Understanding the Dutch Past Continuous Tense
The Past Continuous Tense in Dutch is used to describe actions that were happening in the past over a period of time. It's like telling a story about something that was going on before and hasn't completely finished at that past moment.
Important Points
- It is used to set the scene in the past.
- It describes actions that were interrupted by another action.
- It can show two actions happening at the same time in the past.
How to Form the Past Continuous Tense
In Dutch, the Past Continuous Tense is formed using the past tense of 'zijn' (was/were) and the present participle of the main verb. The present participle is the verb with '-end' added to it.
Examples
- Ik was aan het lopen in het park.
- Zij waren aan het eten toen de telefoon ging.
- Hij was aan het lezen terwijl zij tv keek.
When to Use the Past Continuous Tense
Important Points
- When describing a background scene in the past.
- To talk about an action that was interrupted.
- When two actions were happening at the same time.
Examples
- De kinderen waren aan het spelen toen het begon te regenen.
- Ik was aan het koken terwijl hij de tafel dekte.
- Wij waren aan het zwemmen toen we de bel hoorden.