the past continuous
noun[S]
uk/ˌpɑːst kənˈtɪn.ju.əs/us/ˌpæst kənˈtɪn.ju.əs/(alsothe past progressive)thegrammaticalformused for anactionthat someone was doing or aneventthat washappeningat aparticulartime. It is made with "was" or "were" and the-ingformof averb:
过去进行时"I wascooking" is anexampleof the pastcontinuous.I was cooking 是过去进行时的一个例子。
Linguistics: verb forms, tenses & types of verbs
- accusative
- art
- bare infinitive
- bent
- continuous
- infinitive
- non-progressive
- passive
- passivization
- pluperfect
- present
- present participle
- progressive
- subjunctive
- the active voice
- the first person
- the future perfect
- the past tense
- the present continuous
- the third person
Grammar
Past continuous (I was working)
We use was/were + the -ing form of the verb.…Past continuous: form
We use was/were + the -ing form of the verb.…Past continuous: uses
We generally use the past continuous to talk about actions and states in progress (happening) around a particular time in the past. It can emphasise that the action or state continued for a period of time in the past:…Past continuous or past simple?
Past continuous = I was working Past simple = I worked…