Past Progressive
Learn the situations when
the past continuous is used.
What is the past progressive?
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•
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The past progressive is formulated as
was/were + verb + ing.
Only action verbs about physical actions that you
can see somebody doing can be progressive.
Non-action verbs are never progressive.
1. Non-action abstract verbs: be, seem, want,
need, care, contain, cost, and owe.
2. Non-action possession verbs include have,
possess, own, and belong.
3. Non-action emotion verbs: like, love, hate,
dislike, fear, envy, and mind.
Is it correct to say that
I am loving McDonalds?
Are the verbs active or not?
Identify each verb as
action or non-action:
__1. look
6. taste
__2. drive
7. run
__3. like
8. take
__4. work
9. own
__5. hate
10. eat
Is it correct to say that
I am working late tonight?
Can you use past progressive?
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Use the simple past or past progressive to
complete the following sentences.
1. A: What (you, do) __ when you got hurt?
B: I (try) __ to change a light bulb that was bad.
2. After I (find) __ the wallet full of money, I
(go, immediately) __ to the police and (turn) __
it in for the official reward.
3. The doctor (say) __ that Tom (be) __ too sick
to go to work and that he (need) __ to stay at
home for a couple of days.
Is there a real difference between
simple past and past progressive?
Are you using past progressive?
•
Use the simple past or past progressive to
complete the following sentences.
4. A: I (call) __ you last night after dinner, but
you (be, not) __ there. Where were you?
B: I (work) __ out at the fitness center.
5. I (watch) __ a mystery movie on T.V. when the
electricity (go) __ out. Now I (never, go) __ to
find out how the movie (end) __.
6. It's strange that you (call) __ because I
(think, just) __ about you.
Can you tell the difference between
simple past and past progressive?
When do we use past progressive?
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Past progressive
verbs are used for
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Interrupted
action in the past
Specific time as
an interruption
Parallel
continuous actions
Description of a
situation
Repetition and
irritation with
“always”
What was the man doing when
the other man interrupted?
1. Past progressive is used
with interruptions.
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The past progressive expresses past continuing
activity, often when another action interrupted.
Verbs: ring, say, be, sleep, wake, and call.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Until he went to sleep, Ali was thinking.
He __ when Tina __ him on his home phone.
So the phone __ when suddenly Ali __ up.
“Hi,” Tina __, “__ you sleeping already?”
“Yes, I __ sleeping until you __ me up,” Ali
answered.
Why are some of the verbs progressive
while other verbs are not?
2. Past progressive is used
with time interruptions.
•
The past progressive can tell past continuing
activity, with a specific time interruption.
Verbs: end, be, eat, think, and write.
1. Until 11:30, Ed __ an essay on the computer,
but then class __ so he had to stop.
2. At noon, he __ lunch, but he still __ about his
English essay.
3. At midnight, he still __ about the essay
because it __ very important to him.
Should Ed stop worrying
about his English essay?
3. Past progressive is used
with parallel actions.
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The past progressive can tell past continuing
activity, with parallel continuous actions.
Verbs: read, study, practice, cut, make, mix.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Last night, Tina __ English while she __ dinner.
She __ a lesson and __ vegetables for a salad.
Tina __ pronunciation while she __ up a cake.
In fact, she __ a smart meal for her family.
__ you __ while you work on something else?
Is Tina a good student
and a good cook?
4. Past progressive is used
with active descriptions.
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The past progressive can tell past continuing
activity, with descriptions of action situations.
Verbs: type, yell, wave, wait, complain, and talk.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
In the office, several people __ on machines.
Some busy workers __ on the telephones.
As usual, the boss __ directions to everyone.
Lots of impatient customers __ to be helped.
One __ at a secretary and __ his hands.
Others __ to each other of the bad service.
Would you like to work
in that office?
5. Past progressive is used
with irritating repetitions.
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The past progressive can tell past continuing
activity, with repeated and irritated “always.”
Verbs: talk, move, tell, and make.
1. Alfredo __ always __ in English writing class.
2. The students near him __ constantly __ him to
shut up, but he didn’t listen to them at all.
3. “We can’t think or write with you __ noise,”
they said everyday. “Give us a break, OK?”
4. In the end, the professor __ nervous Alfredo
to a seat alone in the back of the room.
Would you like to go
sit with Alfredo?