I was reading I was not reading Was I reading?
We were reading We were not reading Were we reading?
I wasn't reading We weren't reading
The Past Continuous denotes a temporary action taking place at a given moment in the past:
34
at 5 o'clock yesterday.
□ I was writing a letter to my friend <CZ---------------------- from 5 to 6 on Sunday.
when Mum came.
EXERCISES_____________________________________________________________
Ex. 17. (A, B) Here is a page from Mr Cook's diary.
8.00 - collect the car from the garage 4.30-5.30 - visit the dentist
10.30 - meet the manager 7.30 - the organ concert at the Cathedral
2.00 - lunch with Peter 10.00 - walk the dog
11.00 - drive Mother home
Write sentences saying what he was doing at these times:
1. At 8 o'clock he was collecting his car from the garage.
2. At 10.45 he__________________________________________________________
3. At 2.20
4. At 5 o'clock
5. At 8 o'clock
6. At 10.05___
7. At 11.10
Ex. 18. (A) One evening there was a concert in the park near your house. Use the words in brackets to make sentences saying what each member of your family was doing at the time.
Example: (Don/have/a bath) Don was having a bath.
1. (Mother/cook/in the kitchen) Mother__________
2. (Father/make/a phone call) Father___________
3. (I/get ready to go out) I____________________
4. (My sister/wash some clothes) My sister.
6.4 THE PAST CONTINUOUS AND PAST INDEFINITE (SIMPLE)
We often use the Past Continuous and the Past Indefinite (Simple) together to say that something happened in the middle of something else:
II PAST ^ INDEFINITE
PAST CONTINUOUS
□ I saw Irene in the park. She was sitting on the bench and waiting for somebody.
□ Jensa broke her leg when she was skiing in Switzerland.
35
EXERCISES
Ex. 19. (A, B) Answer the questions using when and the verb of the subordinate clause in the Past Continuous Tense.
Example: When did she meet Helen? (walk along the street)
She met Helen when she was walking along the street .
1. When did you catch that cold? (skate on a frosty day)_____________________________
2. When did he write those nice poems? (have a holiday)____________________________
3. When did she learn the language? (live in England)______________________________
4. When did she hear that song? (listen to a concert on the radio)______________________
5. When did you buy that book? (read up for my exams) ____________________________
6. When did the boy hurt himself? (ride the bicycle) __________________________
7. When did Philip lose his camera? {walk about the city)____________________________
8. When did he ring you up? (have supper)______________________________________
Ex. 20. (A, B) Make sentences from the words in brackets.
Put the verbs into the correct form, the Past Simple or the Past Continuous.
Example: (He/come/when/l/clean/my flat).
He came when I was cleaning my flat .
1. (the postman/bring/the letter/when/I/have/breakfast) The postman_____________
2. (it/start/to snow/when/I/go/downstairs)_________
3. (the doorbell/ring/when/they/enter/the dining room)
Ex. 21. (A, B) Put the verbs into the correct form, the Past Simple or the Past Continuous.
Example: While Sean was finishing (finish) the letter, the night felL (fall).
1. Dan_______________ (fall) off the tree while he_______________ (rescue) the cat.
2. Last night I___________ (read) in the bed when suddenly I_____________ (hear) a voice
downstairs.
3. ______________________________________ (you/have) a bath when I phoned you?
4. They___________________ (wait) for a taxi when I______________________ (arrive).
5. I__________________ (not/drive) very fast when I_________________ (see) her.
6. I_________________ (break) a plate last night. I___________________________ (do)
the washing-up when it___________________________________ (slip) out of my hand.
7. Bob________________ (take) a nap while I____________________ (paint) the ceiling.
8. We__________________ (not/go) out because it___________________ (get) dark.
9. What______________________________________ (you/do) at this time yesterday?
10. We___________ (see) Amanda in the gallery. She_______________ (wear) her new
necklace.
Ex. 22. (В, С) Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Indefinite and the Past Continuous.
1. Mary (play) the piano; John (read); my wife (sew) when suddenly we all (hear) a shout.
2. When the doctor (leave) the hospital, he (catch) a glimpse of himself in the glass front door.
3. When her father (come) in she (sit) before a red tea-table, finishing a very good tea. 4. Next
36
day, while he (shave) he (cut) himself slightly. 5. The door of his room (be) open; his mother still (stand) at the window. 6. And, smiling to himself, he (begin) to make plans, fantastic plans for the future. He still (smile) when he (walk) up the rock-cut steps. 7.1 (sleep) soundly when the phone (ring). 8. We (sit) on our front porch when Mr Smith (drive) up in his new car. 9. Crosby (cross) the street when the car (strike) him. 10. It (drizzle) when they (come) out of the house. 11. When the World War (break), John (live) in Holland. 12. It (get) dark and I (suggest) that we should go down. 13. John (come) in, (look) at the fire, (stand) a moment, (turn) and (go) away. 14. As I (walk) home yesterday, I (meet) a beggar who (ask) me for some money. 15. We (come) into the dining-room while our parents (eat) supper. 16. She (run) down the stairs and (go) to the library, where her husband (stand) with his mother. 17. Mike (raise) his eyes from the book and (look) out of the window. It still (snow). 18. We (drive) at about forty miles an hour when the accident (happen). 19. You (have) a good time at those parties? 20. A fortnight later Holt (fall) and (hurt) himself when he (ride) his motorcycle. 21. He (go) into the kitchen and (get) himself a cup of coffee. 22. Eric (go) into the library and (sit) down to read the letter. The fire (crackle) merrily in the fireplace, and outside the wind (howl). 23. He (take) a cushion, (put) it behind and (lean) back. 24. At half past four I (put) on the lights. 25. When I (be) a boy, I (want) to be an actor. 26. While he (wait) to cross Fifth Avenue, a man standing beside him (cough) painfully. 27. She (draw) aside the curtains and (look) out into the Square. Two cats (stand) in the light of a lamp - narrow, marvellously graceful. 28. When I (hear) his knock I (go) to the door and (open) it, but I (not/recognize) him at first because I (not/wear) my glasses. 29. When they (walk) up the street together they (begin) to talk. 30. Your telegram (come) just as I (leave) home. 31. John (talk) with his boss when I last (see) him. 32. When he (arrive) home, he (go) straight to the sitting room and (take) off the picture.
Ex. 23. (В, С) Open the brackets. Use the Past Indefinite in case of permanent, repeated, one-time actions. Use the Past Continuous if the action is a temporary one taking place at a given moment in the past.
Examples: □ He (turn) the car and (start) back towards Delphi. He turned the car and started back towards Delphi. One-time action.
□ The local businessmen (like) something solid with their luncheon coffee.
The local businessmen liked something solid with their luncheon coffee.
A permanent action.
□ I (glance) at the terrace below the balcony. He (sit) under one of the plane-trees,
smoking.
I glanced at the terrace below the balcony. He was sitting under one of the plane-trees, smoking.
A temporary action taking place at a moment in the past.
The moment in the past is indicated by an independent sentence
"I glanced at the terrace."
1. I (open) the shutters and (look) out. The car (stand) where I had left it.
2. Suddenly I (realize) that they (not/pay attention) to me any longer. They (mutter) something and all (look) in the same direction. I (turn) my head and (look) where they all (look). A man (come) slowly down a steep little street that (lead) uphill between the houses on my right.
3. On my left I (see) the lights of the first house of the village, and I (hurry) towards it through the wood when a sudden flash of light (make) me stop.
4. At that time I (look) for a job.
37
5. Miss Nobbs (not/see) him leave the office. At half past four she (make) herself a cup of tea in a small recess off the main corridor.
6. The idea first (occur) to me that afternoon as I (back) the car into the garage.
7. I probably (drop) the key when I (fish) for small change in my bag at the news-stand.
8. All through the night I (hear) them work, open drawers, drag cases over the floor. They (pack).
Ex. 24. (А, В, С) Translate into English.
I
I. Я посидел на скамейке с полчаса, а потом начал читать книгу. 2. Я окончила университет, когда мне было 23 года. 3. "Когда вы были здесь последний раз?" -"Года полтора тому назад." 4. Грэй кивнул головой и пошел наверх. 5. Я встретила Лену около трех лет назад благодаря своим родителям. 6. Он остановился и сорвал розу. 7. Я навещала их год тому назад. 8. Я видела его в Лондоне неделю назад. 9. Я не видел его, когда был в С.-Петербурге. 10. Что с вами случилось в тот вечер?
II. Они вернулись в дом, когда пошел дождь.
II
1. "Ты видел его этим утром." - "Да, он стоял у машины." 2. Он вошел и увидел Нелли, которая рисовала странную картину. 3. Он побежал к воротам, где стояла Анна. 4. Я взглянул на Дженни, которая все еще дрожала от холода. 5. Мы как раз говорили о нем, когда он вдруг вошел. 6. Они пришли в то время, когда я работала в саду. 7. Вчера в шесть часов она накрывала на стол. 8. Что ты играл, когда я вошла? 9. Вода в чайнике кипела, когда мои друзья вернулись в лагерь. 10. Когда я приехал, Елена, к сожалению, как раз уходила. 11. Он вдруг понял, что едет не в ту сторону. 12. Я сидела в саду вчера, когда пришел брат и принес щенка. 13. Когда я вошел, они сидели в гостиной. Старший брат решал кроссворд, мама вязала, остальные читали. Мама улыбнулась мне и сказала: "Входи, пожалуйста, и садись." 14. Когда она проснулась, в саду весело пели птицы. 15. "С кем вы разговаривали по телефону, когда я вошла?" - "Я разговаривала с сестрой." 16. К ним подошел какой-то мужчина, когда они переходили улицу, и спросил дорогу к Дворцовой площади. 17. Я делала уроки, когда он пришел.
Ex. 25. (В, С) Translate into English.
1. Вчера, когда я шел по Невскому проспекту, я встретил Виктора, моего старого друга. Он сразу узнал меня, хотя на мне были большие темные очки, потому что у меня болели глаза.
2. Он сказал: "Я собирался навестить тебя пару недель назад, но, к сожалению, не смог найти времени зайти к тебе." Все время, пока он говорил это, я пытался вспомнить что-то, что хотел сказать ему.
3. Наконец, я вспомнил и сказал ему: "Перед тем, как мне выйти, мне позвонил Олег. Он хотел поговорить с тобой вчера на вечере у Бориса. Но ты так оживленно разговаривал с Алисой, что он не осмелился прерывать."
4. В это время я увидел другого своего друга. Он махал мне с другой стороны дороги. Я сказал Виктору: "До свидания,"- и начал переходить дорогу.
38
Ex. 26. (С) Translate the jokes.
I
Однажды утром в лондонском автобусе ехал в школу мальчик. Он был очень простужен (have a bad cold) и чихал (snif) все время так громко, что все пассажиры смотрели на него и качали (shake) головами. Рядом с мальчиком сидел пожилой джентльмен. Он спросил мальчика: "У тебя есть носовой платок (handkerchief)?" "Да, у меня в кармане есть чистый носовой платок, - ответил мальчик. - Но я не могу дать его вам. Мама говорит, что невежливо просить у кого-либо носовой платок. Вы должны пользоваться своим собственным."
NOTE : handkerchief ['haenkstfif]
II
Озорник
Однажды пожилой джентльмен прогуливался по улицам. Он увидел маленького мальчика у двери одного из домов. Мальчик стоял у двери и пытался дотянуться (reach) до звонка (door-bell), который находился слишком высоко для него. Пожилой джентльмен был добрым человеком, поэтому он остановился, чтобы помочь мальчику. "Я позвоню в звонок за тебя," - сказал он и дернул (pull) за звонок. Маленький мальчик посмотрел на него и сказал, смеясь: "А теперь нам надо убегать." Пожилой джентльмен не понял, что происходит. Мальчик исчез (disappear) за углом, а старику пришлось объяснять (have to explain to) рассерженному хозяину (owner of the house)) почему он звонил в звонок.
6.5 THE FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
AFFIRMATIVE
NEGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE
| Will they be reading? |