4-Past Continuous.doc

THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE (CZAS PRZESZŁY CIĄGŁY)

When were you working? Who was working? Where were you going? What was she reading?

Uses of the tense:

1.              Jeśli kilka czynności działo się w przeszłości równolegle:

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, people were walking in the streets.

She was reading when / while he was working in the garden.

2.              Jeśli bardziej interesuje nas czas poświęcony na wykonanie danej czynności niż jej rezultat:

What were you doing? Co robiłeś? (What did you do? Co zrobiłeś?)

I was working the whole day yesterday. She was writing letters the whole afternoon.

3.              Jeśli moment wykonywania danej czynności jest określony w czasie:

Yesterday at 7 a.m. I was having breakfast.

Last year at that time she was changing her job.

Between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. he was talking on the phone.

4.              Jeśli wykonywanie jednej czynności przerwała inna czynność:

He was having a shower when the telephone rang.

We were walking when it started to rain.

When he came, we were leaving.

5.              Jeśli na przestrzeni czasu czynność stawała się coraz bardziej intensywna:

It was getting dark. It was getting cold. They were getting old. She was getting fat.

6.              Z always, jeśli wyrażamy swoje zniecierpliwienie:

He was always ringing me up. He was always working.