Past continuous Esempio: At 11.30 last night I was watching a film

Past continuous
Esempio:
At 11.30 last night I was watching a film on TV.
Forma affermativa
SOGGETTO + WAS/WERE +
-ING FORM
To read (leggere)
I was reading
you were readinghe/she/it was readingetc…
Forma negativa
SOGG. + WAS/WERE + NOT + -ING FORM
WAS NOT >>>
WASN'TWERE NOT >>>WEREN'T
I was not reading you were not reading
he/she/it was not readingetc
…
Forma interrogativa
WAS/WERE + SOGG. +-ING FORM
Were you reading…? Was he reading…?
etc…
Uso del Past continous
•
•
•
•
•
Interrupted Action in the Past
Examples:
I was watching TV when she called.
When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
While we were having the picnic, it started to rain
Specific Time as an Interruption
•
Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
•
At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
•
Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.
•
•
Parallel Actions
I was drinking while Mary was watching TV
•
•
Atmosphere
When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were talking on the
phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped. One customer
was yelling at a secretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each other about the
bad service.