PAST CONTINOUS

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PAST CONTINOUS 
O Past Continuous (Passado Contínuo), também conhecido como Past Progressive (Passado Progressivo), é 
um tempo verbal utilizado para indicar ações contínuas que ocorreram no passado. 
 
Quando utilizar o Past Continuous? 
Confira os casos onde o Past Continuous deve ser utilizado. 
1. Para expressar duas ou mais ações que acontecem ao mesmo tempo no passado: 
Nesse caso, é muito comum o uso da palavra while (enquanto). 
Exemplos: 
 I was reading a book while he was watching TV. (Eu estava lendo um livro enquanto ele estava 
assistindo TV). 
 My father was washing the dishes while my mother was vacuumming the house. (Meu pai estava 
lavando a louça enquanto minha mãe estava passando o aspirador na casa.) 
 While the girls were playing basketball, the boys were playing volleyball. (Enquanto as meninas 
estavam jogando basquete, os meninos estavam jogando vôlei.) 
 
2. Para expressar uma ação contínua no passado, que já estava acontecendo, quando outra mais pontual 
ocorreu: 
Nesse caso, a ação pontual no passado é expressa pelo Simple Past (Passado Simples). 
Exemplos: 
 I was watching Brazil’s game when the phone rang. (Eu estava assistindo o jogo do Brasil quando o 
telefone tocou.) 
 We were talking when the teacher arrived. (Estávamos conversando quando a professora chegou.) 
 They were studying when somebody rang the bell. (Eles estavam estudando quando alguém tocou a 
campainha.) 
 
3. Para expressar uma ação contínua habitual que ocorria no passado: 
Nesse caso, geralmente são empregados advérbios de frequência como os indicados na tabela abaixo. 
Advérbios de frequência 
constantly constantemente 
often frequentemente 
rarely raramente 
occassionally ocasionalmente 
Advérbios de frequência 
weekly semanalmente 
monthly mensalmente 
yearly anualmente 
Exemplos: 
 He was constantly owing money to his friends. (Ele estava constantemente devendo dinheiro aos 
amigos.) 
 She was often asking for help. (Ela estava sempre pedindo ajuda.) 
 They were always making the same mistakes. (Eles estavam sempre cometendo os mesmos erros.) 
 
4. Para estabelecer uma relação temporal entre uma ação contínua que ocorreu no passado e o momento 
presente: 
Nesse caso, é muito comum o uso de certas expressões de tempo. 
Algumas das mais usadas são as indicadas na tabela abaixo. 
Expressões de tempo 
by this time por esta hora; por esta época 
yesterday ontem 
last night ontem à noite 
last year ano passado 
last month mês passado 
Exemplos: 
 By this time last month, we were celebrating his graduation. (Mês passado, por esta hora, estávamos 
comemorando a formatura dele.) 
 She is wearing a skirt today, but she was wearing a dress yesterday. (Ela está usando uma saia hoje, 
mas ontem estava usando um vestido.) 
 We were living in Miami last year. (Nós estávamos morando em Miami no ano passado). 
 
Regras de formação do Past Continuous: 
O Past Continuous é formado pela união do verbo auxilar to be conjugado no Simple Past (Passado Simples) 
+ gerúndio (-ing acrescido a um verbo principal). 
As flexões do verbo to be no Simple Past são was e were. 
Was é usado com a terceira pessoa do singular (he, she e it) e were é usado com as demais pessoas verbais 
(I, you, we e they). 
 
Verbo To Be: 
Uma vez que o verbo to be é o auxiliar do Past Continuous, relembre sua conjugação no Simple Past: 
Affirmative Negative Interrogative 
I was I was not/ I wasn't Was I...? 
You were You were not/ You weren't Were you...? 
He was He was not/ He wasn't Was he...? 
She was She was not/ She wasn't Was she...? 
It was It was not/ It wasn't Was it...? 
We were We were not/ We weren't Were we...? 
You were You were not/ You weren't Were you...? 
They were They were not/ They weren't Were they...? 
 Forma Afirmativa (Affirmative Form) 
Nas frases afirmativas no Past Continuous, a forma correta de construção frasal é: 
Sujeito + Verbo to be no Simple Past + Verbo principal com –ing + Complemento 
Exemplo: She was going to my house. (Ela estava indo para a minha casa.) 
 Forma Negativa (Negative Form) 
Nas frases negativas, utiliza-se o not após o verbo to be. Observe a formação correta: 
Sujeito + Verbo to be no Simple Past + not + Verbo principal com –ing + Complemento 
Exemplo: She was not going to my house. (Ela não estava indo para a minha casa.) 
 Atenção! (Pay Attention!): 
Na forma negativa, o verbo to be pode ser usado na contracted form (forma contraída): 
Full form Contracted form 
I was not I wasn’t 
You were not You weren’t 
He/She/It was not He/She/It wasn’t 
Full form Contracted form 
We were not We weren’t 
You were not You weren’t 
They were not They weren’t 
 Forma Interrogativa (Interrogative Form): 
Na formação das frases interrogativas, a seguinte construção frasal é utilizada: 
Verbo to be no Simple Past + Sujeito + Verbo principal com –ing + Complemento 
Exemplo: Was she going to my house? (Ela estava indo para a minha casa?) 
 
Exemplo de conjugação no Past Continuous: 
Verbo to go (ir) 
Affirmative Negative Interrogative 
I was going I was not going/ I wasn't going Was I going...? 
You were going You were not going/ You weren't going Were you going...? 
He was going He was not going/ He wasn't going Was he going...? 
She was going She was not going/ She wasn't going Was she going...? 
It was going It was not going/ It wasn't going Was it going...? 
We were going We were not going/ We weren't going Were we going...? 
You were going You were not going/ You weren't going Were you going...? 
They were going They were not going/ They weren't going Were they going...?