The Past Continuous tense is formed with the Past tense (was/were) + Present Participle (to be + Ving)
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The Past Continuous is used to talk about past situations which continued for some time whose exact limits are not known or not important.
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The Past Continuous is used with following time expressions: yesterday, the other day, at … yesterday, last night
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Spelling notes
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When the verb ends in a single e, this e is dropped before ing: argue – arguing
EXCEPT after age, dye, singe: ageing, dyeing, singeing & verbs ending in ee: agree – agreeing
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A verb of 1 syllable, 1 vowel, ends in a single consonant>>this cons. Is doubled before ing: hit-hitting
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A final l after a single vowel is always doubled: signal – signaling
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A verb ending in y+ ing: carry – carrying, hurry – hurrying.
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Use
| Example
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For gradual development without time expressions
| It was getting darker. The wind was rising.
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For an action in Past Cont. which started before an action in the simple past and probably continued after it
| When I arrived Tom was talking on the phone.
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With a point in time to indicate an action which began before that time and probably continued after it
| At eight he was having breakfast.
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With always:
-for the repeated action to express annoyance, irritation
| He was always ringing me up.
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In descriptions
| A girl was playing the piano & was singing softly to herself.
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To express a definite future arrangement
| He was busy packing, for he was leaving that night.
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As a past equivalent of the Present Continuous
| Direct speech: He said, “I am living in London”
Indirect speech: He said he was living in London.
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As an alternative to the simple past to indicate a less deliberate action
| I was talking to Tom the other day.
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To indicate a possibly routine action
| From 4 to 6 Tom was washing the car.
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For apparently parallel actions
| Between 3 & 4 I was doing the shopping & walking the dog.
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In questions about how a period of time was spent
| What were you doing before you came here?
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