he is also a member of the club. He surprised me last evening; we were having dinner when he invited me to go on holidays together.

Comprehension
She was living in Granada when she was a student True/False/Don't know

Her best friend was Margarita True/False/Don't know

At that time, Margarita was going out with the Past Simple Boy True/False/Don't know

Who was she going out with? Javi/The Past Simple Boy/Don't know

She was studying to work as a........ nurse/secretary/Don't know

Athe moment, she doesn't have a boyfriend True/False/Don't know

She is going to travel somewhere with the Past Simple Boy True/False/Don't know

She is going to travel somewhere with the Present Perfect Man True/False/Don't know

Yesterday she had dinner at home with the Present Perfect Man True/False/Don't know

She wants to go on holiday with him True/False/Don't know

Lady Past Continuous
Affirmative

I was dancing You were dancing He was dancing She was dancing It was dancing We were dancing You were dancing They were dancing

Negative
I wasn't dancing You weren't dancing He wasn't dancing She wasn't dancing It wasn't dancing We weren't dancing You weren't dancing They weren't dancing

Interrogative
Was I dancing? Were you dancing? Was he dancing? Was she dancing? Was it dancing? Were we dancing? Were you dancing? Were they dancing?

Uses. Examples

Actions in the past that take place at a particular time: Acciones en el pasado que ocurren en un momento determinado que normalmente especificamos

What were you doing last evening at 8:45?I was watching "el informal"

With the Past Simple to refer to a long action that is interrupted by a shorter one.("When"or "While" are the habitual conjunctions): Con el Past Simple para referirnos a una acción larga que se ve interrumpida por otra más corta

We were talking about our last holidays when the boss came into the office and got angry

Two actions developing at the same time in the past ("While" is the habitual conjunction): Dos acciones que se desarrollan a la vez en el pasado.

While my boss was talking to me, I was dreaming of my last holidays in Cancún

Practica lo aprendido con los siguientes ejercicios:"Let's practise"
1. Pictures from some dream holidays:In this picture........Write sentences about the pictures.
We / talk / the beach

My sister / travel / in Asturias

We / visit / monastery / China

Some women / dance / temple

We / eat / fish / the beach

2. Past Continuous- Negative. write corret negative sentences

When the accident happened, the plane was landing : When the accident happened, the plane was not landing

They were having dinner in a very expensive restaurant:

When he came, we were watching TV:

When I arrived, the telephone was ringing:

Last night she was dancing with me:

Ann was writing an e-mail in her room:

3. Match the phrases to complete correct sentences

- We were talking about him when the earthqake happened

- Were you sleeping I was thinking of you

- While my mum was telling me off we were having lunch
- When the fire started when my boss came in
- At this time last year I was flying to the Canary Islands
- Peter wasn't driving when he had the accident

4. Contrast. Choose the right option, past simple or past continuous

We ___________a terror film when the door ______

were watching / opened
were watching / was opening

Suddenly the noise __________
was stopping
stopped

The fire __________when I __________ an omelette
was starting / was cooking
started / was cooking

The little boy __________ because he __________ an ice cream
was crying / was wanting
was crying / wanted

He __________ to the news while he __________home
was listening / was driving
listened / drove

What _____you_____when the fire started?
were you doing
was you doing

______your sister _______ at that time?
Did your sister sleep..
Was your sister sleeping...

______you ______the film last night?
was you seeing
Did you see