Past Continuous. Прошедшее, продолженное время - Verb. Глагол

Прошедшее продолженное время (Past Continuous) выражает процесс, длившийся в определённый момент или период в прошлом (в русском языке соответствует глаголу прошедшего времени несовершенного вида). В отличие от простого прошедшего времени (Past Simple), отрезок времени процесса Past Continuous должен быть чётко указан или понятен из контекста.

Утвердительная форма

I was driving

You were driving

He was driving

She was driving

It was driving

We were driving

You were driving

They were driving

Утверждение = подлежащее + was / were + смысловой глагол с окончанием -ing (Причастие I)

When you called me I was driving.

Когда ты позвонил мне, я был за рулем.

Отрицательная форма

I was not driving / I wasn't driving

You were not driving / You weren't driving

He was not driving / He wasn't driving

She was not driving / She wasn't driving

It was not driving / It wasn't driving

We were not driving / We weren't driving

You were not driving / You weren't driving

They were not driving / They weren't driving

Отрицание = подлежащее + was / were + not + смысловой глагол с окончанием -ing

I’m so happy he wasn’t driving when it started to snow.

Я так рад, что он не был за рулём, когда пошел снег.

Обрати внимание: в неформальной речи используются краткие формы глагола wasn’t / weren’t:

She was not driving = She wasn’t driving

We were not driving = We weren’t driving, etc.

Вопросительная форма

Was I driving?

Were you driving?

Was he driving?

Was she driving?

Was it driving?

Were we driving?

Were you driving?

Were they driving?

• Общий вопрос = was / were + подлежащее + смысловой глагол с окончанием -ing

Were they driving in the morning? The traffic was terrible.

Они были за рулём с утра? Поток машин был ужасный.

• Специальный вопрос = вопросительное слово + was / were + подлежащее + смысловой глагол с окончанием -ing

When were they driving?

Когда они были за рулём?

Случаи употребления Past Continuous

• Указание на процесс, происходивший в определённый момент в прошлом

They were repairing my car at 6 p.m. yesterday.

Они чинили мою машину вчера в 6 часов вечера.

• Действие в прошлом, прерванное другим действием

She was sleeping when suddenly someone knocked at the door.

Она спала, когда внезапно кто-то постучал в дверь.

• Несколько действий, происходивших одновременно

He was trying to open the door while she was crying and calling for help.

Он пытался открыть дверь в то время, как она плакала и просила о помощи.

• Вводная информация в повествовании, рассказе

The sun was shining, the bees were humming, the birds were singing...

Солнце сияло, пчёлы жужжали, птицы пели...

• С обстоятельствами времени when, while, as, all morning / day / night, the whole morning / day / night, yesterday

I was reading all day yesterday.

Вчера я весь день читала.