The Past Continuous Tense Прошедшее длительное время

The Past Continuous Tense. Прошедшее длительное время

The past continuous describes actions or events in a time before now, which began in the past and is still going on at the time of speaking. In other words, it expresses an unfinished or incomplete action in the past. Время Past Continuous указывает на процесс, длившийся в определенный момент или период в прошлом. В отличие от времени Past Simple, этот момент в прошлом должен быть назван прямо (например, yesterday at 5 o’clock, when you called, when rain started) или быть очевидным из контекста.

It is used: Often, to describe the background in a story written in the past tense, e. g. "The sun was shining and the birds were singing as the elephant came out of the jungle. The other animals were relaxing in the shade of the trees, but the elephant moved very quickly. She was looking for her baby, and she didn't notice the hunter who was watching her through his binoculars. When the shot rang out, she was running towards the river. . . " to describe an unfinished action that was interrupted by another event or action, e. g. "I was having a beautiful dream when the alarm clock rang. " to express a change of mind: e. g. "I was going to spend the day at the beach but I've decided to get my homework done instead. " with 'wonder', to make a very polite request: e. g. "I was wondering if you could baby-sit for me tonight. "

Вопросительные предложения: Отрицательные предложения: Образование Past Continuous Для того, чтобы поставить глагол в форму Past Continuous, нужен вспомогательный глагол to be в прошедшем времени и причастие настоящего времени (Participle I) смыслового глагола. To be в прошедшем времени имеет две формы: was – 1 и 3 лицо ед. ч. (I was smoking. He was eating. ) were – 2 лицо ед. ч. и все формы мн. ч. (They were laughing. )

В вопросительном предложении вспомогательный глагол выносится на место перед подлежащим, а значимый глагол остается после него В отрицательных предложениях за вспомогательным глаголом следует отрицательная частица not. Формы was и were при этом могут быть сокращены до wasn’t и weren’t соответственно.

Примеры We were treating the sick people While the patient was being examined the physician listened to his heart and lungs and then measured his blood pressure.

I was following the bed regimen all week Yesterday at 10 o’clock I was taken patients When the patient was being questioned by the physician on his condition he said that a short, painful dry cough associated with rapid respiration had developed two days before.