Using Past Continuous Tense in English Sentences

Past Continuous Tense過去進行式 I was doing…

Past Continuous Tense • We use the past continuous to say that somebody was in the middle of doing something at a certain time. • 我們用過去進行式表示某人在某一時刻正在做某件事。 • The action or situation had already started before this time but had not finished. • 這件事在那一刻之前已經開始，但尚未完成。

Past Continuous Tense Was/were –ing is the past continuous: I He She It was playing. doing. working. We You They were

Past Continuous Tense I started doing I was doing I finished doing past past now • Last Christmas Mary was living in Taipei. • What were you doing at 11 o’clock last night? • I talked to her but she wasn’t listening.

Past Continuous Tense • Jason hurt his back when he was fixing the roof. • I saw Jane in the dorm yesterday. She was reading a book. • While you were sleeping yesterday afternoon, I hurt my back. We often use the past simple and the past continuous together to say that something happened in the middle of something else.(我們經常同時使用過去簡單式與過去進行式，來表示某件事過程中發生另一件事。）

Past Continuous Tense • I was walking home when I met Dave. • Joe was watching television when the phone rang. Compare the past continuous and past simple: Past Continuous Past Simple • I walked home after the party last night. • Joe often watched TV when he was ill last year.

Exercise I • Bob (see) Lydia in the school yesterday but she(not/see) him. • She dd(look) the other way. saw didn’t see was looking

Exercise II • I (meet) Jim and Christine at the airport last night. They o(go) to the U.S. when I (arrive). • We (have) a nice conversation. met were going arrived had

Exercise III • Kent (ride) his bicycle home when a man (step) out into the road. • Kent (go) fast but luckily he (manage) to stop in time. was riding stepped was going managed

Using Past Continuous Tense in English Sentences