UNIT FOUR THE PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE
PART I. GRAMMAR IN USE
- The past progressive describes actions or events in a time before now, which began in the past and is still going on at the time of speaking. In other words.
- it expresses an unfinished or incomplete action in the past.
It is used:
- to describe the background in a story written in the past tense, e.g. “The wind was blowing and the birds were singing as the squirrels came out of the trees. The other animals were relaxing in the shade of the trees, but the squirrels moved very quickly.
- to describe an unfinished action that was interrupted by another event or action, e.g. “I was on the phone when the door bell rang.”
- to express a change of mind: e.g. “She was going to spend the day at the lake but I’ve decided to get my house chores done instead.”
- with ‘wonder’, to make a very polite request: e.g. “He was wondering if you could give me a ride tonight.”
Examples of Two Actions at the Same Time:
While we were studying, the telephone rang.
My front tire blew out while I was driving home from school.
When their mother was preparing dinner, the boys came home.
When I got to class, my students were waiting for me.
Examples of Two Actions of Equal Duration of Time:
While I was ironing my clothes, I was watching a DVD.
While my older son was takinga shower, my younger son was waiting for him to finish so that he could take a shower.
While my son was driving my car, I was sitting next to him.
Examples of One Action Use of the Past Continuous Tense
Yesterday I started working in my garden at 8:00 AM and stayed in my garden until 8:00 PM. I was working all day long in my garden.
I was correcting homework papers for four hours last night.
Both of my sons were still sleeping at 2:00 PM yesterday.
My sons and I were watching movies all afternoon long on Saturday.
Section I. Forming the Negative: Present and Past Tenses
The past progressives of any verb is composed of two parts : the past tense of the verb “to be” (was/were), and the base of the main verb +ing.
Subject was/were base + ing
They were eating
Affirmative
She was eating
Negative
She wasn’t eating
Interrogative Was she eating?
Interrogative negative Wasn’t she eating?
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I was looking I was not looking Was I looking?
You were looking You were not looking Were you looking?
She was looking She wasn’t looking Was she looking?
We were looking We weren’t looking Were we looking?
They were looking They weren’t looking Were they looking?
Section II. Grammar Application:
Exercise 56: Make one sentence using the following actions. One of the actions will require the past continuous tense and the other one will require the simple past tense.
For example: pick potatoes in my garden find a piece of glass
While I was picking potatoes in my garden yesterday, I found a piece of glass.
1. stop to buy a coffee drive to school
2. work in my office get a phone call from my wife
3. speak to my son tell him about a party
4. break a glass help my wife in the kitchen
5. watch television fall asleep
6. eat breakfast open a window in my kitchen
Exercise 57: Change the following sentences to the negative, please.
1. We were eating lunch with our friends.
2. We ate lunch with our friends.
3. I was writing an exercise for my students yesterday.
4. I wrote an exercise for my students yesterday.
5. My sons were talking to each other on Skype last night.
6. My sons spoke to each other on Skype last night.
7. The man’s girlfriend was making soup for him yesterday afternoon.
8. The man’s girlfriend made soup for him yesterday afternoon.
9. The boy was watching the baseball game on TV last night.
10. The boy watched the baseball game on TV yesterday.
For further understanding the past Progressive: got o
For more Practice Exercises, Go to:
- https://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs3.htm
- https://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs4.htm
- https://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs16.htm
- https://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs17.htm
Exercise 3. Make one sentence using the following actions. One of the actions will require the past continuous tense and the other one will require the simple past tense.
For example: pick potatoes in my garden find a piece of glass
While I was picking potatoes in my garden yesterday, I found a piece of glass.
1. stop to buy a coffee drive to school
2. work in my office get a phone call from my wife
3. speak to my son tell him about a party
4. break a glass help my wife in the kitchen
5. watch television fall asleep
Section III. Time Clauses USED To & WOULD
WOULD – FORMER ROUTINE
Would and used (to) have very similar meanings and can often be used in the same situations. Would expresses that an activity was routine, typical behavior, having duration or frequently repeated.
We would go to the beach after school.
We would put on our swimsuits.
We would rush into the waves.
We kids would jump in and swim our worries away.
(You) → Would you
Wouldn’t you do the same?
USED (TO) – FORMER HABIT
Use (to) (used in the past tense) expresses that an activity was a past habit; it occurred at an earlier stage of life but not now. It focuses on the habit, not its duration or frequency.
We used to go to the beach after school, but then we moved.
We used to put on our swimsuits on the beach.
We used to rush into the waves, but now we check for jellyfish first.
We kids used to swim our worries away, but we cannot do that anymore.
Would vs. Used
Differences Between Would and Used
USED
Used can refer to past states: existence, possession, having a particular characteric, state of mind, and major, unbreakable habits (usually bad) etc.
PAST STATES OF POSSESSION, MIND, OR BEING
She used to have an amazing tan. (characteristic)
She used to think she was very cool. (state of mind)
She used to be the most popular girl on the beach. (existence)
She used to bite her finger nails / smoke / take drugs. (major habit, doesn’t do it now, earlier stage of life)
|
WOULD |
| Would expresses that an activity was frequently repeated; therefore, it cannot refer to past states, except when related to the occurrence of another activity (time-relative activity). |
| PAST STATES OF POSSESSION, MIND, OR BEING |
| ~She would have an amazing tan. (always had) |
| ~She would think it was all right to sit in the sun all day. (always thought) |
| *She would be the most popular girl on the beach. (was always) |
| She would bite her finger nails / smoke / take drugs. (repeatedly) |
PART II. CAPITALIZATION & BASIC PUNCTUATION
Section I. RULES OF CAPITALIZATION
1. Always capitalize the first word in every sentence.
When will I ever learn to speak English?
My sister lives in Rhode Island.
2. Always capitalize the word “I” wherever it appears in a sentence.
My sister, my brother, and I liked to laugh a lot when we were kids.
My dog and I often go to the park together.
3. Capitalize the names of people.
John, Mary, Bob, Robert, Inna, Mohammed, Jose, Tommy, Ivone, Xuan Mai, Atsuko
Bob and Mary will come to Seattle next year.
I always enjoy seeing my friends Roger and Doug.
4. Capitalize the actual names of places.
Seattle, Safeco Field, South Seattle Community College, America, Vietnam, New York
We went to Boston to a baseball game at Fenway Park last year.
I was at Harvard University with a friend of mine from Le Puy, France.
5. Capitalize the actual names of bodies of water and mountains.
the Pacific Ocean, Lake Washington, Green Lake, Mount Rainier, the Cascade Mountains
The Columbia River flows through southern Washington and empties into the Pacific Ocean.
A lot of people like to climb mountains during the summer. Last year a friend of mine climbed Mount Rainier and Mount Baker.
6. Capitalize the actual names of schools, buildings, and businesses.
Washington State University, Nathan Hale High School, the Selig Building, Cascade Court, Microsoft, Boeing Aircraft Company
Both of my sons will either go to the University of Washington or to some other university in 2006.
We attend class in Cascade Court, which is the building where my office is also located.
Many people in Seattle work for Microsoft or various other software companies.
7. Capitalize the names of the days of the week, months of the year, and holidays.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, January, August, December, Labor Day, Christmas, Tet, Ramadan
On Tuesday and Wednesday, April 16 and 17, I will be absent from school.
My birthday was August 24, 1945. This year my birthday will fall on a Thursday.
On New Year’s Eve a lot of people drink too much alcohol. Our only holidays this quarter are Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President’s Day. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.
Do not capitalize the seasons of the year: summer, fall, autumn, winter, spring
8. Capitalize the first word in a letter salutation and in a complementary closing.
Dear John, Dear Mr. Jones, Dearest Darling, Sincerely yours, Yours truly, Love, Love always
9. Capitalize the actual names of streets, avenues, boulevards, lanes, etc.
Phinney Avenue North, First Avenue, Ambaum Boulevard, East Marginal Way South, Cedar Lane, 16th Avenue Southwest
I walked along First Avenue when I went to Safeco Field last Friday with my friend Doug.
My address is 9548 Phinney Avenue North, which is located in the north end of Seattle.
10. Capitalize the names of regions of the country and world.
South America, the Middle East, the Pacific Northwest, East Africa, the Orient, Southeast Asia, New England
I lived for two years in North Africa. I grew up in New England. The Lake Region of England is very famous. The North Pole is very cold. We live on the West Coast of America. I am originally from the New England state of Rhode Island.
11. Capitalize nationalities, languages, and religions.
Brazilian, Vietnamese, American, Mexican, Polish, Russian, Chinese, Ukrainian, French, Italian,
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Buddhism, Jewish, Islam, Bahai, Shinto, Hindu, Jehovah Witness
I am an American, but my ancestry is French and Italian. I was raised a Roman Catholic.
Many Norwegian Protestants live in Seattle.
Some Chinese people are Muslims. Mexican people speak Spanish and Indian languages.
We ate in a Russian restaurant on Easter Sunday with some Catholic friends of ours.
Jews and Muslims have not fought with each other throughout history as many people think. For most of history they have coexisted quite well.
12. Capitalize school subjects if they are the actual names of the courses along with a number or if the subject is the name of a language.
History 101, Chemistry 222, French, Italian, Western Civilization 111, Philosophy 212
I want to take a history course. I want to take History 244. Some students want to take a psychology course next quarter. Many want to take Psychology 141. Some people love studying foreign languages like French or Spanish.
13. Capitalize titles before a person’s name or titles which are used in place of names.
Mr. Bissonnette, Mrs. Dang, Dr. Griffin, Governor Gregoire, President Bush, Father O’Brien, Aunt Grace, Uncle Charlie, Dad, Mom, Granny, Senator Cantwell
I spoke to the parish priest, Father Gagnon, last year. The mayor of Seattle is Mayor Maguin.
One of my uncles, Uncle Carl, used to take me to baseball games when I was a boy.
14. Capitalize the first, last, and other important words in a title. Do not capitalize prepositions, conjunctions, or articles unless they are the first or last word in the title.
A Farewell to Arms, The Call of the Wild, War and Peace, Great Chinese Travelers, The Old Man and the Sea, Elements of Style, Like a Rolling Stone, With God on Our Side, Blowing in the Wind
15. Capitalize sacred names (names of God) and books.
God, Allah, Jehovah, Ghoda, Vishnu, the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, the Talmud, the Gita
People believe that there is only one God, but they call Him by different names. For example, some people call God Jesus; others call Him Allah; still others call Him Yahweh. In religious books, such as the Bible, the Koran, and the Talmud, these are the names they use for the same God. Basically, only the name is different.
16. Basically, when trying to decide whether to capitalize or not, you must think and decide if you are using the actual names of people, places, and things. If you are using the actual names of persons, places, and things, then use capital letters.
Other Examples:
The boy, Robert Johnson, was caught shoplifting from the store.
Our city, Seattle, is famous for its rainy weather.
Most people hate and fear wars. Civil wars are often the stupidest because they are fought among people from the same country. For example, the Somali Civil War has been raging since 1991.
The building that I am in right now, the Cascade Court, is very old and needs many repairs.
Most of my students from the Middle East are of the Muslim religion and speak Arabic.
My friend wrote a book titled The Chinese Lantern Festival.
I belong to the ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union.
In spring and summer from April to September the weather can be nice in Seattle.
The Eiffel Tower, in Paris, France, is famous all over the world.
Many people in this city swim in Green Lake and Lake Washington during the summer. However, very few people swim in the Puget Sound.
My wife went to Macy’s to buy a dress for a wedding. It is a big department store.
Section II. Grammar APPLICATION: capitalization exercises
Exercise 59: Capitalize when necessary in the following sentences, please.
1. my son and i went to the store with my wife tie, who comes from brazil.
2. learning to speak english often takes students many months.
3. my friend roger and i met in iran in 1975 and then traveled to afghanistan, pakistan, india, and nepal together.
4. south attleboro, massachusetts, is the name of the town where i grew up.
5. my son andre and i spoke to my sister rosanne, who lives in the city of providence, rhode island, which is next to the atlantic ocean.
6. for my education, i went to bridgewater state college for my bachelor of arts degree and to lesley university for my master’s degree in education.
7. the cascade mountains are very beautiful in the winter but also very cold.
8. the baseball stadium here in seattle in called safeco field, and it is located right next door to the football stadium.
9. the software company, microsoft, is in the city of redmond, washington, very close to seattle.
10. my students come from places in africa, asia, central america, south america and north america. (mexico is in north america.)
11. i voted for president obama in 2008, but i didn’t vote for him in 2012. instead, i voted for a man named rocky annderson, who comes from the state of Utah
state of utah.
Exercise 60: Please capitalize the following sentences. Be careful.
1. while i was walking down the road, i saw a little boy on the corner of pine street and fifth avenue near the benson building.
2. dr. woo wanted to do three things before he went home: make a phone call study a report and lock his medicine cabinet.
3. the boys father wanted him to pass the exam; therefore, he made him study three afternoons a week: monday, tuesday, and thursday.
4. although john f kennedy was a rich man, many poor people loved him.
5. it’s 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon, and billy still isn’t home from his school.
6. they’ll bring the knife and its sheath to the store to try to sell it to the store’s owner, mr j j johnson.
7. wow! did you see the 1947 cadillac which the andersons’ just bought?
8. the woman i saw was mrs. simpson, barts mother.
9. i know they’ve tried to fix the problem many times, but it still hasn’t improved at all.
PART III. BASIC PUNCTUATIONS:
1. We use a period (.)
- at the end of a sentence (always)
Hello. My name is Jim. I am a teacher at Gulf Polytechnic in Bahrain. Bahrain is a small island in the Gulf near the coast of Saudi Arabia.
- when we do not write all of a word (often)
Fri. ( = Friday)
Aug. ( = August)
A. Smith (Mr. Smith’s first name begins with “A”)
e.g. ( = for example; from the Latin exempli gratia)
etc. ( = and all the others; from the Latin et cetera)
2. We use a question mark (?) at the end of a question (but not at the beginning):
Did John find a nice apartment? Where is Winnipeg?
Notice the question mark includes the period.
3. We use an apostrophe (‘)
- for the genitive of nouns (Unit 49)
My brother’s name is Matthew.
My brothers’ names are Matthew, Edmund and Martin.
- for short forms of words (Unit 6)
4. We use a comma (,)
- in a list
In this sentence, My brothers are Matthew, Edmund and Martin, you can understand that I have three brothers.
But in this sentence, My brothers are Matthew Edmund and Martin, I have only two brothers (one is called Matthew Edmund and the other is called Martin).
Notice that there is no comma before and: I bought some oranges, some apples, some peaches and a pear.
- at the beginning and end of some extra information
Matthew, my eldest brother, lives near Athabasca.
Matthew, who lives near Athabasca, is my eldest brother.
- after extra information at the beginning of a sentence
After three months, Matthew found an apartment.
If the weather is good, we can go to the beach.
Finally, I managed to open the door.
But we do not use the comma if we put the extra information at the end of the sentence:
Matthew found an apartment after three months.
We can go to the beach if the weather is good.
- between exact words spoken and the rest of the sentence
“Don’t speak to me,” he said.
She said, “I don’t think you understand.”
NEVER use a comma between subject and verb (Matthew, found an apartment) or between the verb and a noun phrase (Matthew found, an apartment).
5. We use quotation marks (“ “) to show that the words between them are the exact words spoken – “Just relax,” the dentist told me. Notice that they are at the top of the writing (NOT “Just relax“).
6. We use an exclamation mark (!) to show great surprise or great interest.
Really! That is so strange!
Notice that the exclamation mark includes a period and that it cannot go at the beginning of a sentence (NOT ! Really). We do not use it for any other purpose.
7. We use a hyphen (–) between two words to show that we must read them as one idea.
a second–hand car a one–way street
PART IV. USING CAPITAL LETTERS
We usually write in lowercase. But the first letter of a word is a capital when:
a it is the first word of a sentence:
There were lots of people outside. Everybody was happy.
b it is a name:
of a person Maria John Stephen Harper
of a person’s title King President Assistant Director
of a building Eiffel Tower Taj Mahal Telus Tower
of a place Paris France Europe Atlantic Ocean
of an organization United Nations Department of Health
of a day or month Tuesday New Year’s Day December
c it is the word I. We always write this with a capital letter.
For practice exercises: go to:
- punctuation practices http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/punct2_quiz.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/punct_fillin.htm
- comma practices
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/nova/nova2.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/commas_fillin.htm
- Capitalization & punctuation practices
http://www.softschools.com/quizzes/language_arts/capitalization_and_punctuation/quiz2213.html
https://www.quia.com/rr/90027.html
http://www.classzone.com/books/lnetwork_gr07/page_build.cfm?id=quiz&ch=10
PART IX. Grammar For Writing
- watch this clip, take notes, and answer the questions below:
https://study.com/academy/lesson/esl-writing-topics.html
- What was the video about?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
- How many parts do you think a paragraph has?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
- What did you learn about writing paragraphs in general?
- _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
2. Pre-Writing Task: Writing Task: Read the sample paragraph below and answer the question below.
Hi. my name is Mieko Nakamura. Yesterday was terrible for me because I stayed at home all day. I wanted to go out but it was snowing outside. I was feeling tired of being trapped inside my home. I tried to do some house chores but I was too tired. My sister was in her room, reading her favorite book and my little brother was watching TV. Since everyone was busy, I decided to sit by the window, facing my backyard and watch the squirrels chase each other. While I was watching the squirrels, a bird flew into my window and had an accident. Luckily the bird survived. Now I am waiting for my friend. We will go to the library to study together. I
- List all the past progressive actions in the paragraph
- ______________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
- ______________________________________________________________
PART X. Writing Homework
Read the writing prompts below and choose one topic and write a paragraph. Make sure to use simple present tenses and time clauses in your paragraphs.
- Interrupting Starfish! Have your students describe a number of interruptions. This will also require the simple past.
- Set the scene for a murder mystery: “The storm was howling, and a dog was barking somewhere nearby.” Etc!
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References:
Book One
Donald Bissonnette
