A2 · 초중급 챕터 6

Ongoing Actions in the Past

3 총 규칙
34 예문
4 분
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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.

배울 내용

Ready to tell more exciting stories about your past? This chapter helps you describe what was happening when something else suddenly occurred. Soon, you'll easily talk about ongoing past events and interrupted actions!

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.

챕터 가이드

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.

주요 예문 (4)

1

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

저는 저녁 내내 시험공부를 하고 있었어요.

과거 진행형: 형태 (was/were + ing)
2

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

그녀는 넷플릭스에서 요리 프로그램을 보고 있었어요.

과거 진행형: 형태 (was/were + ing)
3

I was scrolling through TikTok when my boss messaged me.

틱톡을 보던 중에 상사에게 메시지가 왔어요.

과거 진행형: 중단된 동작 (was/were -ing + when)
4

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

그녀가 셀카를 찍고 있는데 새가 화면 안으로 날아들었어요.

과거 진행형: 중단된 동작 (was/were -ing + when)

팁과 요령 (3)

💡

행동을 시각화해 보세요

과거진행형을 쓸 때는 마치 비디오 카메라가 그 순간을 찍고 있는 것처럼 상상해 보세요.
The camera was capturing.
이렇게 생각하면 진행 중인 행동을 더 잘 이해할 수 있을 거예요!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 과거 진행형: 형태 (was/were + ing)
💡

스냅샷을 찍는다고 생각하세요!

과거의 어느 한 순간을 사진기로 찰칵 찍는다고 상상해 보세요.
I was dancing at the party.
처럼 그 순간의 생생한 동작을 보여주는 거예요.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 과거 진행형: 무엇이 진행 중이었나요? (나는 TV를 보고 있었다)
💡

쉼표 규칙

'When'이나 'While'로 문장을 시작하면 쉼표(,)를 꼭 넣어주세요. 예를 들어,
While I was eating, the phone rang.
하지만 'when'이나 'while'이 중간에 있으면 쉼표는 필요 없어요!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 과거 진행형: 중단된 동작 (was/were -ing + when)

핵심 어휘 (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

자주 하는 실수

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.
정답: 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.
정답: 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.
정답: 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: Looking Ahead: Plans and Suggestions

빠른 연습 (5)

과거진행형의 올바른 형태를 고르세요.

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: was eating
주어 'I'에는 'was'를 사용해요. 동사 'eat'은 -ing 형태가 필요하므로 'eating'이 됩니다.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 과거 진행형: 형태 (was/were + ing)

어떤 문장이 올바른가요?

문법적으로 올바른 방해 상황을 고르세요:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She was cooking when the phone rang.
긴 행동은 'was cooking'이고, 짧은 방해 행동은 'rang'이에요.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 과거 진행형: 중단된 동작 (was/were -ing + when)

빈칸에 올바른 형태를 채우세요.

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: was watching
'I'와 함께 긴 배경 행동에는 'was watching'을 사용해요.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 과거 진행형: 중단된 동작 (was/were -ing + when)

실수를 찾아 고치세요

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'와 함께는 'was'가 아니라 'were'를 사용해야 해요.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 과거 진행형: 중단된 동작 (was/were -ing + when)

틀린 부분을 찾아 고치세요.

Find and fix the mistake:

They was playing soccer in the park.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: They were playing soccer in the park.
복수 주어 'They'에는 'was'가 아니라 'were'를 사용해야 해요. 동사 'play'는 -ing 형태가 맞아요.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 과거 진행형: 형태 (was/were + ing)

Score: /5

자주 묻는 질문 (6)

과거진행형의 핵심은 과거의 특정 시점에 '진행 중'이거나 '계속되고 있던' 행동을 설명하는 거예요. 마치 아직 끝나지 않은 행동의 한 장면을 보여주는 것과 같죠. I was eating.처럼요.
'be' 동사의 과거형(단수 주어 I, he, she, it에는 'was', 복수 주어 you, we, they에는 'were') 뒤에 동사-ing를 붙여서 만들어요. 예를 들어, She was reading.처럼요.
과거의 특정 시점에 어떤 동작이 '진행 중'이었음을 강조하는 거예요.
I was eating lunch
처럼 비디오를 일시 정지한 느낌이죠.
be동사 과거형(was/were) 뒤에 동사-ing를 붙이면 돼요. 예를 들어 I was reading처럼 말하면 된답니다.
어떤 행동(긴 행동)을 하고 있는데, 중간에 다른 행동(짧은 행동)이 일어나는 것을 말해요. 예를 들어,
I was sleeping when the alarm rang.
처럼요.
네, 하지만 'while'은 보통 과거 진행형 부분 앞에 와요. 예를 들어,
While I was showering, the phone rang.
처럼요.
이전 챕터
The Past: Irregular Actions and Questions
다음 챕터
Looking Ahead: Plans and Suggestions
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