The Past Continuous

The Past Continuous tense is formed with the Past tense (was/were) + Present Participle (to be + Ving)
The Past Continuous is used to talk about past situations which continued for some time whose exact limits are not known or not important.
The Past Continuous is used with following time expressions: yesterday, the other day, at … yesterday, last night
Spelling notes
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
A verb of 1 syllable, 1 vowel, ends in a single consonant>>this cons. Is doubled before ing: hit-hitting
A final l after a single vowel is always doubled: signal – signaling
A verb ending in y+ ing: carry – carrying, hurry – hurrying.
Use	Example
For gradual development without time expressions	It was getting darker. The wind was rising.
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.
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.
With always: -for the repeated action to express annoyance, irritation	He was always ringing me up.
In descriptions	A girl was playing the piano & was singing softly to herself.
To express a definite future arrangement	He was busy packing, for he was leaving that night.
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.
As an alternative to the simple past to indicate a less deliberate action	I was talking to Tom the other day.
To indicate a possibly routine action	From 4 to 6 Tom was washing the car.
For apparently parallel actions	Between 3 & 4 I was doing the shopping & walking the dog.
In questions about how a period of time was spent	What were you doing before you came here?

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Длительность жизни одного сперматозоида	\|	The Past Simple tense

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