Before we start learning this first we should know that in english grammar we have 12 tenses which are:
Present Tense
Past Tense
Future Tense
Present Continuous Tense
Past Continuous / Progressive
Future Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Future Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Names:
Before i teach you something else i want to tell you in english grammar we have two names for this tense
Past Continuous Tense
Past Progressive Tense
Both have the same meaning but some people call it progressive or other call it continuous.
its like a nick name of person for instance when you are at home so may be your mother calls you
baby , or baba or any other name but your when you come out from your home so people calls you with
your real name so its means you can be called from two names ok!!!
Definition:
"Any Action Which Was Continue In The Past" Example No : 1 I was eating friuts
- So this sentence is showing the action (which is eating) was happening in the past so when ever we need to tell any action which was continue in the past we use this tense ok!! if you are still confuse don't worry i have one more example for you Example No : 2 My neighbour asks me about his
dog that - Mr.Naveed do you know where is my dog? so i say "When you came at that time He was playing " so in this sentence "He was playing" - is past continuous because the right now he is not playing in past he was playing ok!!!
i hope now you have understood the definition don't worry if you don't know to make sentences/examples like this one
because to do that you need to understand the structure so let's see the structure
Past Progressive Tense : Structure
Till now we have understood the usages or the defintions of Past Continuous Tense. now we should understand how to make example sentences to do that we need to see the structure of making examples which is
Subject:
Means Who or What Performs The Action. It Can Be ( He , She , it , They , You , We ) or Anyname - For Example: - He, Naveed, Computer, English
Verb:
"A Word Which Shows An Action Is Called Verb" - Ex: (Dance , Read , Listen , do)Kinds of Verbs: We have four kinds in verbs
Verb (1st) First - From
Verb (2nd) Second - From
Verb (3rd) Third - From
Verb (4th) Fourth - From Or Verb with (Ing)
We are learning about verbs From because in past continuous tense we have to use verb 4 From. keep that in your mind every tense has its own verb form
let say if you are using past indefinite tense then you will have to use verb 2 From please don't be confuse you
just need to know which tense use which verb from then just use it
Verb (1st) - Eat
Verb (2nd) - Ate
Verb (3rd) - Eaten
Verb (4th) - Eating
For Ex:
I was eating dinner - according to the strucutre we have to use verb 4 foam
so the eat will become eating (verb 2nd first foam became Verb 4th foam) One Trick For You : Remember whenever we have continuous tense we will always use verb 4 foam - for ex - present continuous tense - past continous tense - future continous tense etc
Object:
In easy words object gives us the full meaning of a sentence Example: He was playing - in this sentence we don't know what was he play? either football , cricket - this sentence is without object - now another Example with object - Example No 2 : He was playing football - this sentence with object and giving us the full meaning and sense
Why do we use Helping Verbs? - May be you ask yourself why do we need Helping Verb Well the simplest answer of
this question is as you know in english grammar we have many structues
so how a person will understand which tense are you using in order to make this confusion clear
every tense has its own helping verb so that a person can understand oh this tense you are using ok!!!
in this tense we have two helping Verbs - (Was , Were)1) Was = Was is a helping verb - We Use Was With Only Singular Ex: I ,He , She , it or any Singular Name like (Naveed , Robert etc)
2) Were = Were is also a helping verb - We use Were only with plural Ex: They , We or any plural Name - (For instance : We were , They were )
Past Continuous Tense | Sentences
We have five (5) types of sentences
Simple / Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative
Interro negative
Wh Questions
1) Simple / Affirmative
Simple or Affirmative Sentences are those sentences in which we don't deny or ask question means they are totally simple - Ex: I Was eating eggs - this is the very simple why because - in this sentence iam not denying or asking question
Structure of Simple:
Sub + Was / Were + VIng + Object
Subject = Means Who or what perform the action
Verb = A word which is used to indicate the act is called verb
Object = It gives us the full meaning of a sentence
Was / Were = Helping Verbs
Examples / Exercises:
Was / Were = Helping Verbs
She Was eating ice-cream
They Were Taking Dinner
We Were finishing our work
He Was attending the English Language Class
He Was taking Dinner
She Was completing her work
They Were coming here
You Were playing football
We Were learning English
I Was teaching English
We Were waiting for you
She Was dancing
It Was installing
It Was starting
We Were thinking
They Were drinking
They Were taking Class
She Was making Cake
He Was operating Computer
He Was opening the door
She Was watching T.v
She Was washing dishes
We Were Sleeping
You Were seeing me
I Was reading book
She Was beating
He Was running
We Were laughing
We Were doing fun
I Was closing door
We Were riding a bike
She Was doing make-up
She Was cleaning her room
They Were Working with us
She Was helping me
They Were forgiving him
I Was checking
He Was searching
They Were developing
They Were building
She Was inventing
We Were living
It Was running
I Was changing my hard drive
2) Past Continuous - Negative / Say No
We use Negative when we want to deny / or when we are not agreeing with someone and to do this we use two additional words which are - "Not" , Helping VerbsHow To Make Negative Sentences | Explanation:
Not - (Not Means - No)
Helping Verb - Was , Were - Explained this earlier
Note - We can also use wasn't instead of was Not - both are same just
was't is less formal
Structure of Negative:
Sub + Was/Were + not + V1ing + object
Subject = Means Who or what perform the action
Verb = A word which is used to indicate the act is called verb
Object = Object is noun or pronoun and tell the meaning of preposition
Not = By the word we can understand the word "Not" is for when not agree
Was / Were = Helping Verbs
Examples / Exercises:
She Was not eating ice-cream
They Were not Taking Dinner
We Were not finishing our work
He Was not attending the English Language Class
He Was not taking Dinner
She Was not completing her work
They Were not coming here
You Were not playing football
We Were not learning English
I Was not teaching English
We Were not waiting for you
She Was not dancing
It Was not installing
It Was not starting
We Were not thinking
They Were not drinking
They Were not taking Class
She Was not making Cake
He Was not operating Computer
He Was not opening the door
She Was not watching T.v
She Was not was not hing dishes
We Were not Sleeping
You Were not seeing me
I Was not reading book
She Was not beating
He Was not running
We Were not laughing
We Were not doing fun
I Was not closing door
We Were not riding a bike
She Was not doing make-up
She Was not cleaning her room
They Were not Working with us
She Was not helping me
They Were not forgiving him
I Was not checking
He Was not searching
They Were not developing
She Was not inventing
We Were not living
It Was not running
I Was not changing my hard drive
3) Past Continuous / Interrogative
We use Interrogative for asking question and to do this we put the helping verb which is (did) at first and at the end put the question mark?
Past Progressive Negative:
Was / Were + Sub + V1ing + object?
Subject = Means Who or what perform the action
Verb = A word which is used to indicate the act is called verb
Object = Object is noun or pronoun and tell the meaning of preposition
Was / Were = Helping Verbs
Question Mark? = We put question mark? at the end of every Interrogative sentence so that it looks like it is Question
Negative Exercises:
Was She eating ice-cream ?
Were They Taking Dinner ?
Were We finishing our work?
Was He attending the English Language Class?
Was She completing her work?
Were They coming here?
Were You playing football?
Were We learning English?
Was I teaching English?
Were We waiting for you?
Was She dancing?
Was It installing?
Was It starting?
Were We thinking?
Were They drinking?
Were They taking Class?
Was He operating Computer?
Was He opening the door?
Was She watching T.v?
Was She washing dishes?
Were We Sleeping?
Were You seeing me?
Was I reading book?
Were You memorizing?
Was She beating?
Was He running?
Were We laughing?
Were We doing fun?
Was I closing a door?
Were We riding a bike?
Was She doing make-up?
Was She cleaning her room?
Were They Working with us?
Was She helping me?
Were They forgiving him?
Was I checking?
Was He searching?
Were They developing?
Were They building?
Was She inventing?
Were We living?
Was It running?
Was I changing my hard drive?
4) Past Continuous / Interro-Negative
Interro-Negative is the combination of two structures first Interrogative Second Negative we use it when we want to ask both at the same time
Structure of Interro-Negative:
Was / Were + Sub + not + V1ing + object?
Subject = Means Who or what perform the action
Verb = A word which is used to indicate the act is called verb
Object = Object is noun or pronoun and tell the meaning of preposition
Was / Were = Helping Verbs
Question Mark? = We put question mark? at the end of every Interrogative sentence so that it looks like it is Question
Examples:
Were We not learning English?
Was I not teaching English?
Were We not waiting for you?
Was She not dancing?
Was It not installing?
Was It not starting?
Were We not thinking?
Were They not drinking?
Were They not taking Classes?
Was He not operating Computer?
Was He not opening the door?
Was She not watching T.v?
Was She not washing dishes?
Were We not Sleeping?
Were You not seeing me?
Was I not reading book?
Was She not beating?
Was He not running?
Were We not laughing?
Were We not doing fun?
Was I not closing door?
Were We not riding a bike?
Was She not doing make-up?
Was She not cleaning her room?
Were They not Working with us?
Was She not helping me?
Were They not forgiving him?
Was I not checking?
Was He not searching?
Were They not developing?
Were They not building?
Was She not inventing?
Were We not living?
Was It not running?
Was I not changing my hard drive?
Conclusion:
So we have finished learning Past Continuous / progressive Tense i tired my level best to teach you through definitions, pictures and examples and i hope you have understood but still you any problem understanding it so please contact me i would love to help you Thank you ....