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What were you doing?
Textbook: p. 72
GoalSay what was happening at a particular time in the past: was/were + -ing.
New words
sweep · supurmoqdust · changini artmoqrug · gilamvacuum cleaner · changyutgich
Explanation
The Past Continuous shows an action that was in progress at a particular time in the past: “At 11 o’clock yesterday I was sweeping the yard.” Form: I/he/she/it + was + verb-ing; we/you/they + were + verb-ing. Negative: wasn’t, weren’t: “I wasn’t sleeping.” Question: “What were you doing at 6 p.m. yesterday?” — “I was watching TV.” “Was she dusting?” — “Yes, she was.” -ing spelling: sweep – sweeping, clean – cleaning, take – taking (drop -e), run – running (double the consonant), work – working. Time expressions: at 6 p.m., at 11 o’clock, this time yesterday.
Worked examples
“A surprise visit”. Last Sunday our grandparents phoned at ten. They wanted to visit us at eleven! At eleven o’clock everybody was busy. I was cleaning the rug with the vacuum cleaner. My sister was dusting the shelves. My brother was taking the rubbish out, and Mum was making tea. When Grandma and Grandpa arrived, the house was clean!
— What were you doing at six yesterday? — I was watching TV. What were you doing? — I was doing my homework.
Class activity
“Chain drill”: A: “I was sweeping the floor at 6 p.m. yesterday. What were you doing?” B: “I was watching TV …” (each pupil answers and asks).
Practice
1
Add -ing: sweep, take, run, work
sweeping, taking, running, working
2
Past Continuous: she / dust / the shelves
She was dusting the shelves.
3
Make a question: you / do / at 6 p.m. yesterday / what
What were you doing at 6 p.m. yesterday?
4
Why “were” in “We were cleaning”?
With we the past of be is were.