PASTCONTI NUOUS TENSE FUNCTI ONSOFTHEPASTCONTI NUOUS T h ep a s tc o n t i n u o u sd e s c r i b e sa c t i o n so re v e n t si nat i meb e f o r en o w,wh i c hb e g a ni nt h ep a s ta n d i ss t i l lg o i n go na tt h et i meo fs p e a k i n g .I no t h e rwo r d s ,i te x p r e s s e sa nu n f i n i s h e do ri n c o mp l e t ea c t i o ni n t h ep a s t . I ti su s e d : Of t e n ,t od e s c r i b et h eb a c k g r o u n di nas t o r ywr i t t e ni nt h ep a s tt e n s e ,e . g ." T h es u nwa s s h i n i n ga n dt h eb i r d swe r es i n g i n ga st h ee l e p h a n tc a meo u to ft h ej u n g l e .T h eo t h e ra n i ma l swe r e r e l a x i n gi nt h es h a d eo ft h et r e e s ,b u tt h ee l e p h a n tmo v e dv e r yq u i c k l y .S h ewa sl o o k i n gf o rh e r b a b y ,a n ds h ed i d n ' tn o t i c et h eh u n t e rwh owa swa t c h i n gh e rt h r o u g hh i sb i n o c u l a r s .Wh e nt h es h o t r a n go u t ,s h ewa sr u n n i n gt o wa r d st h er i v e r . . . " t od e s c r i b ea nu n f i n i s h e da c t i o nt h a twa si n t e r r u p t e db ya n o t h e re v e n to ra c t i o n ,e . g ." I wa s h a v i n gab e a u t i f u ld r e a mwh e nt h ea l a r mc l o c kr a n g . " t oe x p r e s sac h a n g eo fmi n d :e . g ." I wa sg o i n gt os p e n dt h ed a ya tt h eb e a c hb u tI ' v ed e c i d e dt o g e tmyh o me wo r kd o n ei n s t e a d . " wi t h' wo n d e r ' ,t oma k eav e r yp o l i t er e q u e s t :e . g ." I wa swo n d e r i n gi fy o uc o u l db a b y s i tf o rme t o n i g h t . " EXAMPLES T h e ywe r ewa i t i n gf o rt h eb u swh e nt h ea c c i d e n th a p p e n e d . Ca r o l i n ewa ss k i i n gwh e ns h eb r o k eh e rl e g . Wh e nwea r r i v e dh ewa sh a v i n gab a t h . Wh e nt h ef i r es t a r t e dIwa swa t c h i n gt e l e v i s i o n . N o t e : wi t hv e r b sn o tn o r ma l l yu s e di nt h ec o n t i n u o u sf o r m,t h es i mp l ep a s ti su s e d . FORMI NGTHEPASTCONTI NUOUS T h ep a s tc o n t i n u o u so fa n yv e r bi sc o mp o s e do ft wop a r t s:t h ep a s tt e n s eo ft h ev e r b" t ob e " ( wa s / we r e ) ,a n dt h eb a s eo ft h ema i nv e r b+ i n g . S u b j e c t wa s / we r e b a s e+i n g T h e y we r e wa t c h i n g S u b j e c t wa s / we r e b a s e+i n g Af f i r ma t i v e S h e wa s r e a d i n g wa s n ' t r e a d i n g N e g a t i v e S h e I n t e r r o g a t i v e Wa s s h e r e a d i n g ? I n t e r r o g a t i v en e g a t i v e Wa s n ' t s h e r e a d i n g ? TOPLAY,PASTCONTI NUOUS Af f i r ma t i v e N e g a t i v e I n t e r r o g a t i v e I wa sp l a y i n g Iwa sn o tp l a y i n g Wa sIp l a y i n g Y o uwe r ep l a y i n g Y o uwe r en o tp l a y i n g We r ey o up l a H ewa sp l a y i n g H ewa s n ' tp l a y i n g Wa sh ep l a y i n Wewe r ep l a y i n g Wewe r e n ' tp l a y i n g We r ewep l a y T h e ywe r ep l a y i n g T h e ywe r e n ' tp l a y i n g We r et h e yp l