Past continuous biography of martin

Ah, when can we use past continuous tense? That is the question here. Well, in short, past continuous, or past progressive tense, can be used when an action of the past overlaps another action, time, or time frame. However, the action of the past typically starts before the other action or time. Americans actually unknowing use past continuous sense quite often, in my opinion.

We are about to go into more detail and I will give you plenty of past continuous examples. Fear not, just keep on reading. Okay so the first type of continuous past tenses we are going to look at is the one that has an interrupted past action. Yes, I gave you this type of example in the introduction, so it may look familiar. Like I mentioned in the introduction, this type of past continuous indicated that a longer action, that occurred in the past, was interrupted by a shorter action.

This type of continuous past tense is the type that is interrupted by a short action in the simple past, or sometimes, it is a specific time interruption. I will say, it is important to remember that sometimes, in the simple past, an exact time is used to show when something, such as an action, begins and ends. In a past continuous, however, that exact time only interrupts the action.

This one is easier to comprehend, I promise! So, parallel actions. The speaker and their companions were not engaged in watching TV at a specific time. If you were looking for me, I was in the garden. This is an example of the Past Continuous used in a conditional sentence.

Past continuous biography of martin: Martin Luther King has

It suggests that the action of looking for the speaker was happening while they were in the garden. Incorrect: She was watch television when I called her. Correct: She was watching television when I called her. We can see that the Past Continuous is often used to talk about actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past, actions interrupted by another event, and simultaneous past actions.

The Past Continuous tense is essential for describing actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past, actions interrupted by another event, and simultaneous past actions. Using this tense allows for clear communication about past activities and their duration. Mastering the Past Continuous helps in expressing actions and states that were relevant at particular moments in the past effectively.

Past continuous biography of martin: I was born in

Feel free to leave comments or ask questions if you need further clarification on any of the points discussed. Happy learning! Welcome to my virtual classroom! Join me on a journey of language and learning, where we explore the wonders of English together. Stay updated with our latest tutorials and ideas by joining our newsletter. Type your email….

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive. Continue reading. Published by Olivia Drake. June 1, Click here for practice on how to USE the past continuous. I was sleeping you were working he was coming she was reading 'War and Peace' it was raining we were shopping they were watching a film.

Past continuous biography of martin: Martin Luther King Jr. was a

I was not wasn't sleeping you were not weren't working he was not wasn't coming she was not wasn't reading 'War and Peace' it was not wasn't raining we were not weren't shopping they were not weren't watching a film. Here's an exercise about the positive and negative verb forms. Was I listening? Were you working? Was she working? Sessions Vocabulary reference Grammar reference.

Grammar Reference. Narrative tenses Meaning and use We use narrative tenses to talk about the past. When I lived on the island, I enjoyed walking on the beach in the early morning with Bonnie - my best friend and my dog. Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September after Germany had attacked Poland two days earlier. Britain had been trying to negotiate a peaceful settlement.

We were walking as usual one day, when all of a sudden, Bonnie shot off. She started to bark furiously. I saw a man sleeping face down on the sand. It was clear that the storm had washed up the body. Nelson Mandela was born in He became the first black President of South Africa. He spent 27 years in prison in his battle against the system of apartheid.

The past simple is often used in stories and dialogue, too. She knew exactly where Dan had gone … Past continuous We use the past continuous for background information and to describe a scene or situation that continued for some time.