Past Continuous Tense Explained in Khmer - 3 Key uses , examples and exercise

What is Past Continuous Tense?

Past Continuous tense or sometimes we call it past progressive tense. Understanding the correct usages, forms and being able to this tense is essentially important to be a qualified English speaker. This tense is frequently used in our daily life. The basic formula of this tense is the combination of was/were with the present participle verb ( Ving). In this lesson, you will be learning in detail the usages, forms, examples and practice of the Past Continuous tense.

Forms of Past Continuous Tense

When it comes to learning English grammar, pease always take the forms seriously. Just a tiny mistake will result in the wrong grammar for the entire sentence. Here are the 4 basic form of the past Continuous Tense.

Positive : Sub + was/were + verb -ing + past time expression.
Negative : Sub + wasn't / weren't + Verb -ing + past time expression.
Yes/No : Was/were + sub + Verb -ing + past time expressions?
Wh-Question : Wh-word + was/were + sub + Verb -ing + past time expressions?

3 Key Uses of the Past Continuous Tense

Usage 1 : Past Continuous Tense is used to talk about the action that was happening at a specific time in the past. សកម្មភាពដែលកំពុងកើតឡើងក្នុងពេលវេលាជាក់ក្នុងអតីតកាល

This time yesterday, I was playing soccer with my friends.

In the example above we can see that the action of playing soccer was going on at a specific time in the past, this time yesterday. ពេលនះកាលពីម្សិលមិញខ្ញុំកំពុងលេងទាត់បាល់ជាមួយមិត្តភក្តិរបស់ខ្ញុំ។ កម្មភាពនៃការលេងទាត់បាល់កំពុងកើតឡើងក្នុងពេលវេលាជាក់លាក់ក្នុងអតីតកាល (ពេលនេះកាលពីម្សិលមិញ។)

Usage 2 : Past Continuous Tense can also be used to describe two or more actions that were happening at the same time in the past. ប្រើដើម្បីនិយាយអំពីសកម្មភាពច្រើនដែលកំពុងកើតឡើងក្នុងពេលដំណាលគ្នា ក្នុងអតីតកាល។

When I arrived home in the evening yesterday, my mom was cooking dinner, my dad was watching TV and littler brother and sister were playing toys.

In the the example above, there are 3 actions that were happening at the same time in the past, the action of cooking, watching TV and playing toys. ពេលខ្ញុំទៅដល់ផ្ទះកាលពីល្ងាចមិញ ម៉ាក់ខ្ញុំកំពុងចំងអិនអាហារពេលល្ងាច ប៉ាខ្ញុំកំពុងមើលទូរទស្សន៍ ប្អូនប្រុស ប្អូនស្រីខ្ញុំកំពុងលេង។ យើងសង្កេតឃើញថា មានសម្មភាព ៣ ដែលកំពុងកើតឡើងក្នុងពេលដំណាលគ្នា ទី១៖ សកម្មភាពចំអិនអាហារ ទី២៖ សកម្មភាពមើលទូរទស្សណ៍ ទី៣៖ សកម្មភាពលេង។

Usage 3 : Past Continuous tense is frequently used with simple past tense. The action in past continuous is longer and happened first and the action in simple past is short, later and interrupting. ជាញឹកញាប់យើងតែងប្រើ Past Continuous ជានិង Simple Past សកម្មភាព Past Continuous វែងជាង ហើយកើតឡើងមុន។ សកម្មភាពរបស់ Simple Past ខ្លីជាង កើតក្រោយ ហើយរំខានគេ។

They were playing when the rain came. ខណះពេលពួកគេកំពុងលេងទាត់បាល់ មេឃភ្លៀង។

The action of playing soccer happened first and longer. The action of the rain coming happened later, and it is shorter and interrupting the action of paying soccer. ក្នុងឧទាហរណ៍ខាងលើ យើងសង្កេតឃើញថា សកម្មភាពលេងទាត់បាល់ កើតឡើងមុន ហើយវែងជាង ចំណែកឯសកម្មភាពភៀងធ្លាក់កើតឡើងក្រោយ ហើយរំខានគេ។

Past Time Expressions