Grammar Analysis: Past Continuous:
Form: to be (in the past simple: was/were)+v+ing Spelling rules:
Silent "e", drop the "e"+ing:| Become Take Have Practice |
Becoming Taking Having Practicing |
| Exceptions: | |
| Singe Dye Age Shoe |
Singeing Dyeing Ageing Shoeing |
Short verbs: 1 vowel+1 consonant: 2 vowels| Swim Dig Sit |
Swimming Digging Sitting |
| Exceptions: verbs ending in: “x” and “w” | |
| Fix Box Snow |
Fixing Boxing Snowing |
Short verbs: 1 vowel+2 consonants: no change| Help Talk Work |
Helping Talking Working |
Short verbs: 2 vowel+1 consonant: no change| Look Eat Heat |
Looking Eating Heating |
| Exceptions: | |
| Dial Fuel |
Dialling Fuelling |
Long verbs: When the last consonant is stressed, the last letter is doubled| Upset /ʌpˈset/ Admit /ədˈmɪt/ Deter /dɪˈtɜːr/ Forget /fəˈɡet/ |
Upsetting Admitting Deterring forgetting |
Long verbs: When the first consonant is stressed, the last letter is not doubled: no change| enter /ˈen.tər/ budget /ˈbʌdʒ.ɪt/ Whisper /ˈwɪs.pər/ Visit /ˈvɪz.ɪt/ Benefit /ˈben.ɪ.fɪt/ |
Entering Budgeting Whispering Visiting Benefiting |
| Exceptions: | |
| Travel /ˈtræv.əl/ Label /ˈleɪ.bəl/ Cancel /ˈkæn.səl/ Worship /ˈwɜː.ʃɪp/ Kidnap /ˈkɪd.næp/ |
Travelling Labelling Cancelling Worshipping Kidnapping |
Verbs ending in "c"+k+ing:| Picnic Traffic Mimic |
Picnicking Trafficking Mimicking |
Verbs ending in "ie", change "ie" into "y"+ing:| Die Lie |
Dying Lying |
Use:Indicate a precise time in the past:
Last night at 9 p.m. she was chatting with her friend. At midnight, we were still driving through the desert. Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at workA long action (past continuous), interrupted by a short action (past simple): when=while
I was watching TV when the light went off. When the light went off, I was watching TV. While/When I was watching TV, the light went off. The light went off while/when I was watching TV .Simultaneity/Simultaneousness: Two long actions in the past: while=as
She was reading while her brother was drawing. My friends were playing football while I was waiting in the locker room. While/As they were having dinner, their neighbours were flying to Paris.