A2 · 初中級 チャプター 6

過去のドラマを再現！「あの時していたこと」を伝えよう

3 トータルルール
34 例文
4 分
このチャプターのルール クイック練習

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Learn how to describe ongoing scenes and interrupted moments in your past stories.

  • Build the Past Continuous tense using was/were and the -ing form.
  • Describe background actions that provide context to your memories.
  • Connect long actions with sudden events using the word 'when'.
Capture the moment: Tell stories that feel alive.

学べること

これまでの学習で「〜した」という過去の事実は伝えられるようになりましたね。この章では、一歩進んで、過去の特定の瞬間に「何をしていたか」を生き生きと描写するスキルを身につけましょう！まずは「was/were + ing」の形をマスターして、「テレビを見ていた」「料理をしていた」といった進行中の動作を表現できるようにします。これを使えば、例えば友だちに「昨日の夜、電話したのに何してたの？」と聞かれた時も、当時の様子を詳しく説明できます。さらに、この章のハイライトは「when」を使った表現です。「シャワーを浴びていた（継続）」時に「電話が鳴った（割り込み）」のように、背景となる動きと突然起きた出来事を組み合わせて、物語のように話せるようになります。この章が終わる頃には、過去の出来事をただの点ではなく、映画のワンシーンのような広がりを持って語れるようになっているはずですよ。さあ、表現の幅を一気に広げていきましょう！

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to conjugate any regular verb in the Past Continuous for all subjects.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to describe a setting or atmosphere in the past (e.g., 'The sun was shining').
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to explain why an action stopped using the 'Past Continuous + when + Past Simple' structure.

チャプターガイド

Overview

Imagine telling a story about your weekend, and instead of just saying
I ate breakfast, then I watched TV,
you could paint a vivid picture of the scene! That's exactly what you'll learn to do in this chapter. We're diving into English ongoing actions in the past, a super useful skill for A2 English grammar learners.
It helps you describe what was happening around you when something else took place, making your conversations much more interesting and natural.
This chapter is your key to unlocking more engaging past narratives. We'll focus on the Past Continuous tense – how to form it, how to use it to set the scene, and especially how to connect it with sudden events. Soon, you'll be able to describe what was happening when something exciting or unexpected happened, giving your stories a lot more depth.
Get ready to upgrade your storytelling skills and sound more like a native speaker!

How This Grammar Works

Let's break down how to talk about actions that were happening in the past. It all starts with the Past Continuous tense, which is like the background music of your past stories. To form it, you need the past form of to be (was or were) followed by the -ing form of the main verb.
For example,
I was walking
or
They were studying.
We use the Past Continuous to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. Think of it as painting the scene. If someone asks,
What were you doing at 8 PM yesterday?
you might say,
I was watching TV.
This tells us the action (watching TV) was ongoing at that moment.
Now, let's make it even more interesting! Sometimes, an ongoing action gets interrupted by a shorter, sudden event. This is where the Past Continuous meets the Past Simple.
We use the Past Continuous for the longer, background action, and the Past Simple for the short, interrupting action. For instance,
I was reading a book when my phone rang.
Here, reading was the ongoing action, and rang was the sudden interruption. Another example:
They were playing football when it started to rain.
The Past Continuous sets the scene, and the Past Simple brings the surprise.

Common Mistakes

Learning a new tense can have a few tricky spots, but don't worry, we'll clear them up!
  1. 1Using Past Simple for ongoing background actions:
✗ I watched TV when she called. (Sounds like you watched *all* the TV, then she called)
✓ I was watching TV when she called. (This means the TV show was ongoing when the call happened)
Explanation: Use Past Continuous to show the action was in progress.
  1. 1Incorrect formation of Past Continuous:
✗ She was walk to school.
✓ She was walking to school.
Explanation: Remember to add -ing to the main verb after was or were.
  1. 1Mixing up the tenses in interrupted actions:
✗ When I rang the bell, they were sleeping. (Implies *you* ringing was the ongoing action)
✓ When I rang the bell, they were sleeping. (The sleeping was ongoing; ringing was the interruption)
Explanation: The Past Simple describes the sudden interruption; the Past Continuous describes the longer, background action.

Real Conversations

Here’s how these patterns sound in everyday chats:

A

A

Hey, what were you doing last night when I called you?
B

B

Oh, I was cooking dinner, so I didn't hear the phone!
A

A

I had a funny dream. I was flying over the city when suddenly I woke up.
B

B

Haha, that sounds exciting! I bet you wished you were still flying.
A

A

Sorry I'm late! I was driving here and I saw a small accident.
B

B

Oh no! Is everyone okay?

Quick FAQ

Q

When should I use

was walking
instead of
walked
?

Use

was walking
when the action was in progress at a specific time in the past, or when it was interrupted. Use
walked
for a completed action in the past.

Q

Can I use while with the Past Continuous?

Yes!

While
is often used to show two actions happening at the same time in the past. For example:
I was studying while my brother was playing video games.

Q

What's the negative form of the Past Continuous?

Just add not after was or were: "I was not (wasn't) listening or They were not (weren't) working."

Cultural Context

Native English speakers use the Past Continuous naturally to add detail and flow to their stories. It's especially common in informal conversations when describing anecdotes or sharing experiences. While the core grammar is universal across regions, the frequency of its use might slightly vary – some might use it more to elaborate on details.
It helps paint a picture and makes the listener feel more present in the past event being described, almost like they were there with you.

重要な例文 (4)

1

I **was studying** for my exam all evening.

私は一晩中、試験勉強をしていました。

過去進行形: 形成 (was/were + ing)
2

She **was watching** a cooking show on Netflix.

彼女はNetflixで料理番組を見ていました。

過去進行形: 形成 (was/were + ing)
3

I was scrolling through TikTok when my boss messaged me.

TikTokを見ていたら、上司からメッセージが来ました。

過去進行形：中断された動作 (was/were -ing + when)
4

She was taking a selfie when a bird flew into the shot.

彼女がセルフィーを撮っていたら、鳥がフレームに飛び込んできました。

過去進行形：中断された動作 (was/were -ing + when)

ヒントとコツ (3)

💡

アクションを想像してみよう！

過去進行形を使うときは、ビデオカメラでその瞬間を録画しているイメージだよ。カメラが「何を撮っていたか」が、その行動が「進行中だった」ということ。「She was dancing」
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 過去進行形: 形成 (was/were + ing)
💡

「スナップ写真」をイメージして！

過去のある瞬間の写真を撮るようなイメージです。その時、動作が「進行中」だったことを表します。 I was dancing.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 過去進行形: 何が起きていたか？ (テレビを見ていました)
💡

コンマのルール

When や While で文を始める時は、コンマを入れます。「
While I was eating, the phone rang.
」でも、when や while が真ん中にある時はコンマは不要です！
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 過去進行形：中断された動作 (was/were -ing + when)

重要な語彙 (6)

suddenly unexpectedly; quickly background the setting or events behind the main action interruption something that stops an action while during the time that shining giving out or reflecting light happening taking place; occurring

Real-World Preview

phone-off

The Missed Call

Review Summary

  • Subject + was/were + Verb-ing
  • I was [action]-ing
  • Past Continuous + when + Past Simple

よくある間違い

Many learners forget the helping verb 'was' or 'were'. You always need the verb 'to be' to make a continuous tense.

Wrong: I eating dinner when you called.
正解: I was eating dinner when you called.

Mixing up 'was' and 'were'. Use 'was' for singular (I, he, she, it) and 'were' for plural (you, we, they).

Wrong: They was playing football.
正解: They were playing football.

Using Past Continuous for both actions. The action that interrupts should be in the Past Simple, not the Continuous.

Wrong: I was walking when I was seeing him.
正解: I was walking when I saw him.

Next Steps

You've just unlocked a major storytelling tool! Being able to describe scenes and interruptions makes your English sound much more natural and engaging. Keep practicing those 'when' connections!

Describe an old photo using only the Past Continuous.

Write three 'When' sentences about your morning today.

Continue to: 未来を描こう！予定と提案のマスター

クイック練習 (5)

間違いを見つけて修正しましょう。

Find and fix the mistake:

They was playing soccer in the park.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: They were playing soccer in the park.
複数形の主語 'They' には「was」ではなく「were」を使います。動詞 'play' は正しく '-ing' 形になっています。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 過去進行形: 形成 (was/were + ing)

正しい過去進行形を選びましょう。

At 7 PM yesterday, I ___ (eat) dinner.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: was eating
主語が 'I' の場合、「was」を使います。動詞 'eat' は '-ing' 形が必要なので、「eating」になります。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 過去進行形: 形成 (was/were + ing)

正しい文を選びましょう。

Choose the grammatically correct interruption:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She was cooking when the phone rang.
長い行動は「was cooking」で、短い割り込みは「rang」です。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 過去進行形：中断された動作 (was/were -ing + when)

正しい形で空欄を埋めましょう。

I ___ (watch) TV when the power went out.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: was watching
「I」には、継続的な長い行動を表す「was watching」を使います。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 過去進行形：中断された動作 (was/were -ing + when)

間違いを見つけて直しましょう。

Find and fix the mistake:

They was playing football when it started to rain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: They were playing football when it started to rain.
「They」の場合は「was」ではなく「were」を使わなければなりません。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 過去進行形：中断された動作 (was/were -ing + when)

Score: /5

よくある質問 (6)

過去進行形は、過去の特定の時点で「進行中だった」行動を表すのが主な考え方だよ。まだ終わっていなかった行動の一瞬を切り取るイメージだね。例えば、「I was eating」
「to be」の過去形（I, he, she, it の場合は 'was'、you, we, they の場合は 'were'）の後に、動詞の '-ing' 形を続けると作れるよ。例えば、「She was reading」
過去のある時点で「動作の真っ最中」だったことを伝えるのがメインです。ビデオを一時停止した時の映像を説明するような感じです。 I was running.
主語に合わせて was か were を選び、動詞に ing をつけます。 I was reading.
「割り込み行為」とは、何か長い行動をしている最中に、別の短い出来事が起こることです。「
I was sleeping when the alarm rang.
」のように、寝ている最中にアラームが鳴る、といった状況です。
はい、使えますよ。でも while は通常、過去進行形の部分の前に来ます。「
While I was showering, the phone rang.
」のように使います。
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