Past Continuous (Progressive)

 

Past Continuous образуется при помощи глагола to be в прошедшем времени (was – для единственного числа и were – для множественного числа) и причастия I (–ing) смыслового глагола.

They were watching TV at eight yesterday. Вчера в 8 часов они смотрели телевизор.

They were discussing this question when the phone rang. Когда зазвонил телефон, они обсуждали этот вопрос.

Were you waiting for me at 5? Yes, I was. Вы ждали меня в 5 часов? Да, ждал.

What were you doing at 10? I was listening to music. Что ты делал в 10 часов? Слушал музыку.

I wasn’t making notes when he was giving his lecture. Я не делал записей, когда он читал лекцию.

Past Continuous употребляется: 1) для выражения действия, происходящего в определенный момент в прошлом. Этот момент, может быть ясен из контекста или обозначен:

а) точным указанием времени (часа):

I was waiting for you at 10 yesterday. Why didn’t you come? Я ждал вас в 10 часов вчера. Почему вы не пришли?

б) другим действием, выраженным глаголом в прошедшем времени группы Simple:

It was raining when I went out into the street. Шел дождь, когда я вышел на улицу.

в) указанием прошлого периода времени:

What were you doing in London? Что ты делал в Лондоне? (когда был в Лондоне)?

2) для описания обстановки в данный определенный момент в прошлом, с которого начинается повествование, развитие действия, или для описания обстановки, на фоне которой совершаются события:

When I came in they were sitting round the fire. Mr. Smith was doing a crossword puzzle, the others were reading. Mrs. Smith smiled at me and said: “Come and sit down”.

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Past Continuous Tense

ü puts emphasis on the course of an action in the past

Example: He was playing football.

ü two actions happening at the same time (in the past)

Example: While she was preparing dinner, he was washing the dishes.

ü action going on at a certain time in the past

Example: When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly rang.

Signal Words of Past Progressive

ü when, while, as long as

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Exercises

№ 1Write sentences in past progressive.

1. the snowman / melt / in the sun →

2. we / explore / a new territory →

3. the secretary / print out / a document →

4. the girls / not / concentrate / on the task →

5. Garth / not / practise / on the piano →

6. We / feed / the birds →

7. Jenny / ride / a horse →

8. my parents / not / eating / at a restaurant →

9. James and Phil / build / a tree house →

10.their mother / not / cook / dinner→

№2 Ask for the information in the bold part of the sentence.

1. Jamie was doing a language course in London. →

2. Andrew was carrying a heavy box. →

3. The teacher was testing our English. →

4. At six o'clock, we were having dinner. →

5. Sally was hurrying to school because she was late. →

6. At a quarter past six, Phil was translating the document. →

7. Sheila was waiting in the park. →

8. The pupils were talking about the United States. →

9. The boss was dictating a letter. →

10. Barbara was looking for her necklace. →

№3 Use Past Simple or Past Continuous forms of the verbs.

Last weekend Carmela _____(go) to the cinema to see "The Others". Carmela ______ (not like) it because it____(be) about ghosts and she is afraid of them. When she______(go) home with her friend Lola, she ______(feel) very strange.

There ______(be) a noise behind them, but they could not see anyone. It _______(rain) a lot and there_____(not be) any taxis on the street, so they _____(have) to go home walking. The noise______(be) still behind them and while they _____(try) to see what or who it_____(be) , the lights on the street_______(go) out and they______(cry) for five minutes. Do you know what happened next?

№ 4 Translate into English using the Past Continuous or the Past Simple.

1. Когда я вошел в зал, студенты все еще обсуждали первый доклад.

2. Поезд приближался к станции. По перрону бежали дети с цветами.

3. Пассажиры так и не увидели Байкал. Когда поезд проезжал Байкал, была ночь.

4. Охотники замолчали. Красивый олень медленно приближался к ним.

5. Иванов писал свою знаменитую картину «Явление Христа народу» двадцать лет.

6. Пока директор вел деловую беседу с представителями иностранных фирм, секретарь просматривала корреспонденцию.

7. Вчера, когда я шел по Невскому проспекту, я встретил Виктора, моего старого друга. Он сразу узнал меня, хотя на мне были большие темные очки и длинный чёрный плащ.

8. Я сидела в саду вчера, когда пришел брат и принес щенка.

9. Вчера в шесть часов она накрывала на стол.

10. Когда она проснулась, в саду весело пели птицы.

11. К ним подошел какой-то мужчина, когда они переходили улицу, и спросил дорогу к Дворцовой площади.

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Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect показывает завершенность действия, результат к настоящему моменту речи. На русский язык эта форма переводится прошедшим временем.

We have bought a new TV set. Мы купили новый телевизор.

Present Perfect употребляется с обстоятельствами: today, this morning (week, month, season, year), ever, never, just, already, yet (в конце отрицательных и вопросительных предложений), lately, recently, up to now, so far, it's the first (second, third) time, many times, several times, for a long time, for years, for ages. С предлогом since (since morning, since 9 o'clock), в придаточных предложениях времени с союзом since (с тех пор как).

Present Perfect не употребляется в вопросительных предложениях начинающихся со слов When и How, так как в центре внимания таких вопросов находятся обстоятельства, при которых свершилось действие. В этих случаях употребляется Past Simple.

When did you speak to him? Когда ты с ним разговаривал?

How did you become a translator? Как Вы стали переводчиком?

Прошедшее время группы Simple всегда связано с прошедшим периодом времени, который может быть указан в предложении словами yesterday, the day before yesterday, last (week, month, year), ago (an hour ago) или ясен из контекста, тогда как при употреблении Present Perfect внимание привлекается к результату действия, приобретенному опыту.

Have you ever been to England? – Были ли вы когда-нибудь в Англии?

When were you in England? Когда вы были в Англии?

Во временах группы Perfect в соединении с предлогом to глагол to be употребляется в значении побывать, посетить, съездить.

I have never been to London before. – Я еще никогда не был в Лондоне.

(= никогда не ездил в Лондон прежде).

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Present Perfect Tense

 

We use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions that started in the past and continue to the present. Usually we use it to say 'how long' an action or state has continued with 'since' and 'for'. Often, we use stative verbs in this situation:

I've known Karen since 1994.

She's lived in London for three years.

'Since' and 'For'

ü We use 'since' with a fixed time in the past (2004, April 23rd, last year, two hours ago). The fixed time can be another action, indicated with the past simple (since I was at school, since I arrived):

I've known Sam since 1992.

I've liked chocolate since I was a child.

She's been here since 2pm.

ü We use 'for' with a period of time (2 hours, three years, six months):

I've known Julie for ten years.

I've been hungry for hours.

She's had a cold for a week.

Finished Actions

ü Life experience

(we don't say when the experience happened, just sometime in the past)

I have been to Tokyo.

She has lived in Germany.

They have visited Paris three times.

We have never seen that film.

Have you ever read 'War and Peace'?

ü A finished action with a result in the present (focus on result)

I've lost my keys (so I can't get into my house).

She's hurt her leg (so she can't play tennis today).

They've missed the bus (so they will be late).

I've cooked dinner (so you should come and eat).

ü With an unfinished time word (this month, this week, today, in the last year)

I haven't seen her this month.

She's drunk three cups of coffee today.

This week they've been shopping four times.

Note: We can't use the present perfect with a finished time word:

I've seen him yesterday.

ü 'Been' and 'Gone'

In this tense, we use both 'been' and 'gone' as the past participle of 'go', but in slightly different circumstances.

Been

We use 'been' (often when we talk about 'life experience') to mean that the person

being talked about has visited the place, and come back. Notice the preposition 'to':

I've been to Paris (in my life, but now I'm in London, where I live).

She has been to school today (but now she's back at home).

They have never been to California.

Gone

We use 'gone' (often when we are talking about an action with a result in the

present) to mean that the person is at the place now:

'Where's John?' 'He's gone to the shops' (he's at the shops now).

Julie has gone to Mexico (now she's in Mexico).

They've gone to Japan for three weeks (now they're in Japan).