The Past Continuous Tense: The Grammar Gameshow Episode 9
236,478 views ・ 2017-12-06
Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
00:14
Hello and welcome to the Grammar Gameshow!
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I’m your host, Will!
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– but I’ll change for person and time!
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And of course, let’s not forget Leslie,
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our all-knowing voice in the sky.
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Welcome, everyone!
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Tonight we’re going to be asking three questions about…
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The past continuous tense!
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OK! Now, let’s meet our contestants!
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Hi everyone. I’m Helen!
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Contestant number 2?
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Hi, everyone. I’m Greg!
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Welcome back Helen!
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Ok. Let’s get going, and don’t forget
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you can play along at home too.
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Our first round is a battle round.
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Contestants ask each other questions
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about the past continuous
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until one of them makes a mistake.
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01:02
Helen, do you want to start?
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Yes, please!
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That’s a shame!
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Greg, you can go first…
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Oh! Right!
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What is the formula for the past continuous?
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‘Was’ or ‘were’ + ‘verbING’.
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What do we use the past continuous for?
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Actions which are in progress at a past time.
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Give me an example.
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I was eating dinner at 6pm last night.
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Do we use the past continuous with state verbs?
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No, not usually.
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Do we usually use the past continuous
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with repeated actions?
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Yes!
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Oh! That was vicious!
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Well played, but Helen, you made a mistake there.
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Leslie?
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Mostly right!
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The past continuous is used to describe
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actions that were in progress
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at a past time.
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It is constructed with ‘was’ or ‘were’ and ‘verbING’ - and,
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being continuous,
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it does not usually use state verbs.
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However, it does not usually describe
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repeated actions or habits either.
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Sorry Helen, that’s the past simple.
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Sorry Helen. 20 points to Greg.
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Let’s move on to our next round.
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Which of these sentences is incorrect and why?
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I was walking when I tripped and fell.
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I was walking while I tripped and fell.
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When I was walking, I tripped and fell.
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While I was walking, I tripped and fell.
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03:06
Trick question! They are all correct.
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No, no. B is wrong
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We don’t use ‘while’ for quick actions.
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Wow. You two are really getting into it!
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Leslie?
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We often use the past continuous
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and past simple together
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to describe a longer action
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that is interrupted by a short one.
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These actions are connected with time words like
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‘when’ and ‘while’.
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However, we do not usually use ‘while’ in front of the
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short action.
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So, well done Helen.
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Well done Helen. 20 points for you!
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This is exciting. It’s neck and neck!
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It’s time for our final question.
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True or false:
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The past continuous can make you sound more polite.
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True!
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It is true!
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Can you explain how?
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No?
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Greg?
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Using the past continuous makes things more polite
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because it seems temporary and so more casual.
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Leslie?
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Yep.
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Using the past continuous can make sentences seem
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more polite by distancing them from the present
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This makes them sound more
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tentative and less assertive.
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More gentle.
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For example
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‘I was hoping you could lend me money’
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is more polite than
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‘I hope you can lend me money’.
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Well, this is tricky.
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Helen, you said it was true,
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and Greg, you explained it.
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Who do I give the points to?
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You should give it to me!
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No, I was the one who answered the question!
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No you didn’t. I got it right.
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You should give it to me!
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Oh rubbish!
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I know!
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Wasn’t that easier?
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And that brings us to the end of today’s
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Grammar Gameshow.
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And the winner is…
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me!
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Well done!
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Thank you!
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What have I won?
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Cash in mixed currency!
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05:24
It looks like we’ll need...
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two more contestants.
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05:30
Thanks for joining us.
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Say goodbye Leslie
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05:33
Goodbye Leslie
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See you next time.
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