What is the Past Continuous Tense used for?

The Past Continuous Tense describes actions that were ongoing in the past, often setting the scene for another event. For example, 'I was walking when it started to rain.'

What is the structure of the Past Continuous Tense?

The structure is 'Subject + was/were + verb-ing'. For example, 'She was reading a book.'

When do we use 'was' and 'were' in the Past Continuous Tense?

'Was' is used with singular subjects (I, he, she, it), while 'were' is used with plural subjects (we, you, they).

Fill in the blank: 'They _________ (play) soccer when it started to rain.'

'They were playing soccer when it started to rain.' This shows the action in progress when interrupted.

Choose the correct form: 'I _________ (not/sleep) when you called.'

'I was not sleeping when you called.' This is the negative form of the Past Continuous.

Identify the error: 'She were dancing at the party.'

The error is 'were'; it should be 'was' since 'she' is singular. The corrected sentence is: 'She was dancing at the party.'

Create a sentence using 'while' to show two ongoing actions.

'While I was studying, my friend was cooking dinner.' This shows both actions happening simultaneously in the past.

What time expressions often accompany the Past Continuous Tense? Provide an example.

Common time expressions include 'when,' 'while,' 'yesterday at this time,' and 'last night.' For example, 'I was reading when the lights went out.'