PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE, SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Past Continous Tense

The past continuous tense (also called the past progressive tense) is commonly used in English for actions which were going on (had not finished) at a particular time in the past. This page will explain the rules for forming the tense, and how it is used.

This tense was formed using two components: the verb BE (in the past tense), and the -ING form of a verb. Here are the rules, using the example verb "sing":

Subject	BE	-ING Form
I	was	singing
You	were	singing
He	was	singing
She	was	singing
It	was	singing
We	were	singing
They	were	Singing

Pola kalimat:

SUBJECT + TO BE (was / were) + VERB-I + ING + OBJECT 

Contoh kalimat:

(+) : He was ridding horse at nine o’clock yesterday.
        (Dia sedang menunggang kuda pada pukul sembilan kemarin)
(-)  : He was not ridding horse at nine o’clock yesterday.
        (Dia sedang tidak menunggang kuda pada pukul sembilan kemarin)
(?) : Was he ridding horse at nine o’clock yesterday?
        (Apakah dia sedang menunggang kuda pada pukul sembilan kemarin?)

(+) : They were fishing in this river last week.
        (Mereka sedang memancing di sungai ini minggu lalu.)
(-)  : They were not fishing in this river last week.
        (Mereka sedang tidak memancing di sungai ini minggu lalu.)
(?) : Were they fishing in this river last week?
        (Apakah mereka sedang memancing di sungai ini minggu lalu?)

Catatan: 

Pakai to be WAS jika subject kalimatnya I, he, she, it atau kata benda tunggal

Pakai to be WERE jika subject kalimatnya you, they, we atau kata benda jamak

We usually use the Past Continuous to talk about activities that lasted for some time in the past. The actions can be interruped by something or can be happening at the same time.

Use

1. Duration in the past
2. Interrupted actions in progress
3. Actions in progress at the same time in the past
4. Irritation
5. Polite question

USE 1: Duration in the past

We use the Past Continuous to talk about actions or situations that lasted for some time in the past, and whose duration time is unknown or unimportant.

• I was watching TV yesterday in the evening.
• She was sleeping on the couch.
• The dog was barking.

USE 2: Interrupted actions in progress

The Past Continuous is often used when one action in progress is interruped by another action in the past. The Past simple is used in such sentences. We usually use when or while to link these two sentences.

1.  

Sentence in Past Continuous	+	WHEN	+	Sentence in Past Simple
e.g. I was singing				e.g. my wife came home

3.  

WHEN/WHILE	+	Sentence in Past Continuous	+	Sentence in Past Simple
		e.g. I was singing		e.g. my wife came home

• I was talking with James when the telephone rang.
• While Angelica was playing tennis, the plane crashed.
• When Bob was painting windows, it started raining.

---

To understand this use better, watch this interactive animation:

When I was jogging, someone stopped me and asked what time it was.

Explanation

In this cartoon, you can see a man who says: "When I was jogging someone stopped me and asked what time it was.".

• Why is the Past Continuous used this example? Click on the button labled "event 1". You can see that the man is jogging. This is a continuous action. Suddenly, another man stops him and asks what time it is. This is "event 2". Notice that the action of jogging is interrupted by event 2. This is why the use of Past Continuous is correct here.

USE 3: Actions in progress at the same time

We also use this tense to talk about two or more activities happening at the same. We usually use when or while to link the two sentences.

1.  

Sentence in Past Continuous	+	WHEN/WHILE	+	Sentence in Past Continuous
e.g. I was singing				e.g. She was cooking

3.  

WHEN/WHILE	+	Sentence in Past Continuous	+	Sentence in Past Continuous
		e.g. I was singing		e.g. She was cooking

• I was watching TV and Barbara was reading a book.
• The family was eating the dinner and talking.
• When Bob was painting windows, Mary was working in the kitchen.

USE 4: Polite questions

If we want to ask a polite question, we can use the Past Continuous.

• I was wondering if you could open the window.
• I was thinking you might help me with this problem.

Even though the sentences have a Past Continuous form, they refer to the present moment. Their meaning is similar to the "could you" sentences, but they are more polite.

USE 5: Irritation

Remember that you can also express irritation over somebody or something in the past.

• She was always coming late for dinner!

Form

To form a sentence in the Past Continuous, you need:

1. The proper conjugation of the auxiliary verb "to be" in the past form
2. The Present Participle of your verb (verb + ing)

1. Auxiliary verb "to be"

The past form of the auxiliary verb "to be" is:

1. For the first and third person singular: "was"
2. For all others: "were"

• She was always coming late for dinner!
• You were always coming late for dinner!

2. The Present Participle

The present participle is of a verb is a verb form that appears with the present tenses. The present participle is formed by adding -ing to the verb.

• talk + ing = talking
• be + ing = being

There are exceptions.

Declarative Sentences

Subject	+	WAS/WERE	+	Verb + ING
e.g. he, she, a dog, etc.				e.g. walking, going, taking, etc.

	Examples	Use (click to read)
	At 3 PM, I was having lunch.	1
	They were talking about her when she walked into the room.	2
	While Kenneth was cleaning the living room, Sam was washing the dishes.	3
	We were all thinking about our holidays.	2

A rhinoceros was swatting flies with its tail when suddenly a fly bit him.

Questions

WAS/WERE	+	Subject	+	Verb (continuous form)
		e.g. he, she, a dog, etc.		e.g. walking, going, taking, etc.

	Examples	Use (click to read)
	Was she going to the theater when it started raining?	2
	What were the defenders doing when Kenneth struck the ball?	2
	Were you painting your house yesterday at 5 PM.	1
	Was Mary shopping when the mall was burning.	3

Negative Sentences

Subject	+	WASN'T / WEREN'T	+	Verb (continuous form)
e.g. he, she, a dog, etc.				e.g. walking, going, taking, etc.

	Examples	Use (click to read)
	He asked me why I wasn't having dinner at the hotel.	1
	We weren't playing football when the earthquake began.	2

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Formula:

+ Subject + Verb 2/Verb past + object/complement

- Subject + did not + Verb 1/Verb base + object/complement

? Did + Subject + Verb 1/verb base + object/complement + ?

·         Always started by past adverbial of time

Examples:

-Two weeks ago,

-Last week,

-Last holiday