Le Past Continuous sert à décrire une action qui était en cours à un moment précis du passé. Il permet de planter le décor d’une histoire ou de parler d’une action longue.
1. La Formation
On utilise l’auxiliaire BE au passé (was/were) + le verbe principal en -ING.
| Sujet | Auxiliaire (BE) | Verbe + -ING |
|---|---|---|
| I / He / She / It | was | working / playing |
| You / We / They | were | working / playing |
- Négation : I wasn’t working. / They weren’t playing.
- Question : Was she working? / Were you playing?
2. Quand l’utiliser ?
- Action en cours à un moment précis :
- At 8 PM yesterday, I was having dinner.
- Description d’une scène :
- The sun was shining and the birds were singing.
- Action longue interrompue (voir la leçon Past Simple vs Continuous) :
- I was sleeping when the phone rang.
💡 Rappel : Orthographe en -ING
- Verbe en -e -> on enlève le -e : make -> making.
- Verbe court (CVC) -> on double la consonne : run -> running.
À toi de jouer ! ✍️
Complète avec le verbe au Past Continuous.
À toi de jouer ! ✍️
#1 At 10 o'clock last night, I (read) a book.
#2 They (not / study) when I arrived.
#3 What you (do) at midday?
#4 It (rain) when we left the house.
#5 She (wear) a beautiful dress at the party.
#6 We (have) a great time at the concert.
#7 The kids (play) in the garden all afternoon.
#8 I (not / feel) well yesterday morning.
#9 he (drive) fast when the accident happened?
#10 You (talk) in your sleep last night!