Sie sind auf Seite 1von 5

Forming the Past Continuous

Tense
To form the verb in the Past
Continuous Tense you need
the correct form of to be
(was or were) and the ing
(Gerund) form of the verb.
I
He
She
It

was

You
We
They

were

reading a
book.
watching TV.
going to the
cinema.
playing
basketball.
raining.

Spelling rules
1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

Mostly the verb gets an


ing in the Present
Continuous Tense. E.g.:

starting, playing, looking,


skiing

If the verb is
monosyllabic, it ends with
a vowel + consonant, and
the vowel is short
(pronunciation) then the
consonant at the end of
the verb doubles. E.g.: run

running

If the verb ends with l,


it doubles. E.g.: travel

travelling

If
the
verb
is
multisyllabic, and 2nd point
holds true of the last
syllable then the consonant
at the end of the verb
doubles. E.g.: permit, admit
If the verb ends with a
mute e, you have to leave
it out. E.g.: make making
There are verbs ending
with ie, like lie. In the
Gerund form the ie
changes into y.
e.g.: lie lying
Other verbs: die, outlie,
tie, untie, etc.
Exceptions

There are some verbs that we


dont use in the past continuous
tense. (Because they arent
action verbs.)

e.g.: like, love,


hate,
smell,
seem,
believe,
understand,
realise, belong,
know,
want,
need,
depend,
suppose

Task 1 - Form the Gerund form of


1) get ___________________
2) open __________________
3) take __________________
4) travel _________________
5) do ____________________

the following verbs.


6) lie ____________________
7) run ___________________
8) make __________________
9) cut ___________________
10) eat ___________________

Task 2 - Fill in the sentences with the correct form of the verbs
in the Past Continuous Tense.
1) They ___________________________ in the lake yesterday
afternoon. (swim)
2) He ___________________________ on the coach. (sleep)
3) I ___________________________ a book. (read)
4) We ___________________________ breakfast at 7 am
yesterday. (have)
5) Sarah ___________________________ the fence. (paint)
6) The kids ___________________________ the picture. (colour)
7) You ___________________________ about the accident. (talk)
8) The dog ___________________________ all last night. (bark)
9) We ___________________________ to the radio yesterday
morning. (listen)
10) Pete ___________________________ his car last weekend.
(wash)
Task 3 - Write the correct forms (Past Continuous) of the verbs
on the lines from this list.

to
to
to
to
to

cook
drink
hide
plant
play

to
to
to
to
to

sing
wash
watch
water
write

1) When I saw him he ___________________________ some milk.


2) You ___________________________ football when you broke
your leg.
3) Steve ___________________________ TV when the lights
went out.
4) We ___________________________ when the guests arrived.
5) Mum ___________________________ up when someone
knocked at the door.
6) Nelly ___________________________ songs on the concert.
7) John and Jim ___________________________ behind a tree
when they were playing hide-and-seek.
8) I ___________________________ the flowers when you came
in.
9) You ___________________________ a test at 10 am yesterday.
10) They ___________________________ some seedlings
yesterday afternoon.
Susan V Toth

Task
4

Rewrite
the
sentences into Past Continuous
and use the given phrases.

Task 5 Write sentences using the given words


and the verbs in Past Continuous.

e.g.: I * write * a letter * while * you * read.

I was writing a letter while you were reading.

e.g.: The boys are fighting in the schoolyard. (at 3 1) Mum * vacuum-clean * while * dad * wash * the
pm yesterday)
The boys were fighting in the schoolyard at 3

pm yesterday.

1) They climbed the mountain. (when he fell off)


______________________________________
______________________________________
2) My dads waiting for me. (at 4 pm yesterday)
______________________________________
______________________________________
3) You have a shower every day. (when the
telephone rang)
______________________________________
______________________________________
4) Ill go home. (when I had a puncture)
______________________________________
______________________________________
5) The kids played in the sands. (yesterday)
______________________________________
______________________________________
6) Youve put on some warm clothes. (when I came
in)
______________________________________
______________________________________
7) Tom rides a bike on Mondays. (when I saw him)
______________________________________
______________________________________
8) Theyre cleaning the windows now. (when it
started to rain)
______________________________________
______________________________________
9) He will take notes. (from 2 to 4 yesterday)
______________________________________
______________________________________
10) Mums ironed the laundry. (yesterday
afternoon)
______________________________________
______________________________________
11) The students studied Maths two days ago.
(yesterday)
______________________________________
______________________________________
12) I am staying with my friend this week. (last
week)
______________________________________
______________________________________

car.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
2) The kids * draw * pictures * while * the parents *
do * the gardening.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
3) Eve and Dora * skip * the rope * while * the
others * play * hide-and-seek.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
4) Marge * lie * in the sun * while * Dave * swim * in
the sea.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
5) John * build * a sandcastle * while * his mum *
solve * crossword puzzles.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
6) Sally * colour * some pictures * while * her sister
* paint * a tree.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
7) I * eat * some biscuits * while * I * wait * for
you.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
8) The dog * sleep * under the bed * while * Sue *
bake * a cake.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
9) It * get * dark * while * I * talk * on the phone.
_______________________________________
_____________________________________
10) Tim * play * the piano * while * his parents *
listen * to it.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
11) Mandy * tidy * the room * while * mum * wash *
the clothes.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
12) We * do * the homework * while * dad * watch *
a football match.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________

Susan V Toth

Forming the Past Continuous


Tense
To form the verb in the Past
Continuous Tense you need
the correct form of to be
(was or were) and the ing
(Gerund) form of the verb.
I
He
She
It

was

You
We
They

were

reading a
book.
watching TV.
going to the
cinema.
playing
basketball.
raining.

Spelling rules
1) Mostly the verb gets an ing
in the Present Continuous
Tense. E.g.: starting, playing,

looking, skiing

2) If the verb is monosyllabic,


it ends with a vowel +
consonant, and the vowel is
short (pronunciation) then
the consonant at the end of
the verb doubles. E.g.: run

running

3) If the verb ends with l, it


doubles. E.g.: travel

travelling

4) If the verb is multisyllabic,


and 2nd point holds true of
the last syllable then the
consonant at the end of the
verb doubles. E.g.: permit,

admit

5) If the verb ends with a mute


e, you have to leave it out.
E.g.: make making
6) There are verbs ending with
ie, like lie. In the Gerund
form the ie changes into y.
7) e.g.: lie lying
8) Other verbs: die, outlie, tie,
untie, etc.
Exceptions
There are some verbs that we
dont use in the past continuous
tense. (Because they arent
action verbs.)

e.g.: like, love,


hate,
smell,
seem,
believe,
understand,
realise, belong,
know,
want,
need,
depend,
suppose

Task 1 - Form the Gerund form of


1) get ___________________
2) open __________________
3) take __________________
4) travel _________________
5) do ____________________

the following verbs.


6) lie ____________________
7) run ___________________
8) make __________________
9) cut ___________________
10) eat ___________________

Task 2 - Fill in the sentences with the correct form of the verbs
in the Past Continuous Tense.
1) They ___________________________ in the lake yesterday
afternoon. (swim)
2) He ___________________________ on the coach. (sleep)
3) I ___________________________ a book. (read)
4) We ___________________________ breakfast at 7 am
yesterday. (have)
5) Sarah ___________________________ the fence. (paint)
6) The kids ___________________________ the picture. (colour)
7) You ___________________________ about the accident. (talk)
8) The dog ___________________________ all last night. (bark)
9) We ___________________________ to the radio yesterday
morning. (listen)
10) Pete ___________________________ his car last weekend.
(wash)
Task 3 - Write the correct forms (Past Continuous) of the verbs
on the lines from this list.

to
to
to
to
to

cook
drink
hide
plant
play

to
to
to
to
to

sing
wash
watch
water
write

1) When I saw him he ___________________________ some milk.


2) You ___________________________ football when you broke
your leg.
3) Steve ___________________________ TV when the lights
went out.
4) We ___________________________ when the guests arrived.
5) Mum ___________________________ up when someone
knocked at the door.
6) Nelly ___________________________ songs on the concert.
7) John and Jim ___________________________ behind a tree
when they were playing hide-and-seek.
8) I ___________________________ the flowers when you came
in.
9) You ___________________________ a test at 10 am yesterday.
10) They ___________________________ some seedlings
yesterday afternoon.
Susan V Toth

Task
4

Rewrite
the
sentences into Past Continuous
and use the given phrases.

Task 5 Write sentences using the given words


and the verbs in Past Continuous.

e.g.: I * write * a letter * while * you * read.

I was writing a letter while you were reading.

e.g.: The boys are fighting in the schoolyard. (at 3 1) Mum * vacuum-clean * while * dad * wash * the
pm yesterday)
The boys were fighting in the schoolyard at 3

pm yesterday.

1) They climbed the mountain. (when he fell off)


______________________________________
______________________________________
2) My dads waiting for me. (at 4 pm yesterday)
______________________________________
______________________________________
3) You have a shower every day. (when the
telephone rang)
______________________________________
______________________________________
4) Ill go home. (when I had a puncture)
______________________________________
______________________________________
5) The kids played in the sands. (yesterday)
______________________________________
______________________________________
6) Youve put on some warm clothes. (when I came
in)
______________________________________
______________________________________
7) Tom rides a bike on Mondays. (when I saw him)
______________________________________
______________________________________
8) Theyre cleaning the windows now. (when it
started to rain)
______________________________________
______________________________________
9) He will take notes. (from 2 to 4 yesterday)
______________________________________
______________________________________
10) Mums ironed the laundry. (yesterday
afternoon)
______________________________________
______________________________________
11) The students studied Maths two days ago.
(yesterday)
______________________________________
______________________________________
12) I am staying with my friend this week. (last
week)
______________________________________
______________________________________

car.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
2) The kids * draw * pictures * while * the parents *
do * the gardening.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
3) Eve and Dora * skip * the rope * while * the
others * play * hide-and-seek.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
4) Marge * lie * in the sun * while * Dave * swim * in
the sea.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
5) John * build * a sandcastle * while * his mum *
solve * crossword puzzles.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
6) Sally * colour * some pictures * while * her sister
* paint * a tree.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
7) I * eat * some biscuits * while * I * wait * for
you.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
8) The dog * sleep * under the bed * while * Sue *
bake * a cake.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
9) It * get * dark * while * I * talk * on the phone.
_______________________________________
_____________________________________
10) Tim * play * the piano * while * his parents *
listen * to it.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
11) Mandy * tidy * the room * while * mum * wash *
the clothes.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
12) We * do * the homework * while * dad * watch *
a football match.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________

Susan V Toth

Key
Task 1
1) get getting
2) open opening
3) take taking
4) travel travelling
5) do doing
6) lie lying
7) run running
8) make making
9) cut cutting
10) eat eating
Task 2
1) They were swimming in the lake yesterday afternoon.
2) He was sleeping on the coach.
3) I was reading a book.
4) We were having breakfast at 7 am yesterday.
5) Sarah was painting the fence.
6) The kids were colouring the picture.
7) You were talking about the accident.
8) The dog was barking all last night.
9) We were listening to the radio yesterday morning.
10) Pete was washing his car last weekend.
Task 3
1) When I saw him he was drinking some milk.
2) You were playing football when you broke your leg.
3) Steve was watching TV when the lights went out.
4) We were cooking / washing when the guests arrived.
5) Mum was washing / cooking up when someone
knocked at the door.
6) Nelly was singing songs on the concert.
7) John and Jim were hiding behind a tree when they
were playing hide-and-seek.
8) I was watering / planting the flowers when you came
in.
9) You were writing a test at 10 am yesterday.
10) They were planting / watering some seedlings
yesterday afternoon.

Task 4
1) They were climbing the mountain when he fell off.
2) My dad was waiting for me at 4 pm yesterday.
3) You were having a shower when the telephone rang.
4) I was going home when I had a puncture.
5) The kids were playing in the sands yesterday.
6) You were putting on some warm clothes when I came
in.
7) Tom was riding a bike when I saw him.
8) They were cleaning the windows when it started to
rain.
9) He was taking notes from 2 to 4 yesterday.
10) Mum was ironing the laundry yesterday afternoon.
11) The students were studying Maths yesterday.
12) I was staying with my friend last week.
Task 5
1) Mum was vacuum-cleaning while dad was washing the
car.
2) The kids were drawing pictures while the parents
were doing the gardening.
3) Eve and Dora were skipping the rope while the others
were playing hide-and-seek.
4) Marge was lying in the sun while Dave was swimming in
the sea.
5) John was building a sandcastle while his mum was
solving crossword puzzles.
6) Sally was colouring some pictures while her sister was
painting a tree.
7) I was eating some biscuits while I was waiting for you.
8) The dog was sleeping under the bed while Sue was
baking a cake.
9) It was getting dark while I was talking on the phone.
10) Tim was playing the piano while his parents were
listening to it.
11) Mandy was tidying the room while mum was washing
the clothes.
12) We were doing the homework while dad was watching
a football match.

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen