In this example using the simple past tense, the speaker started running after the whistle blew: In the example below, which uses the past continuous, the speaker started running before the whistle blew: The simple past means one action started after the other.The past continuous tense means the action started before the other action.When you use a subordinating clause (such as a clause starting with when) with another action, keep these distinctions in mind: ![]() However, there are subtle differences worth mentioning. The simple past is generally more commonly used. The past continuous is often confused with simple past tense-this might be because some sentences can use either. The city was going about its business without knowing the aliens had arrived. I knew it would be a good day.Įveryone at the cafe was enjoying their coffee. The birds were singing, and the sun was shining. We use the past continuous tense because these actions were, presumably, already happening before the story began. When telling a story (or writing one), you can use the past continuous tense to “set the scene,” or describe exactly what was happening at the beginning of your story. I was trying to complete the final level for hours. She was gardening all morning and missed the delivery. The players were training all year for this match. This form usually uses adverb phrases that explain the length of time, such as: You can also use the past continuous tense to emphasize how long an action took and highlight just how much time was spent doing it. She was forever trying to impress her crush. My first year of college, I was making spelling mistakes all the time. You can also use the main adverbs of frequency ( rarely, seldom, sometimes, occasionally, often, frequently, usually).Īs a baby, my brother was always making a mess. This form is usually used with adverbs and adverb phrases, specifically ones that suggest the action was done a lot, like those listed below: Use the past continuous tense to talk about an action that used to be done frequently in the past but is not done in the present. ![]() Habitual actions in the past (usually with adverbs like always) If the action begins at the time mentioned, use the simple past instead.Īt midnight, everyone at the party was still having fun.īy the age of nine, I was training to be a ninja. ![]() When you mention an exact time in the past, use the past continuous tense if the action started before that time and continued afterward. They were sleeping peacefully until the alarm rang. Marta was leaving her apartment when she heard the thunderstorm. Put the action that was interrupted in the past continuous tense and the action that interrupts it in the simple past. These are often complex sentences featuring subordinating conjunctions like when, while, before, after, until, or whenever. One of the most common uses of the past continuous tense shows a past action that was interrupted by another past action. 5 past continuous tense uses and examples 1Īn action in the past that gets interrupted I understood math class until we started fractions. Avoid using the above words in the past continuous-you can use them in the simple past instead. Some of the most common examples of stative verbs include:īecause stative verbs are inherently continuous, it sounds odd to put them in a continuous tense. They describe continual states of mind, such as opinions, needs, or awareness. Stative verbs are less like actions and more like states or feelings. These are called stative verbs, also known as state-of-being verbs or, fittingly, non-continuous verbs. Verbs you cannot use in the past continuous tenseĪs we explain in our grammar guide, there is a certain type of verb that cannot be used in any continuous tense, including the past continuous tense. The days were getting shorter as winter approached. You were becoming a great novelist before switching to screenplays. Use were for all other subjects, including all plural subjects and the singular second-person subject, you. The team was playing well until the second half. She was working on an email when the fire alarm rang. Use was for first- or third-person singular subjects, such as I, he, she, or it. Keep in mind that you must conjugate to be to match the subject. ![]() While I was studying, my friends were playing. The past continuous tense formula involves the past tense of to be ( was or were) and the present participle of the verb, the – ing form. The present and past continuous are very similar, but the past continuous uses was and were, the past tense of to be. It is the past tense version of the present continuous, which also describes ongoing actions. The past continuous tense shows a continuous action that began in the past. Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly What is the past continuous tense?
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