Past Continuous Tense

We use the past continuous:

· For an action which was in progress at a stated time in the past. We don’t mention when the action started or finished. At 8 o’clock this morning I was getting ready for work.

· For an action which was in progress when another action interrupted it. We use the past continuous for the action in progress (a longer action) and the past simple for the action which interrupted it (a shorter one). They were walking to the station when they saw the accident.

· For two or more simultaneous actions in the past. The children were playing in the garden while their mother was trimming the hedges.

· To describe the atmosphere, setting or to give background information to a story. When I woke up I found the sun was shining and the temperature was rising fast. Liz was making breakfast in the kitchen while John and Sarah were drinking coffee on the balcony. Suddenly somebody knocked at the door. It was Liz. She came to discuss the latest news with me, etc.

The time expressions used with the past continuous: while, when, as, all morning/evening/day/week

Past Perfect Tense

We use the past perfect:

· For an action which happened before another past action or before a stated time in the past. We had finished dinner by the time they arrived / before they arrived.

· For an action which finished in the past and whose result was visible at a later point in the past. He had worked much that evening and he looked tired.

The time expressions used with the past perfect: before, after, already, just, for, since, till/until, when, by the time, never

Past Perfect -Continuous Tense

We use the past perfect -continuous:

· To put emphasis on the duration of an action which started and finished in the past, before another action or stated time in the past, usually with the words How long, for or since, by or before. I had been waiting for half an hour before the bus came.

· For an action which lasted for some time in the past and whose result was visible in the past. She had been swimming and her hair was still wet.

Note: with the verbs live, work, teach and feel we can use the past perfect or the past perfect- continuous with no difference in meaning.

- He had taught/had been teaching at the school for more than twenty years by 2001.

The time expressions used with the past perfect- continuous: for, since, how long, before, until, by 2 o’clock yesterday, by that time, by then.

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