the past continuous

1

The past continuous

2

FORM

El passat continu (past continuous) es forma amb el passat del verb to be (was, were) més el verb principal amb la terminació –ing:

I was reading and my sisters were playing cards.

Jo llegia i les meves germanes jugaven a cartes.

En respostes curtes no es repeteix el verb principal amb la terminació –ing.

Were you reading? Yes, I was.

Estaves llegint? Sí.

3

FORM

POSITIVE

I was speaking

You were speaking

He/she/it was speaking

We/you/they were speaking

QUESTION

Was I speaking?

Were you speaking?

Was he/she/it speaking?

Were we/you/they speaking?

NEGATIVE

I wasn’t speaking.

You weren’t speaking.

He/she/it wasn’t speaking.

We/you/they weren’t speaking.

SHORT ANSWERS

Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.

Yes, you were. / No, you weren’t.

Yes, he/she/it was. /

No, he/she/it wasn’t.

Yes, we/you/they were. /

No, we/you/they weren’t.

4

ÚS

El passat continu (past continuous) es fa servir per parlar d’accions incompletes que estaven succeint en un moment determinat del passat:

I was having a bath at ten o’clock last night.

M’estava banyant anit a les deu.

Sovint es fa servir per parlar d’una activitat que s’estava realitzant quan es va produir una altra acció puntual:

I was having a bath (passat continu) when the phone rang (passat simple).

M’estava banyant quan va sonar el telèfon.

5

També es fa servir en descripcions del passat, quan emprem el pretèrit imperfet en català:

A cold wind was blowing.

Bufava un vent fred.

6

LOOK AT THIS CHART

NO YES

9am–11am Study Surf the Internet

11am–1pm Do gymnastics Dance salsa

1pm–5pm Watch TV Help her mum

5pm–7pm Play football Study

7

What was Anne doing yesterday at these times?

10 am, 12 o’clock pm, 3 pm, 6 pm

What was she doing yesterday at 10 am?

She wasn’t studying. She was surfing the Internet.

What was she doing yesterday at 12 o’clock pm?

She wasn’t doing gymnastics. She was dancing salsa.

What was she doing yesterday at 3 pm?

She wasn’t watching TV. She was helping her mum.

What was she doing yesterday at 6 pm?

She wasn’t playing football. She was studying.

8

WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE DOING?

9

HE’S READING A BOOK.

10

SHE’S PLAYING FOOTBALL.

11

HE’S COOKING.

12

SHE’S SWIMMING.

13

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

IT’S RAINING.

14

Have you got a good memory?

Yes?

15

WHAT WERE THE PEOPLE DOING?1) HE WAS READING.

2) SHE WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL.

3) HE WAS COOKING.

4) SHE WAS SWIMMING.

5) IT WAS RAINING.

16

WHAT WERE YOU DOING YESTERDAY AT…?10:30 am

12 o’clock pm

3 pm

7:30 pm

10 pm

17

Partner’s name:

Partner’s name:

Partner’s name:

10:30 am

12 o’clock pm

3 pm

7:30 pm

10 pm

18

THE PAST CONTINUOUS AND THE PAST SIMPLE

El passat simple i el passat continu sovint van junts.

When I phoned yesterday you were sleeping.

Quan vaig trucar ahir estaves dormint.

L’acció que expressa el passat simple és la que talla l’acció que va en passat continu, és a dir alguna cosa estava passant (passat continu) quan va passar una cossa i la va interrompre (passat simple).

I was having a bath when the phone rang.

1er m’estava banyant; 2on va sonar el telèfon.

19

WHEN

When (quan) és una partícula que va amb el passat simple.

What were you doing when I phoned?

Què feies quan vaig trucar?

20

STUDENT A

Paul was getting dressed in the bedroom.

Mary was opening the front door.

John was watching TV in the living room.

Peter was playing the guitar in the garden.

Julie was reading a book in the garden.

Mark and Simon were playing football in the garden.

Brian was having a shower (in the bathroom).

Alice was sleeping in the bedroom.

Sally was phoning.

21

STUDENT B

Paul was getting dressed in the bedroom.

Mary was closing the front door.

John was playing the guitar in the garden.

Peter was watching TV in the living room.

Julie was phoning in the garden.

Mark and Simon were playing badminton in the garden.

Brian was having a shower (in the bathroom).

Alice was listening to music.

Sally was reading a magazine.

22

What was Peter doing when the car crashed?

He was playing the guitar in the garden.

What were Mark and Simon doing when the car crashed?

They were playing football in the garden.