Как образуется Past Continuous: таблица
was (с I, he, she, it) или were (с you, we, they) + глагол с -ing. Правописание -ing такое же, как в Present Continuous.
| Форма | I / he / she / it | you / we / they |
|---|---|---|
| Утверждение | He was sleeping. | They were sleeping. |
| Отрицание | He wasn’t sleeping. | They weren’t sleeping. |
| Вопрос | Was he sleeping? | Were they sleeping? |
| Краткий ответ | Yes, he was. / No, he wasn’t. | Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t. |
Когда употребляется Past Continuous
Действие в конкретный момент в прошлом
At 9 o’clock last night I was watching a film.
Вчера в 9 вечера я смотрела фильм.
What were you doing this time yesterday?
Что ты делал вчера в это время?
Длительное действие, которое прервало короткое
Длительное — Past Continuous (часто после while), короткое — Past Simple (часто после when).
I was walking home when it started to rain.
Я шла домой, когда начался дождь.
While we were having dinner, the lights went out.
Пока мы ужинали, пропал свет.
Два действия одновременно
While I was cooking, my husband was setting the table.
Пока я готовила, муж накрывал на стол.
Описание обстановки в рассказе
The sun was shining and the birds were singing.
Светило солнце, пели птицы.
Past Continuous или Past Simple
| Past Continuous | Past Simple | |
|---|---|---|
| Что описывает | процесс, фон | завершённое действие, событие |
| Пример | I was reading at 10. | I read a book yesterday. |
| Вместе | I was reading… | …when he came in. |
When + Past Simple, Past Simple — действия одно за другим: When he came in, I stood up (сначала вошёл, потом я встала). When + Past Simple, Past Continuous — когда он вошёл, я уже читала.
Типичные ошибки
Так часто говорят те, кто учит английский. Слева — как не надо, справа — как правильно.
Не так:
I was sleep when you called.Так: I was sleeping when you called.
После was / were — глагол с -ing.
Не так:
They was playing football.Так: They were playing football.
С they, we, you — were.
Не так:
When I was arriving, she left.Так: When I arrived, she was leaving.
Короткое действие (arrive) — Past Simple.
Не так:
I was knowing the answer.Так: I knew the answer.
Know — глагол состояния, Continuous не бывает.
Проверьте себя
Тест: Прошедшие времена (Past Tenses)
24 вопросов с объяснением после каждого ответа. Бесплатно и без регистрации.
I worked · I was working · I had worked · I had been working