Past Progressive

OK so now we’ll look at what’s called the past progressive or the past continuous.

And again don’t worry about the names so much not so important but really this is all about how we describe things that happened in the past.

And we want to focus on that being in the moment or actually experiencing that time because usually when we use this either.

Another thing was happening at the same time two things at the same time.

Or one thing was happening and something stopped it.

That’s how we usually use this.

Something was happening and then another very important thing went and stopped that thing or interrupted it and we say that thing that was happening as a way to say basically a little bit of context or a little bit of background before we say this really important thing.

All right.

So let’s talk about the first one.

First the one where there are two things going on.

We use often was was or were.

And then when we use the verb we use i n g we use i n g after it.

So if you use was and were the verb after it will usually be i n g.

And two things are happening at the same time.

He was he was he was playing football and she was watching watching what were watching him play football but he was playing football and she was watching if we use we then we would say we were right.

He was playing football and we were watching two things going on same time one action this person one action she or one action we.

OK that one’s pretty simple.

The other one actually is a little bit more common.

So let me race this and then we’ll look at the other one.

All right.

Now for this one we often use this one when we’re telling stories because some important thing happened in the story and we want to give a little bit of background information about the thing that was happening right before that important thing.

OK.

So we have an action.

We have an action that’s going on.

And then do the thing stops it.

We often say but when is probably the most common.

Sometimes we also use until and then when we say the second action that one should be just simple past.

So was I and G were i n g and then h until.

When and then simple past.

Let me give you an example.

All right.

Example example I was I was eating I was eating lunch when Hey.

When.

OK.

So eat was eating lunch when.

Now the important thing happens.

I got simple pass I got a phone call or a phone call and then we can say what the phone call was about.

I got a phone call from my sister who told me that blah blah blah blah blah.

Something important happened something terrible happened Something great happened.

Whatever.

But we use this to give a little bit of background before the phone call.

This is really really common.

So here’s another one we were waiting for the call or the gift or the letter or whatever it doesn’t matter.

We were waiting for the call but it never came.

We were waiting for the call were waiting but it never came came as the simple past tense.

OK.

That was pretty simple as well.

We want to focus on the fact that it didn’t come OK.

It never came.

But we want to say we were waiting to give us a feeling that this is an important thing that this didn’t happen.

This is really making me angry.

We waited 10 10 weeks for this letter to come and it never came right.

So you can show your frustration by using this.

Were waiting was waiting OK.

She was speaking about her passion for accounting.

It’s a little boring right until someone sets an M someone in the audience stood up and said Stop ok.

So put quotes around this to me OK so said is the simple past.

That’s the thing that happened.

But if someone just stood up and said Stop there would be no context no situation.

If we say she spoke and someone stood up and said Stop that’s not really what was happening before it doesn’t give us a feeling of this action and then push something that completely stops it.

So we need to use was speaking here she was speaking until someone in the audience stood up and said Stop Now that’s kind of a weird example but hopefully it gives you an idea for why we would use was or were plus I N G and then use the simple past.

And I want to make make sure I’m clear that I’m not trying to offend any accountants out there if you’re an accountant.

I admire you because I think accounting is a little boring.

And so if you’re able to do something that’s very hard I respect you.