Summary of Verbs: Introduction to Past Continuous

Goals

1. Understand the structure and usage of the past continuous tense.

2. Identify and apply past continuous verbs in contextualized sentences.

3. Develop the ability to narrate past events in the continuous tense.

Contextualization

Think about telling a story about what you were up to yesterday afternoon. Perhaps you were playing soccer when it started to rain, or you were engrossed in a book when your friend called. These continuous actions from the past are expressed using the past continuous tense. Grasping and utilizing this grammatical structure allows you to convey past events with more clarity and detail, enriching your narratives and making them more captivating.

Subject Relevance

To Remember!

Structure of the Past Continuous

The past continuous is created by taking the verb 'to be' in the past ('was' or 'were') and adding the main verb in its gerund form (-ing). This formation expresses actions ongoing at a particular moment in the past.

• The verb 'to be' in the past ('was' or 'were') must agree with the subject of the sentence: 'I was', 'you were', 'he/she/it was', 'we/you/they were.'

• The main verb must be in gerund form, meaning it ends in '-ing'.

• Example: 'She was reading a book.'

Usage of the Past Continuous in Narratives

The past continuous is particularly effective in narratives, as it allows for the description of actions happening simultaneously or those that were interrupted by another action. This creates a more vivid and engaging scene.

• Describes ongoing actions in the past that were interrupted by another action: 'I was cooking when the phone rang.'

• Can be used to illustrate two or more actions happening at the same time: 'While I was studying, my brother was watching TV.'

• Helps immerse the reader or listener in time by detailing the context of the actions.

Difference between Past Continuous and Simple Past

The past continuous and the simple past serve different purposes. The past continuous focuses on actions that were ongoing at a specific moment in the past, while the simple past describes completed actions.

• Simple Past: used for actions that started and ended in the past. Example: 'She read a book.'

• Past Continuous: used for actions that were ongoing at a specific moment in the past. Example: 'She was reading a book.'

• Both can be used together to demonstrate an interrupted action: 'I was reading when he called.'

Practical Applications

• Journalism: Describing events as they occurred, creating a clear and understandable timeline.

• Incident Reports: Detailing actions that were happening before a specific event, crucial for cause analysis.

• Marketing: In narrative campaigns, using past continuous to describe ongoing actions in the past to enhance storytelling.

Key Terms

• Past Continuous: A verb form used to describe actions that were ongoing at a specific moment in the past.

• Gerund: The '-ing' form of a verb employed in the past continuous.

• Interrupted Action: An ongoing action that gets interrupted by another action in the past.

Questions for Reflections

• How can understanding the past continuous elevate your personal and professional storytelling?

• In what areas of your daily life can you utilize the past continuous to better describe your experiences?

• What benefits does using the past continuous bring to reports and event descriptions in professional contexts?

Stories in Action

Craft a narrative using the past continuous to illustrate ongoing actions.

Instructions

• Break into groups of 3 to 4 colleagues.

• Receive a set of 5 sequential images provided by the teacher.

• Engage in group discussion and create a story that employs the past continuous to describe the actions in each image.

• Write the story down on a sheet of paper.

• Get ready to share the story with the class.