PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

Past Continuous Tense  shows that an action was undertaken in the past time and it still continued. It was not complete. There is no mention of time of completion of the action. This tense is also known as Imperfect Tense or  Progressive Tense.

For example: 

She was reading a book. 

Children were not plucking flowers. 

Why were they not doing their work?

AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES

In this Tense work  was being done in the past on continuous basis.

In this Tense work was being done in the past and it continued. For this tense was & were and first form of verb with ‘ing’   is used.
With first person singular and third person singular 'was' with 'first form of verb' and 'ing' is used.

With first person plural, second person singular and plural and third person plural ‘were’ with 'first form of verb' and 'ing' is used.



For example :

• Girls were singing a song.

• You were going to the market.

• She was painting a picture.

• We were taking our meals. 

NEGATIVE SENTENCES

In negative sentences 'not' is used after 'was or 'were' and before verb.


Boys were not making a noise.
You were not taking your examination.
The gardener was not watering the plants.
We were not playing football.

INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES

In interrogative sentences 'was' or 'were' is used before subject.  First form of verb with 'ing' is used. Interrogative sign is used at the end of the sentence..


 For example : 


Were you painting a picture?
Was I walking in the garden?
 Was she cooking food in the kitchen?
Were the boys playing a match?




In case of interrogative sentences starting with 'wh' the word with 'wh' is used in the beginning of the sentence. Here are some interrogative sentences starting with 'wh'.



1.Why was the child weeping ?
2. Whom were you finding out?
3. Where were you residing during this time?
4. Which boy was not participating in the contest?
5. Who was driving the car?
6. Whose child was weeping at that time?
7. When are you leaving for your office?
8. Where are the children going?
9. How was he feeling yesterday?
10. How many person were sitting in the room?
  

TO SUM UP :

The Past Continuous Tense is used to:

----- to express a state or an action that was continuing at a certain point of time in the past. It had begun before that point and was probably continuing after it. We use adverbials of time.

She was sleeping at night.

They were playing match yesterday.

---- to express an action that was in progress in the past.

He was going to the market.

She was singing a song.

--- to express an action in progress at some point of time in the past when another event took place.

He was reading a book when I reached.

She was sleeping when it started raining.

-- to describe two or more actions continuing at the same time :

When she was getting ready, her mother was cooking food.

Boys were making a noise, when I was studying.

--- to express a frequently repeated action or persistent habit in the past.

She was always finding faults with others.

He was constantly reminding her about this.

EXERCISE NO  1

Fill in the blanks using appropriate form of given verb in Past Continuous Tense.

1. Boys ....... ...... (throw) stones in the pond.

2. It ......  .........(rain)  yesterday.

3. The gardener ....... ...... (plant) plants.

4. We ......... .......... (walk) in the park.

5. You ...... ......... (obey) your father's orders.

EXERCISE NO  2

Fill in the blanks using appropriate form of given verb in Past Continuous Tense. 

1. These boys .......  not ....... (do) their homework yesterday.

2. Children ........ not ...... (eat) oranges.

3. Stars ....... not .......  (twinkle) in the sky.

4. He ...... not ...... (attend) the office yesterday.

5. I ...... not ....... (bathe) in the pond.

EXERCISE NO 3

Fill in the blanks using appropriate form of given verb in Past Continuous Tense.

1. ....... she ......... (carry) a pitcher on her head?

2. .......... the children ........ (quarrel) among themselves?

3. ........ the boy ........ (hide) himself behind the tree ?

4. .......... the child ........ (sleep) in the cot?

5. .......... the father ........(read) a newspaper?

 EXERCISE NO  4

Fill in the blanks using appropriate form of given verb in Past Continuous Tense.

1. What ........ you ......(do) there?

2. How ....... the patient ........(feel) now?

3. When ....... she .......(plan) to start?

4. Where ....... the clothes ........ (lie) ?

5. What ....... the girls ....... (carry) on their heads?

EXERCISE NO  5

Fill in the blanks using appropriate form of given verb in Past Continuous Tense.

She  ......  ...........(sit) in a chair near the window. She ....  ........ (look) constantly outside the window. Perhaps she ....  ..........(wait) for some one to come. Far away the sun ...... ........(set) in the west. The shadows of trees ....... ......... (fall) on the ground. Some farmers ......  ........( go) along with herds of animals towards their homes.  Some women ....... ........(carry) logs of wood on their heads and ......  .........(head) towards their homes. A pall of  dust ..... ........ (fly) in the air. The dust in the air ......... ......... (make) the scene a little dim and unclear. All of sudden she saw that a motorcycle ........ ......... (come) from far towards her. She ...... .......(feel) very happy to see this. She got up from the chair and went towards the door. Standing there she saw that her brother ... .....(come) on a motorcycle. Her brother ....... ....... (return) home after a  long time. 

.

EXERCISE NO  6

Fill in the blanks using appropriate form of given verb in Past Continuous Tense.

The sun ............(shine)  in the sky. A hot wind .............. (blow)  all along. A peasant .......... (work) in his field in the sun. He ........... (plough) his field with the help of a hoe and two bullocks. His whole body ..........( perspire) profusely. But he ..........(not feel) tired . He..........(do) his work with great keenness. All of a sudden, he saw that his father....... (come) towards him. On reaching there, his father told the peasant that he .......... (work) very hard and .................. ( look) very tired. He also told him that he ........ (feel) that he should take some rest then. Soon both of them ........  (argue) on that point because the peasant ..........  (not agree)  to his father's view. After sometime the father went home and came back with his grandson in his lap. The peasant then saw both, his father and his son, ...........(play ) in the sun. His young son ...........(perspire). The peasant ..........(feel) perturbed . He snatched his son and took him under the shade of a tree. Looking this, the peasant's father ...........(feel) very happy that his plan .......... (work) and he was successful in bringing about his point of view to his son. Both the peasant and his young child rested there for sometime. Soon thereafter the peasant and his young son ...........(head) towards their home and the peasant's father .........(work) in the field.

(ANSWERS)

EXERCISE NO  1

Fill in the blanks using appropriate form of given verb in Past Continuous Tense.

1. Boys  were throwing  stones in the pond.

2. It  was raining  yesterday.

3. The gardener was planting plants.

4. We were walking in the park.

5. You were obeying your father's orders.

EXERCISE NO  2

Fill in the blanks using appropriate form of given verb in Past Continuous Tense..

1. These boys were  not doing their homework yesterday.

2. Children were not eating oranges.

3. Stars were not twinkling  in the sky.

4. He was not attending the office yesterday.

5. I was not bathing in the pond.

EXERCISE NO 3

Fill in the blanks using appropriate form of given verb in Past Continuous Tense.

1. Was she carrying a pitcher on her head?

2. Were the children  quarrelling among themselves?

3. Was the boy hiding himself behind the tree ?

4. Was the child sleeping in the cot?

5. Was the father reading a newspaper?

 EXERCISE NO  4

Fill in the blanks using appropriate form of given verb in Past Continuous Tense.

1. What were you doing there?

2. How was the patient feeling now?

3. When was she planning  to start?

4. Where were the clothes lying) ?

5. What were the girls carrying on their heads?

EXERCISE NO  5

Fill in the blanks using appropriate form of given verb in Past Continuous Tense.

She was sitting in a chair near the window. She was looking constantly outside the window. Perhaps she  was waiting  for some one to come. Far away the sun was setting in the west. The shadows of trees were falling on the ground. Some farmers were going  along with herds of animals towards their homes.  Some women were carrying  logs of wood on their heads and  were heading towards their homes. A pall of  dust was flying in the air. The dust in the air was making  the scene a little dim and unclear. All of a sudden she saw that a motorcycle was coming from far towards her. She was feeling very happy to see this. She got up from the chair and went towards the door. Standing there she saw that her brother was coming on a motorcycle. Her brother was returning home after a  long time. 

EXERCISE NO  6

Fill in the blanks using appropriate form of given verb in Past Continuous Tense.

The sun was shining  in the sky. A hot wind was blowing  all along. A peasant was working in his field in the sun. He  was ploughing his field with the help of a hoe and two bullocks. His whole body  was perspiring profusely. But he  was not feeling tired. He was doing  his work with great keenness. All of a sudden, he saw that his father was coming towards him. On reaching there, his father told the peasant that he was working very hard and was looking very tired. He also told him that he was feeling that he should take some rest then. Soon both of them were arguing  on that point because the peasant was not agreeing  to his father's view.  After sometime the father went home and came back with his grandson in his lap.  The peasant
then saw both, his father and his son, were playing  in the sun. His young son  was perspiring  profusely. The peasant was feeling perturbed. He snatched his son and took him under the shade of a tree. Looking this, the peasant's father was feeling very happy that his plan was working  and he was successful in bringing about his point of view to his son. Both, the peasant and his young child, rested there for sometime. Soon thereafter the peasant and his young son  were heading towards their home and the peasant's father was working in the field.

DOWRITE/EMAILYOUR COMMENTS(IFYOU LIKE) OR SUGGESTIONS FOR  IMPROVEMENT