Test preparation

Students can refer to following books to study Past Continuous Tense in a detailed manner. These books focus on the usage, exceptions and rules of using the tense in English grammar.

While most of the verbs (action words) can be used to form Past Continuous Tense in English language, Stative verbs cannot change their forms to form Past Continuous Tense sentences. Also known as state-of-being verbs, these verbs cannot be used in any continuous tense, including the past continuous. This is because Stative verbs describe feelings that can't be directly observed or measured in terms of progress. Many stative verbs describe states of mind, such as opinions, needs, and awareness. Example:

·       Incorrect: "I was knowing him."

·       Correct: "I knew him."

The past continuous tense is formed using the past tense of the verb "to be" (was/were) followed by the main verb's present participle (verb + -ing).

The structure is: Subject + was/were + verb + -ing. Examples:

·       She was reading a book.

·       They were playing cricket.

The past continuous tense, also called past progressive tense, talks about actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past. It's formed by using "was" or "were" with the -ing form of the verb. The past continuous helps in expressing an action that was ongoing at a specified time. It emphasizes the duration of something that occurred in the past and establishes context for something else in the past.

Usually, abstract nouns are not used in the plural form as they refer to uncountable ideas. However, when they are used to refer to different kinds or examples, abstract nouns can be used in the plural form.

Example: The freedoms we enjoy today were hard-won.

The abstract noun of dream is 'Dream' itself. It acts as an abstract noun when it refers to an idea or vision, and not the act of dreaming while sleeping.

For example,

Her dream of becoming a doctor is now fulfilled.

Generally, abstract nouns are uncountable; however, some abstract nouns can be used in the plural form and thus can be counted. These nouns are often referring to different types of the concept.

For example:

She spoke of the many hopes and fears she had. (Countable)

She spoke of her deep love for classical dance. (Uncountable)

Below are 10 abstract noun examples in a sentence:

1. Justice delayed is justice denied.

2. Bravery is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.

3. Anger often leads to regret if not controlled.

4. Peace begins with a smile.

5. One must earn loyalty through trust and respect.

6. Kindness costs nothing but means everything.

7. One gains wisdom through experience, not merely by acquiring knowledge.

8. A reaction to the unknown is often fear, but responding with courage is a choice.

9. The journey to success is often driven by strong ambition.

10. In the end, it is the truth that holds the greatest power and always triumphs.