A. Let's look at this passage:
It is 6 o'clock now. Paul is at home.
He is watching TV.
At 4 o'clock he wasn't at home.
He was at the sports club.
He was swimming in the pool.
He wasn't watching TV.
B. was/were + -ing is the past continuous:
Positive
I |
was | doing watching playing swimming living |
we you they |
were | doing watching playing swimming living |
Negative
I |
wasn't (= was not) |
doing watching playing swimming living etc. |
we you they |
weren't (were not) |
doing watching playing swimming living etc. |
Question
Was |
I |
doing? watching? playing? swimming? living? etc. |
Were | we you they |
doing? watching? playing? swimming? living? etc. |
Let's look at the examples below:
- What were you doing at 11.30 yesterday? Were you working?
- 'What did he say?' 'I don't know. I wasn't listening.'
- It was raining so we didn't go out.
- In 2009 we were living in Canada.
- Today she's wearing a skirt, but yesterday she was wearing trousers.
- I woke up early yesterday. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining and the birds were singing.
Spelling (live → living / run → running / lie → lying)
C. am/is/are + -ing (present) → was/were + -ing (past):
present I'm working now (now). It isn't raining (now). What are you doing now? |
past I was working at 10.30 last night. It wasn't raining when we went out. What were you doing at 3 o'clock? |
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
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A1-A2 Grammar : I Was Doing (Past Continuous)
Choose the correct word.