Unit

13 I was doing (past continuous)

It is 6 o'clock now.
Paul is at home.
He is watching TV.

m A t 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.

was/were + -ing is the past continuous:

positive negative question

1 1 1
doing he was not doing he
doing?
he
was watching watching was watching?
she she (wasn't) she
playing playing it
playing?
it it
swimming swimming swimming?
we we living we living?
living were not
you were you were you
(weren't)
they etc. they etc. they etc.

O W hat were you doing at 11.30 yesterday? Were you working?

O 'W hat did he say?' 'I don't know. I wasn't listening.'
O It was raining so we didn't go out.
O In 2009 we were living in Canada.
O Today she's wearing a skirt, but yesterday she was wearing trousers.
O 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 etc.) —» Appendix 5

am/is/are + -ing (present) —>was/were + -ing (past):

past
I'm working (now). O I was working at 10.30 last night.
It isn't raining (now). O It wasn't raining when we went out.
W hat are you doing (now)? O W hat were you doing at 3 o'clock?

36 ( was/were Unit 10 I was doing and I did (past continuous and simple) Unit 14
Exercises
Look at the pictures. Where were these people at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon? And what were
they doing? Write two sentences for each picture.

L ; ,

at h o m e
RACHEL
fM'V JACK KATE

at th e c in e m a
TOM

in his ca r
PLATFC5R' ^ ^ S

TRACEY
1

at th e statio n
r / V
i
I

^
111
I

MR AND MRS HALL

in th e p ark
w a tc h TV w a tc h a film d rive w a it for a train w a lk

1 Rachel, was a t home. She was watching TV...............................................................................................

2 Jack and Kate........................................................................ T h e y .......................................................................................................
3 T o m ................................................................................................................................................................................................................
4 ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................
5 ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................
6 And you? I ................................................................................................................................................................................................

Sarah did a lot of things yesterday morning. Look at the pictures and complete the sentences.

8.30 - 9.00 1 A t 8.45 sh e w a s washing her car.

7 .1 0 -7 .2 5 7 .3 0 -8 .1 0
2 A t 10.45 sh e

3 A t 8 o 'clo ck

breakfast 4 A t 12.10.........
9 .2 0 -1 0 .0 0

5 A t 7.15............

6 A t 9.30............

Complete the questions. Use was/were -ing. Use what/where/why if necessary.

Look at the picture. You saw Joe in the street yesterday afternoon. What was he doing? Write
positive or negative sentences.
1 (wear / a jacket) He w asn Y wearing a ja c k e t,........................
2 (carry / a bag) ..................................................................................................
3 (go / to the dentist) .....................................................................................
4 (eat / an ice cream) ......................................................................................
5 (carry / an umbrella) ...................................................................................
6 (go / home) ......................................................................................................
7 (wear / a hat) ...................................................................................................
8 (ride / a bicycle) .............................................................................................

37
 His phone rang. He stopped reading. He answered his
phone.

W hat happened? His phone rang, (past simple)

W hat was Jack doing when his phone rang?
(past continuous)
He was reading a book.

W hat did he do when his phone rang?

(past simple)
He stopped reading and answered his phone.

Jack began reading before his phone rang.

So when his phone rang, he was reading.

he started his phone he stopped he answered

reading rang reading his phone
______ i
he was reading

past simple past continuous

O a: W hat did you do yesterday morning? O a: W hat were you doing at 10.30?
b: W e played tennis, (from 10 to 11.30) b: We were playing tennis.

start finish start

10 o'clock 11.30 10 o'clock
1................ .......
1 1
1 i |
\ \ t / /
we played we were playing
complete action unfinished action

O Jack read a book yesterday. (= from O Jack was reading a book when his
beginning to end) phone rang.
O Did you watch the game on T V last Were you watching T V when I phoned
night? you?
O It didn't rain while we were on holiday. It wasn't raining when I got up.

O I started work at 9 o'clock and finished at 4.30. A t 2.30 I was working.

O It was raining when we went out. (= it started raining before we went out)
O I saw Lucy and Steve this morning. They were waiting at the bus stop.
O Kelly fell asleep while she was reading.

38 ( I did (past simple) 4 Units 11-12 I was doing (past continuous) ■» Unit 13 while Unit 105 )
Exercises
Look at the pictures. Put the verbs in the correct form, past continuous or past simple.
Lucy broke (break) her arm last week.
I t ................................................................(happen) when
sh e ................................................................(paint) her
room. S h e .............................................................. (fall)
off the ladder.

The tra in ................................................................(arrive)

at the station and Paula.................................................
(get) off. Two friends of hers, Jon and Rachel,
..........................................................................(wait) to
meet her.

3 Yesterday Sue............................................... (walk)

along the road when she............................. (meet)
James. H e................................................................ (go)
to the station to catch a train and he
..........................................................(carry) a bag.
Th ey........................................................... (stop) to
talk for a few minutes.

Put the verb into the past continuous or past simple.

1 a: What was the weather like when yo u got (get) up this morning?
b: It was raining (rain).
2 a : Was Jane busy when you went to see her?
b: Yes, she........................................................... (study).
3 a : ........................................................... (Paul/call) you this morning?
b: Yes, h e ........................................................... (call) while.I .............................................................(have) breakfast.
4 a : Was Tracey at work today?
b: No, she...........................................................(not/go) to work. She was ill.
5 a : How fast........................................................................ (you/drive) when the police
........................................................... (stop) you?
b: I'm not sure, but I ........................................................................ (not/drive) very fast.
6 a : ..........................................................................(your team / win) the football match yesterday?
b: The weather was very bad, so w e ........................................................... (not/play).
7 a : H o w ........................................................................(you/break) the window?
b: W e (play) football... I ........................................................... (kick) the ball and
i t ........................................................... (hit) the window.
8 a : ..........................................................................(you/see) Jessica last night?
b: Yes, she..........................................................................(wear) a very nice jacket.
9 a : W h at..........................................................................(you/do) at 2 o'clock this morning?
b: I was asleep.
10 a : I ..........................................................(lose) my key last night.
b: Ho w ........................................................... (you/get) into your room?
a : I ..........................................................(climb) in through a window.

A d d itio n al exercises 1 4 -1 5 (pages 2 5 7-58)

Study this example situation:

Yesterday Karen and jim played te nn is. They started at

10 o'clock and finished at 11.30.
So, at 10.30 they were playing tennis.

They were playing = they were in the middle of playing.

They had not finished playing.
Was/were -ing is the past continuous:
playing
1/he/she/ it was
doing
we/you/they were
working etc.

I was doing something= I was in the middle of doing something at a certain time. The action or
situation had already started before this time, but had not finished:
I started doing I was doing I finished doing

•
past
~ · ~ •
past now
0 This time last year I was living in Brazil.
C What were you doing at 10 o'clock last night?
0 I waved to Helen, but she wasn't looking.
Compare the past continuous (I was doing) and past simple (I did):

Past continuous (in the middle of an action) Past simple (complete action)
C I was walking home when I met Dan. 0 I walked home after the party last night.
(in the middle of walking home) (=all the way, completely)
0 Kate was watching TV when we 0 Kate watched television a lot when she
arrived. was ill last year.

We often use the past simple and the past continuous together to say that something happened in the
middle of something else:
0 Matt phoned while we were having dinner.
0 lt was raining when I got up.
0 I saw you in the park yesterday. You were sitting on the grass and reading a book.
0 I hurt my back while I was working in the garden.
But we use the past simple to say that one thing happened after another:
0 I was walking along the road when I saw Dan. So I stopped, and we had a chat.
Compare:

0 When Karen arrived, we were having C When Karen arrived, we had dinner.
dinner. (= we had already started (= Karen arrived , and then we had
before she arrived) dinner)

Some verbs (for example, know and want) are not normally used in the continuous (see Unit 4A):
~ We were good friends. We knew each other well. (not We were knowing)
0 I was enjoying the party, but Chris wanted to go home. (not was wanting)
 · Unit
Exercises 6
What were you doing at these times? Write sentences as in the examples. The past continuous
is not always necessary (see the second example).
1 (at 8 o'clock yesterday evening) .. ..1. ...vv.~ ho...vmg....~rter.. ........... ...... .... .... .... .. ..........................
2 (at 5 o'clock last Monday) I w~ .O.n Q.- ..b<As qn_ __ m!:J w~ n.9rr..~.. ... ... . ...... .............. .... . . . ..... ..
3 (at 10.15 yesterday morning) ... ................... .. . ...... ...................... ........ ..... ....... .. ....... ......... .......... .. .................... ..
4 (at 4.30 this morning) .......... ...... .. ....... . ....... ... .... ..... . ..... .......... . . .... . ................... . .... . .. ................ ..
5 (at 7.45 yesterday evening) .. . ......... ...... .. .. . ....... ....................... ...................................................... .......... .
6 (half an hour ago) .................... ........ . ....... . ..... ........... .. .. .. .... ...... ........ ...... .. .. ... . ...... .

Use your own ideas to complete the sentences. Use the past continuous.
1 Matt phoned while we .... W.~e. .. ho...v.~g .. ~ner... ......... .............................. ............ ................. .......... .................. .
2 The doorbell rang while I .. ...... . ...... .................... . . . .................... . . .... . ...... . ..... ................. .
3 The car began to make a strange noise when we ....... ... .. ........... .. . .. ... ... . .... ........ ...... .
4 jessica fell asleep whi le she .. ...... ............ ...... . ... .... .. .. ..... ..... .. . ..... ... ....... . ..... .. ..... . . ........ .... .. .................... .
5 The television was on, but nobody ........................................ ................................................................................................................... .

Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.

w <1 Gates 1-10 I

s~....... (see) Sue in town I ........................ .................... (meet) I ..... .......................... (cycle) home
yesterday, but she ............. . Tom and jane at the airport a yesterday when a man
... ... .. .......... (not I see) me. few weeks ago. They ...... ... ........... .... (step) out
She .... ................. (go) to Paris and into the road in front of me. I
(look) the other way. I . ... ..... ..... . .................. ... (go) ......... . ............ (go) quite fast,
to Rome. We ...... ............... (have) but luckily I .......................................... .
a chat while we ........................ (manage) to stop in time and
............ ......... (wait) for our flights . ..... .... (not I hit) him.

Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.
1 jenny ...... IN.~?....NP,W.g ...... (wait) for me when I Q-rrir.v ~ (arrive).
2 'What . ......... ...... .. .. ....... ..... (you I do) at this time yesterdayt 'I was asleep.'
3 ' .... ............................................. (you I go) out last night?' 'No, I was too tired .'
4 How fast ........... ... . ..................... ..... . .. . ......... .... ..... (you I drive) when the accident .............................................. .
(happen) ?
5 Sa m . ... ....... ..... . ................ (take) a picture of me while I ... ....................... . .... .. ...................... .... .. ........
(not I look).
6 We were in a very difficult position. We ..... ........ . ......... . ...... . ..................... (not I know) what to do.
7 I haven't seen Alan for ages. When I last ..... .. ... ....... ... .. . (see) him, he
........... .............................. ................. (try) to find a job.
8 I . . ...... ............ ........ ..... ...................... (walk) along the street when suddenly I ....... . ..... . ........ . ............. ..
(hear) footsteps behind me. Somebody ..... ............... . . ........ ............. ... . (follow) me. I was
scared and I .................................. (start) to run.
9 When I was young, I ... .......................... .................. .. ... .... (want) to be a pilot.
10 Last night I ............................................................. (drop) a plate when I ................................................................... (do) the
washing-up. Fortunately it .. .. ...... .............. . .. ............ (not I break).

-t Additional exercise 1 (page 302) 13