1. Past Progressive and Simple Past1
Past Progressive and Simple Past
Someone Stole His Briefcase!
Focus on Grammar 3
Part I, Unit 4
By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ Wells
Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Reporting to the Police 1
It was about ten in the morning, and I was sitting in Maxi’s Café near City Park.
What did you see?
What were you doing?

3. Reporting to the Police 2
To my left, there was a young man. He was drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. A big red briefcase was standing next to his feet.
Suddenly, there was another young man. He snatched the red briefcase and ran away with it so fast that no one knew what was happening.
To my right, there was a young woman. She was eating a huge dish of ice cream. She was enjoying it.
After the man stole the briefcase, we were all talking loudly. The owner of the briefcase was very upset!

4. She was eating ice cream.
Past Progressive
Use the past progressive to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.
I was having coffee.
She was eating ice cream.
10 a.m.
now
past
future
was having
was eating

5. She was having ice cream.
Be Careful!
Non-action verbs are not usually used in the progressive. Note the exception with have.
I was having a headache.
I had a headache.
I was having coffee.
She was having ice cream.
Here the meaning
of have is eat or drink.

6. Past Progressive & Simple Past 1
Use past progressive with simple past to describe an action that was interrupted by another action.
They were enjoying the morning when the thief stole the briefcase.
They were enjoying the morning when the thief stole the briefcase.
stole
now
past
future
were enjoying

7. Past Progressive & Simple Past 2
Use past progressive for the action in progress. Use when and the simple past for the action that interrupts.
The man was reading the newspaper when the thief snatched his briefcase.
The man was reading the newspaper when the thief snatched his briefcase.
snatched
now
past
future
was reading

8. Past Progressive & Simple Past 3 was sitting / was watching
Use past progressive to focus on the duration of an action. Use simple past to focus on the completion of an action.
I was sitting in Maxi’s Café and watching people.
I was sitting in Maxi’s Café and watching the people there.
The thief stole the briefcase and ran away.
The thief stole the briefcase and ran away.
stole
ran
now
past
future
was sitting / was watching

9. What were you and others doing
What were you and others doing? Answer the questions using the past progressive.
Practice 1
Example: What were you doing when I called this morning?
I was trying to wake up when you called.
1. What were you doing when the phone rang last night?
2. What were your friends doing at 6 p.m. yesterday evening?
3. What were you doing last weekend?
4. What was the teacher doing when you first saw her/him today?

10. Past Progressive with While 1
Use past progressive with while to describe two actions in progress at the same time in the past.
The man was reading the newspaper while the woman was eating her ice cream.
The man was reading the newspaper while the woman was eating her ice cream.
now
future
past
was reading
was eating

11. Past Progressive with While 2
Use past progressive with while to describe two actions in progress at the same time in the past.
While I was describing the theft, the police officer was writing everything down.
While I was describing the theft, the police officer was writing everything down.
now
past
future
was describing
was writing

12. Time Clauses
The time clause (= the part with while or when) can come at the beginning or the end of the sentence.
no comma
They were having coffee when the thief snatched the briefcase. ,
When the thief snatched the briefcase they were having coffee.
comma!!!

13. Be Careful! When the waiter came, I looked at the menu.
Sentences with both clauses in the simple past have a different meaning from sentences with one clause in the simple past and one in the past progressive.
First the waiter
came; then I
looked at the
menu.
When the waiter came, I looked at the menu.
First I was
looking at the
menu; then the
waiter came.
When the waiter came, I was looking at the menu.
came
now
future
came
was looking
past
looked

14. Practice 2 Form sentences with while. Use the past progressive.
Example: read / steal
While the man was reading, the prisoner was stealing his wallet.
1. talk / drink
3. play / watch
4. not look / burn
2. shine / splash
5. talk / sit
5. While the woman was talking on the phone, the man was sitting in the chair.
4. While the woman was not looking, the toast was burning.
3. While one man was playing pool, the other man was watching.
2. While the sun was shining, the fountain was splashing.
1. While the women were talking, they were drinking tea.

15. References
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education and its licensors. All rights reserved.