Language/Central-pashto/Grammar/Past-Continuous

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Central Pashto → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Past Tense → Past Continuous

Introduction

In this lesson, we will learn about the past continuous tense in Central Pashto. The past continuous tense is used to describe ongoing actions or events that were happening in the past. It is formed by combining the past tense of the verb "to be" with the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. By understanding and practicing the past continuous tense, you will be able to express yourself more fluently and accurately when talking about past events in Central Pashto.

Throughout this lesson, we will explore the formation of the past continuous tense, its usage in different contexts, and provide plenty of examples and exercises to help you reinforce your understanding. We will also delve into the cultural aspects related to the usage of the past continuous tense in Central Pashto, providing you with interesting insights into Pashtun culture and history.

By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid understanding of how to form and use the past continuous tense in Central Pashto, allowing you to express yourself confidently and accurately when speaking about past events.

Formation of the Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense in Central Pashto is formed by combining the past tense of the verb "to be" with the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. The past tense of the verb "to be" is as follows:

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
ده	da	was
دی	de	were

To form the past continuous tense, we simply add the past tense of "to be" before the present participle of the main verb. Let's take a look at some examples:

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
زه زوټلم	zə zuṭləm	I was running
ته زوټلې	tə zuṭle	You were running
هغه زوټلوي	haɣə zuṭlowəy	He/she was running
موږ زوټلوي	muɣ zuṭlowəy	We were running
زما تا زوټلې	zəma ta zuṭle	You (plural) were running
هغویان زوټلوي	haɣwəyaan zuṭlowəy	They were running

As you can see from the examples above, the past tense of "to be" is placed before the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb to form the past continuous tense. It is important to note that the past continuous tense applies to all subjects in Central Pashto, and the same form of "to be" is used regardless of the subject.

Usage of the Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense is used to describe ongoing actions or events that were happening in the past. It is often used to set the scene or provide background information in a narrative. Let's take a look at some examples:

• زه ورځپېښې مېښېدل || zə warzhpəṣe meṣedəl || I was studying yesterday.
• ته څوک ګډه راډېږي || tə tsuuk gaḍa raḍežəy || You were sleeping when I called.
• هغه وخت په کتاباتو کې وړاندېږي || haɣə wəḵat pə ketaabaato ke vəraandəžəy || He/she was reading in the library.
• موږ کيسه وړاندېږي || muɣ keesa vəraandəžəy || We were talking.
• زما تا په کلاس کې د خبر وړاندېږي || zəma ta pə klaas ke da xəbar vəraandəžəy || You (plural) were discussing the news in the class.
• هغویان وړاندېږي || haɣwəyaan vəraandəžəy || They were laughing.

As you can see from the examples above, the past continuous tense helps to convey a sense of continuity and duration of an action or event in the past. It is commonly used in storytelling, describing past activities, or providing context to a specific moment in the past.

Cultural Insights

The usage of the past continuous tense in Central Pashto reflects the cultural values and storytelling traditions of the Pashtun people. Pashtun culture places great importance on oral traditions, and storytelling is a cherished art form in Pashtun society. The past continuous tense allows storytellers to create a vivid and engaging narrative by describing ongoing actions or events in the past.

Additionally, the past continuous tense is often used in Pashtun folk songs and poetry to evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing for the past. Through these artistic expressions, the Pashtun people celebrate their history, culture, and shared experiences, keeping their traditions alive for future generations.

Exercises

Now it's time to practice using the past continuous tense in Central Pashto. Complete the following exercises by forming the correct past continuous tense of the given verbs. Solutions and explanations are provided at the end.

Exercise 1: Conjugate the verb "to dance" (رقصول)

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
زه رقصوم	zə raqsəwəm	I was dancing
ته رقصوئ	tə raqsəwə	You were dancing
هغه رقصوي	haɣə raqsəwəy	He/she was dancing
موږ رقصوي	muɣ raqsəwəy	We were dancing
زما تا رقصوئ	zəma ta raqsəwə	You (plural) were dancing
هغویان رقصوي	haɣwəyaan raqsəwəy	They were dancing

Exercise 2: Conjugate the verb "to sing" (سرهول)

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
زه سرهوم	zə sarəwəm	I was singing
ته سرهوئ	tə sarəwə	You were singing
هغه سرهوي	haɣə sarəwəy	He/she was singing
موږ سرهوي	muɣ sarəwəy	We were singing
زما تا سرهوئ	zəma ta sarəwə	You (plural) were singing
هغویان سرهوي	haɣwəyaan sarəwəy	They were singing

Exercise 3: Conjugate the verb "to cook" (پخول)

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
زه پخوم	zə pəxəwəm	I was cooking
ته پخوئ	tə pəxəwə	You were cooking
هغه پخوي	haɣə pəxəwəy	He/she was cooking
موږ پخوي	muɣ pəxəwəy	We were cooking
زما تا پخوئ	zəma ta pəxəwə	You (plural) were cooking
هغویان پخوي	haɣwəyaan pəxəwəy	They were cooking

Solutions and Explanations

Exercise 1:

• زه رقصوم (zə raqsəwəm) - I was dancing
• ته رقصوئ (tə raqsəwə) - You were dancing
• هغه رقصوي (haɣə raqsəwəy) - He/she was dancing
• موږ رقصوي (muɣ raqsəwəy) - We were dancing
• زما تا رقصوئ (zəma ta raqsəwə) - You (plural) were dancing
• هغویان رقصوي (haɣwəyaan raqsəwəy) - They were dancing

Exercise 2:

• زه سرهوم (zə sarəwəm) - I was singing
• ته سرهوئ (tə sarəwə) - You were singing
• هغه سرهوي (haɣə sarəwəy) - He/she was singing
• موږ سرهوي (muɣ sarəwəy) - We were singing
• زما تا سرهوئ (zəma ta sarəwə) - You (plural) were singing
• هغویان سرهوي (haɣwəyaan sarəwəy) - They were singing

Exercise 3:

• زه پخوم (zə pəxəwəm) - I was cooking
• ته پخوئ (tə pəxəwə) - You were cooking
• هغه پخوي (haɣə pəxəwəy) - He/she was cooking
• موږ پخوي (muɣ pəxəwəy) - We were cooking
• زما تا پخوئ (zəma ta pəxəwə) - You (plural) were cooking
• هغویان پخوي (haɣwəyaan pəxəwəy) - They were cooking

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully learned how to form and use the past continuous tense in Central Pashto. By mastering this tense, you will be able to describe ongoing actions or events in the past with ease and accuracy. Keep practicing and incorporating the past continuous tense into your conversations to enhance your fluency in Central Pashto.

In the next lesson, we will explore another aspect of the Central Pashto grammar: the future tense. We will learn how to form and use the future tense to talk about upcoming events and actions. Stay tuned and keep up the great work!

Table of Contents - Central Pashto Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Personal Pronouns

• Subject Pronouns
• Object Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Counting

• Numbers 1-10
• Numbers 11-20

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject-Object-Verb
• Negation

  ---

Common Verbs

• Action Verbs
• State Verbs

  ---

Present Tense

• Present Simple
• Present Continuous

  ---

Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Common Drinks

  ---

Questions

• Yes/No Questions
• Wh-Questions

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives

• Possessive Pronouns
• Possessive Adjectives

  ---

House and Home

• Rooms and Furniture
• Household Chores

  ---

Prepositions

• Common Prepositions
• Prepositions of Place

  ---

Hobbies and Activities

• Common Hobbies
• Sports

  ---

Past Tense

• Past Simple
• Past Continuous

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Essentials

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Pashtun Customs and Traditions

• Traditional Clothing
• Pashtun Cuisine

Other Lessons

• Subject Object Verb
• Possessive Pronouns
• Present Continuous
• Adjectives
• Past Simple
• Plurals
• How to Use Be
• Subject Pronouns
• Conditional Mood
• Questions

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