Page 66 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

past progressive* What were you doing at 8.00?

1was working you were working he/she/it was working we/they were working

U was 1working? were you working? was he/she/it working? were we/they working?

B 1was not working you were not working he/she/it was not working etc
Contractions: wasn't, weren't

We make the past progressive with was/were + ...ing. (For spelling rules, see page 23.)

At 8 o'clock I was waiting for a train. What were you doing?
We use the past progressive to say what was (not) happening around (before, at and perhaps after) a past time.

'What were you doing at 8.00? Were you watching TV?' (NOT What did yett-de...)
'At 8.00? No, I wasn't watching TV. I was playing cards.' (NOT I played ...)

A
What were the people doing yesterday evening?
Look at the pictures and complete the sentences

with words from the box.
Use past progressive verbs.

cook supper dance drive home
not watch TV play cards/

.
► At 9.15 Sarah ..Yf.af.Tk W *# . ......................
1 At 10.30 Fred and Alice.............................................

2 At 8.20 Keith.............................................................
3 At 7.50 Mary............................................................
4 At 11.00 Oliver.........................................................

We make past progressive questions with was/were + subject + ...ing.
STATEMENT Q: It was raining. You were working. All the children were singing.

QUESTION H: Was it raining? Were you working? What were all the children singing?

^ Write questions.

► 'At 10.00 I was reading.'(a newspaper) ..WP™ . / ? . ............

► 'When I saw Peter he was eating.' {what) . . k Y . ^ k .............................
1 'When I went into Alesha's office, she was writing.' (letters) ..........................................

2 'At lunchtime Richard was shopping.' [where) ..............................................................
3 'At 8.30 Anna was cooking.' [what) ...............................................................................
4 'When I arrived, all the children were crying.' [why) ......................................................
5 'At midnight, Liz and Jack were driving.'[toScotland) ...................................................

0 What were you doing at 10 o'clock last night?

* Also called 'past continuous'

In some answers, both contracted forms (for example I'm, don't) and full PAST TENSES 51
forms (for example / am, do not) are possible. Normally both are correct.