The Past Continuous in Russian grammar is used to describe actions or events that were in progress in the past. It expresses ongoing, unfinished actions or situations that had a particular time frame. To form the Past Continuous in Russian, you typically use the Imperfective verb aspect in the past tense. This contrasts with the Past Simple, which is used for completed actions with the Perfective verb aspect. In this exercise, you will practice using the Past Continuous in Russian to describe various situations in the past.
Exercise 1: Fill in the blank with the correct Past Continuous form of the verb in brackets
1. ŠŃ *Š³Š¾ŃŠ¾Š²ŠøŠ»Šø* (prepare) Š¾Š±ŠµŠ“, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° ŠæŃŠøŃŠ»Šø Š³Š¾ŃŃŠø.
2. ŠŠ½Šø *ŠøŠ³ŃŠ°Š»Šø* (play) Š² ŃŠ°Ń
Š¼Š°ŃŃ, ŠæŠ¾ŠŗŠ° Š½Šµ Š·Š°ŠŗŠ¾Š½ŃŠøŠ»ŃŃ Š“Š¾Š¶Š“Ń.
3. ŠÆ *ŃŠøŃŠ°Š»* (read) ŠŗŠ½ŠøŠ³Ń, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Š·Š°Š·Š²Š¾Š½ŠøŠ» ŃŠµŠ»ŠµŃŠ¾Š½.
4. ŠŃŠµŃŠ° Š²ŠµŃŠµŃŠ¾Š¼ Š¾Š½Š° *ŃŠ¼Š¾ŃŃŠµŠ»Š°* (watch) ŃŠøŠ»ŃŠ¼ Š½Š° ŠŗŠ¾Š¼ŠæŃŃŃŠµŃŠµ.
5. Š ŃŠ¾ Š²ŃŠµŠ¼Ń ŠŗŠ°Šŗ Ń Š³Š¾Š²Š¾ŃŠøŠ» Ń ŠŠµŃŠ¾Š¹, Š¼Š¾Ń ŃŠµŃŃŃŠ° *ŠæŠøŃŠ°Š»Š°* (write) ŠæŠøŃŃŠ¼Š¾.
6. ŠŃ *ŃŃŠøŠ»ŠøŃŃ* (study) ŃŃŃŃŠŗŠøŠ¹ ŃŠ·ŃŠŗ, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Š¶ŠøŠ»Šø Š² Š Š¾ŃŃŠøŠø.
7. ŠŃŠµŃŠ° Š²ŠµŃŃ Š“ŠµŠ½Ń Š¾Š½ *ŃŠ°Š±Š¾ŃŠ°Š»* (work) Š² ŃŠ°Š“Ń.
8. ŠŠ½Š° *ŃŠ»ŃŃŠ°Š»Š°* (listen) Š¼ŃŠ·ŃŠŗŃ, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Ń ŠæŃŠøŠµŃ
Š°Š» Š“Š¾Š¼Š¾Š¹.
9. ŠÆ *Š¶Š“Š°Š»* (wait) ŃŠµŠ±Ń Ń Š¼ŠµŃŃŠ¾, Š½Š¾ ŃŃ Š½Šµ ŠæŃŠøŃŠµŠ».
10. ŠŃ *Š³ŃŠ»ŃŠ»Šø* (walk) ŠæŠ¾ ŠæŠ°ŃŠŗŃ, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Š½Š°ŃŠ°Š»ŃŃ Š“Š¾Š¶Š“Ń.
11. ŠŠ½Šø *Š¾Š±ŃŃŠ¶Š“Š°Š»Šø* (discuss) Š½Š¾Š²ŃŠ¹ ŠæŃŠ¾ŠµŠŗŃ Š½Š° ŃŠ°Š±Š¾ŃŠµ.
12. ŠÆ *ŠæŃŃŠ°Š»ŃŃ* (try) Š·Š°ŃŠ½ŃŃŃ, Š½Š¾ Š±ŃŠ»Š¾ Š¾ŃŠµŠ½Ń ŃŃŠ¼Š½Š¾.
13. ŠŠ½ *ŠæŠøŃŠ°Š»* (write) ŃŃŠ°ŃŃŃ Š“Š»Ń Š¶ŃŃŠ½Š°Š»Š°, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Ń ŠµŠ³Š¾ Š²ŠøŠ“ŠµŠ».
14. ŠŃŠµŃŠ° Š¾Š½Š° *ŠæŠ¾ŠŗŃŠæŠ°Š»Š°* (buy) ŠæŃŠ¾Š“ŃŠŗŃŃ Š½Š° ŃŃŠ½ŠŗŠµ.
15. ŠŃ *ŠøŠ³ŃŠ°Š»Šø* (play) Š² Š½Š°ŃŃŠ¾Š»ŃŠ½ŃŠµ ŠøŠ³ŃŃ Š“Š¾ ŠæŠ¾Š·Š“Š½ŠµŠ³Š¾ Š²ŠµŃŠµŃŠ°.
Exercise 2: Fill in the blank with the correct Past Continuous form of the verb in brackets
1. ŠŠ½Šø *ŃŠ»ŃŃŠ°Š»Šø* (listen) ŃŠ°Š“ŠøŠ¾, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Š¼Ń ŠæŃŠøŃŠ»Šø.
2. ŠÆ *ŠæŠøŃŠ°Š»* (write) ŠæŠøŃŃŠ¼Š¾, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° ŠæŃŠ¾Š·Š²ŠµŠ½ŠµŠ» Š±ŃŠ“ŠøŠ»ŃŠ½ŠøŠŗ.
3. ŠŠ½Šø *ŃŠ°Š·Š³Š¾Š²Š°ŃŠøŠ²Š°Š»Šø* (talk) ŠæŠ¾ ŃŠµŠ»ŠµŃŠ¾Š½Ń, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Ń ŠæŃŠøŃ
Š¾Š“ŠøŠ».
4. ŠŃ *ŃŃŠøŠ»Šø* (learn) Š½Š¾Š²ŃŠµ ŃŠ»Š¾Š²Š°, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Š½Š°ŃŃŃŠæŠøŠ» ŠæŠµŃŠµŃŃŠ².
5. ŠŃŠµŃŠ° Š“ŠµŃŠø *ŃŠøŃŠ¾Š²Š°Š»Šø* (draw) ŠŗŠ°ŃŃŠøŠ½Ń Š½Š° ŃŃŠ¾ŠŗŠµ ŃŠøŃŠ¾Š²Š°Š½ŠøŃ.
6. ŠŠ½Š° *ŠæŠµŠŗŠ»Š°* (bake) ŠæŠøŃŠ¾Š³, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Š²Š“ŃŃŠ³ Š¾ŃŠŗŠ»ŃŃŠøŠ»Šø ŃŠ»ŠµŠŗŃŃŠøŃŠµŃŃŠ²Š¾.
7. ŠŠ½ *ŠŗŠ°ŃŠ°Š»ŃŃ* (skate) Š½Š° ŠŗŠ¾Š½ŃŠŗŠ°Ń
Š½Š° ŠŗŠ°ŃŠŗŠµ, ŠæŠ¾ŠŗŠ° Š¼Ń ŃŠ¼Š¾ŃŃŠµŠ»Šø Š½Š° Š½ŠµŠ³Š¾.
8. ŠŃ *ŠæŠ»Š°Š²Š°Š»Šø* (swim) Š² Š±Š°ŃŃŠµŠ¹Š½Šµ, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Š½Š°ŃŠ°Š»ŃŃ Š»ŠøŠ²ŠµŠ½Ń.
9. ŠÆ *Š³Š¾ŃŠ¾Š²ŠøŠ»ŃŃ* (prepare) Šŗ ŃŠŗŠ·Š°Š¼ŠµŠ½Ń, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Š¼Š°Š¼Š° Š²ŠµŃŠ½ŃŠ»Š°ŃŃ Ń ŃŠ°Š±Š¾ŃŃ.
10. Š ŠæŃŠ¾ŃŠ»Š¾Š¼ Š³Š¾Š“Ń Š¾Š½Šø Š¶ŠøŠ»Šø Š² ŠŠ¼ŠµŃŠøŠŗŠµ Šø *ŃŃŠøŠ»ŠøŃŃ* (study) Š°Š½Š³Š»ŠøŠ¹ŃŠŗŠøŠ¹.
11. ŠŃ *ŃŠ°ŃŃŠ¾ Š·Š°Š“Š°Š²Š°Š»Šø* (often ask) Š²Š¾ŠæŃŠ¾ŃŃ Š½Š° Š·Š°Š½ŃŃŠøŃŃ
ŠæŠ¾ ŠøŃŃŠ¾ŃŠøŠø.
12. ŠŠ½ *Š“ŃŠ¼Š°Š»* (think) Š¾ ŃŠ²Š¾ŠµŠ¼ ŠæŠ»Š°Š½Šµ Š½Š° Š±ŃŠ“ŃŃŠµŠµ, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° ŠµŠ³Š¾ ŠæŃŠµŃŠ²Š°Š» ŃŃŠ¼.
13. ŠÆ *ŃŠ»ŃŃŠ°Š»* (listen) Š°ŃŠ“ŠøŠ¾ŠŗŠ½ŠøŠ³Ń, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° ŠæŃŠøŃŠ»Š¾ Š½Š¾Š²Š¾Šµ ŃŠ¾Š¾Š±ŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠµ.
14. ŠŃ *Š¾Š±ŃŃŠ¶Š“Š°Š»Šø* (discuss) ŃŠ²Š¾Šø ŠøŠ“ŠµŠø Š“Š»Ń Š½Š¾Š²Š¾Š³Š¾ ŠæŃŠ¾ŠµŠŗŃŠ° Š½Š° ŃŠ¾Š²ŠµŃŠ°Š½ŠøŠø.
15. ŠŠ½Š° *ŠæŠ»Š°ŠŗŠ°Š»Š°* (cry) Š½Š° ŃŠ²Š°Š“ŃŠ±Šµ ŃŠ²Š¾ŠµŠ¹ Š»ŃŃŃŠµŠ¹ ŠæŠ¾Š“ŃŃŠ³Šø.