PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE

The PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE indicates continuing action, something that was happening, going on, at some point in the past. This tense is formed with the helping "to be" verb, in the past tense, plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending):
  • I was riding my bike all day yesterday.
  • Joel was being a terrible role model for his younger brother.

The past progressive indicates a limited duration of time and is thus a convenient way to indicate that something took place (in the simple past) while something else was happening:
  • Carlos lost his watch while he was running.

The past progressive can express incomplete action.
  • I was sleeping on the couch when Bertie smashed through the door.
(as opposed to the simple past, which suggests a completed action:
  • I slept on the couch last night.

SingularPlural
I was walkingwe were walking
you were walkingyou were walking
he/she/it was walkingthey were walking

SingularPlural
I was sleepingwe were sleeping
you were sleepingyou were sleeping
he/she/it was sleepingthey were sleeping


MBW

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Introduction to Past Tense

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The passé composé (compound past tense) is used to refer to an action or event that began and was completed at a particular moment of time in the past. Two elements are required to form the passé composé: a helping verb (either avoir or être) and a past participle (usually the ‐ed form of an English verb).   The passé simple is a literary past tense, most often used in writing, and also refers to an action or event that was completed in the past. The passé anterieur,which is very limited in use, is the compound form of the passé simple.(The passé simple of the correct helping verb is followed by the past participle of the verb indicating the action.) The imperfect (l'imparfait) is a simple tense used to refer to an ongoing or habitual action in the past and describes incomplete actions, situations, or events in the past. The plus‐que‐parfait  is the compound form of the imperfect (the imperfect...
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