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B2. Use four of these verbs in past tense sentences.

C. Past continuous (was/were + V-ing)
.
The past continuous is like the present continuous. Use was/were instead of am/is/are. Use this
tense for a continuous action in the past. We often use the past continuous to show that one
action interrupted another. Use the simple past for the action that interrupted something.

I was eating dinner when the phone rang.
They were talking to each other when I interrupted them.

C1. Write the correct verb forms in the blanks.

1. I (read) _________ when my father (call) ____________ me.
2. We (drive) __________ down the street when a car (pull) _________ out in front of us.

3. Sue (write) __________ a letter when Mary (arrive) __________

4. They (have) ___________ lunch at the Student Union when they (see) ___________ an
old friend walk by.

5. The students (talk) __________ when the teacher (enter) ________ the classroom.

C2. Write three sentences using the past continuous and simple past.

D. Could = was able to (S + could + SV)

Can shows the ability to do something. Could is the past tense of can. Use the simple verb form
without to after can or could.

Tom can run ten kilometers.
He could run five kilometers last year.

Put not after can or could to form the negative. Cannot is one word and could not is two words.
(Could has other meanings too. You will learn them later.)

George cannot run ten kilometers.
He could not run ten kilometers last year either.

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