Short/contracted forms and long forms in the Past Progressive
How to use short/contracted forms in Past Progressive
We use short/contracted forms of auxiliaries in spoken English. The Past Progressive 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 reading | not possible |
| you | you were reading | |
| he, she, it | he was reading | |
| we, you, they | they were reading |
2. Negative forms
| Pronouns | Long forms | Contracted forms |
|---|---|---|
| I | I was not reading | I wasn't reading |
| you | you were not reading | you weren't reading |
| he, she, it | he was not reading | he wasn't reading |
| we, you, they | they were not reading | they weren't reading |