CLASS 7 · LEARNING KNOWLEDGE

‹Past progressive› in narratives

How it works

The ‹past progressive› (also: ‹past continuous›) is used in English to describe actions that were in progress in the past. It is typically combined with the ‹simple past› to distinguish a longer-lasting action (‹past progressive›) from a shorter, interrupting action (‹simple past›). It is formed with ‹was/were + verb-ing›. Example: ‹I was reading›. In narratives, the ‹past progressive› helps to describe the background or parallel actions, e.g.: ‹While I was walking to school, it started to rain.› The ‹past progressive› emphasizes the course or duration of an action in the past, not its completion.

Note
The ‹past progressive› is formed with ‹was/were + verb-ing›. It describes actions that were in progress in the past, often in connection with another action in the ‹simple past›.

An example

Choose the sentence that correctly uses the ‹past progressive›:

‹She was listening to music when her friend called.› is correct because ‹was listening› is the form of the ‹past progressive› and the interrupting action ‹called› is in the ‹simple past›.

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Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: English. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.