Short forms and long forms in the Past Continuous
How to use short/contracted forms in Past Continuous
We use short/contracted forms of auxiliaries in spoken English. The Past Continuous is formed with the auxiliary to be (was, were), so short/contracted forms are only possible in negative sentences.
1. Affirmative forms
| Pronouns | Long forms | Contracted forms |
|---|---|---|
| I | I was sleeping | not possible |
| you | you were sleeping | |
| he, she, it | he was sleeping | |
| we, you, they | they were sleeping |
2. Negative forms
| Pronouns | Long forms | Contracted forms |
|---|---|---|
| I | I was not sleeping | I wasn’t sleeping |
| you | you were not sleeping | you weren’t sleeping |
| he, she, it | he was not sleeping | he wasn’t sleeping |
| we, you, they | they were not sleeping | they weren’t sleeping |