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USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past    
      
  


Use the Past Progressive to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually an action in the Past Simple. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

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USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption



In USE 1, described above, the Past Progressive is interrupted by an action in the Past Simple. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

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USE 3 Parallel Actions    



When you use the Past Progressive with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

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USE 4 Atmosphere

In English we often use a series of Parallel Actions to describe atmosphere in the past.

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USE 5 Repetition and Irritation with "Always" 



The Past Progressive with words such as always or constantly expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often happened in the past. The concept is very similar to the expression used to but with negative emotion. Remember to put the words always or constantly between "be" and "verb+ing."

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ACTIVE / PASSIVE Past Progressive

EXAMPLES:

The boy was helping the customer when the policeman came into the store. ACTIVE

The customer was being helped by the boy when the policemancame into the store. PASSIVE

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              Past Progressive Rules

                   1.  Action going on at a certain time in the past     
                    2. Actions taking place at the same time
                    3. Action in the past that is interrupted by another action

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                    Past Progressive Exercises

                    1. Verb Tense Exercise : Questions in the Past Progressive - Exercise 1
                    2. Verb Tense Exercise : Questions in the Past Progressive - Exercise 2
                    3. Verb Tense Exercise : Past Progressive - Exercise 1
                    4. Verb Tense Exercise : Past Progressive - Exercise 2
                    5. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past and Past Continuous
                    6. Verb Tense Exercise : Simple Past and Past Continuous
                    7. Verb Tense Exercise : Present and Past Tenses with Non-Continuous Verbs
                    Verb Tense Practice Test : Cumulative Verb Tense Review
                    Verb Tense Final Test : Cumulative Verb Tense Review  

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