Past Continuous (Past Progressive)

O Past Continuous um tempo verbal composto. Um tempo composto um tempo que

composto por (construdo com) mais de um verbo.
O verbo auxiliar do Past Continuous o verbo to be.
O Past Continuous utilizado para:
- aces que estavam a decorrer ao longo de um curto perodo de tempo no passado
Exemplo: I was studying English. - Estava a estudar Ingls.
- aces que estavam a decorrer e foram interrompidas (neste caso a aco que estava a
decorrer aparece no past continuous e a aco que interrompeu a anterior no past
simple)
Exemplo: I was having dinner when the phone rang. - Eu estava a jantar quando tocou
o telefone.
- aces contnuas simultneas
Exemplo: I was reading a book while he was watching TV. - Eu estava a ler um livro
enquanto ele estava a ver televiso.

Se quisermos fazer comparao com o Portugus brasileiro podemos encontrar a uma

correspondncia

mais

parecida

para

este

I was eating.

tempo

verbal:

- Estava comendo.

Sabemos ento que o Past Continuous um tempo verbal composto e que o seu auxiliar
o verbo to be. Mas, se olharmos atentamente para o nome do tempo verbal,
conseguimos

ainda

descobrir

mais

informaes:

1. A palavra Continuous refere-se ao verbo principal e a palavra Pastrefere-se ao

verbo auxiliar.
2. A palavra Continuous diz-nos que temos de juntar a terminao "-ing" ao verbo
principal

(Present

Participle).

3. A palavra Past diz-nos que temos de conjugar o verbo auxiliar no Past Simple.

Verbo to

play no

Past

Continuous:

Affirmative:
I

was

you

playing

were

he/she/it

playing

was

playing

we

were

playing

you

were

playing

they

were

playing

Negative:
I
you
he/she/it

was

not

were

not

was

not

playing
playing
playing

we

were

not

playing

you

were

not

playing

they

were

not

playing

Interrogative:
Was

playing?

Were

you

playing?

Was

he/she/it

playing?

Were

we

playing?

Were

you

playing?

Were they playing?