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The Past Continuous Tense - Tenses, English, Class 8 | English Class 8 PDF Download

Structure

 

Positive or Affirmative Sentences Sub + was/ were + V1 + ing
Negative Sentences Sub + was/ were + not + V1+ ing
Interrogative Sentences Was/ Were + sub + V+ ing + ?
Interrogative-negative Sentences Was/ Were + sub + not + V1 + ing + ?

 

Let’s understand them with examples:

Positive or Affirmative  Negative Interrogative Interrogative-negative
I was playing. I was not playing. Was I playing? Was I not playing?
You were playing. You were not playing. Were you playing? Were you not playing?
We were playing. We were not playing. Were we playing? Were we not playing?
He/ She/ It was playing. He/ She/ It was not playing. Was he/ she/ it playing? Was he/ she/ it not playing?
They were playing. They were not playing. Were they playing? Were they not playing?

 

Note:
Short form of was not = wasn’t
Short form of were not = weren’t

Uses

The Past Continuous Tense is used

1. to express an action that was continuing at some time in the past; e.g.,
(i) It was raining heavily when we entered the house.
(ii) Children were shouting loudly during the recess.
(iii) Tom was painting the door.
(iv) They were reading a story when I saw them.

2. with the words always, continually etc; e.g.,
(i) Neha was continually making complaints against other girls.
(ii) He was always making fun of others.

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FAQs on The Past Continuous Tense - Tenses, English, Class 8 - English Class 8

1. What is the past continuous tense?
Ans. The past continuous tense is a verb tense used to describe actions that were happening in the past and were in progress at a specific time or during a specific duration.
2. How is the past continuous tense formed?
Ans. The past continuous tense is formed by using the past tense of the verb "to be" (was/were) and adding the present participle form (-ing) of the main verb. For example, "I was studying" or "They were playing."
3. When do we use the past continuous tense?
Ans. We use the past continuous tense to describe actions that were in progress in the past, usually with a specific time reference. It is often used to provide background information or to describe ongoing actions that were interrupted by another event in the past.
4. Can the past continuous tense be used for future actions?
Ans. No, the past continuous tense is used specifically for actions that occurred in the past. To describe future actions, we use the future continuous tense.
5. What are some signal words or phrases that indicate the use of the past continuous tense?
Ans. Some signal words or phrases that indicate the use of the past continuous tense include "while," "when," "as," "at that time," "at 6 o'clock," and "in the afternoon." These words or phrases help identify the specific time or duration of the ongoing action in the past.
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