Past Continuous

[was/were + present participle]

Examples:
You were studying when she called.
Were you studying when she called?
You were not studying when she called.
Complete List of ast Continuous !orms
USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past
"se the ast Continuous to indicate that a lon#er action in the past was interrupted.
$he interruption is usually a shorter action in the %imple ast. &emem'er this can
'e a real interruption or (ust an interruption in time.
Examples:
) was watching $* when she called.
+hen the phone ran#, she was writing a letter.
+hile we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
+hat were you doing when the earth-ua.e started?
) was listening to my iod, so ) didn/t hear the 0re alarm.
You were not listening to me when ) told you to turn the o1en o2.
+hile 3ohn was sleeping last ni#ht, someone stole his car.
+hile ) was writing the email, the computer suddenly went o2.
4: +hat were you doing when you 'ro.e your le#?
5: ) was snowboarding.
USE 2 Specifc i!e as an Interruption
)n "%E 6, descri'ed a'o1e, the ast Continuous is interrupted 'y a shorter action in
the %imple ast. 7owe1er, you can also use a speci0c time as an interruption.
Examples:
Last ni#ht at 8 9, ) was eating dinner.
4t midni#ht, we were still driving throu#h the desert.
Yesterday at this time, ) was sitting at my des. at wor..
Past Per"ect
[had + past participle]
Examples:
You had studied En#lish 'efore you mo1ed to :ew Yor..
#ad you studied En#lish 'efore you mo1ed to :ew Yor.?
You had not studied En#lish 'efore you mo1ed to :ew Yor..
Complete List of ast erfect !orms
USE 1 Co!pleted Action $e"ore So!ething in the Past
$he ast erfect expresses the idea that somethin# occurred 'efore another action
in the past. )t can also show that somethin# happened 'efore a speci0c time in the
past.
Examples:
) had ne1er seen such a 'eautiful 'each 'efore ) went to ;auai.
) did not ha1e any money 'ecause ) had lost my wallet.
$ony .new )stan'ul so well 'ecause he had visited the city se1eral times.
#ad %usan e1er studied $hai 'efore she mo1ed to $hailand?
%he only understood the mo1ie 'ecause she had read the 'oo..
;ristine had ne1er been to an opera 'efore last ni#ht.
+e were not a'le to #et a hotel room 'ecause we had not boo%ed in
ad1ance.
USE 2 &uration $e"ore So!ething in the Past '(on)Continuous *erbs+
+ith :on<Continuous *er's and some non<continuous uses of 9ixed *er's, we use
the ast erfect to show that somethin# started in the past and continued up until
another action in the past.
Examples:
+e had had that car for ten years 'efore it 'ro.e down.
5y the time 4lex 0nished his studies, he had been in London for o1er ei#ht
years.
$hey felt 'ad a'out sellin# the house 'ecause they had owned it for more
than forty years.