Page 24 - English Grammar in Use

Unit
6 Past continuous (I was doing)

A Study this example situation:

Yesterday Karen and Joe played tennis. They started at
10 o’clock and finished at 11.30.
So, at 10.30 they were playing tennis.
they were playing =
they were in the middle of playing, they had not finished
was/were + -ing is the past continuous:

he/she/it was playing
doing
we/you/they were working etc.

B I was doing something = I was in the middle of doing it at a certain time. The action or situation started
before this time, but had not finished:
I started doing I was doing I finished doing

past past now
This time last year I was living in Hong Kong.
What were you doing at 10 o’clock last night?
I waved to Helen, but she wasn’t looking.

C Compare I was doing (past continuous) and I did (past simple):
I was doing (= in the middle of an action) I did (= complete action)

We were walking home when I met We walked home after the party last

Dan. (in the middle of walking home) night. (= all the way, completely)
Kate was watching TV when we Kate watched TV a lot when she was ill
arrived. last year.

D You can say that something happened (past simple) in the middle of something else (past continuous):
Matt phoned while we were having dinner.
It was raining when I got up.
I saw you in the park yesterday. You were sitting on the grass and reading a book.
I hurt my back while I was working in the garden.
But we use the past simple to say that one thing happened aft er another:
I was walking along the road when I saw Dan. So I stopped, and we talked for a while.
Compare:

When Karen arrived, we were having When Karen arrived, we had dinner.
dinner. (= we had already started before (= Karen arrived, and then we had
she arrived) dinner)

E Some verbs (for example, know and want) are not normally used in continuous forms (is + -ing,
was + -ing etc.). See Unit 4A for a list of these verbs.
We were good friends. We knew each other well. (not we were knowing)
I was enjoying the party, but Chris wanted to go home. (not was wanting)

12 Past simple (I did) ➜ Unit 5