Progressive Past Tense
A. Read the following sentences.
É. hu& hsto hto.
I was laughing.(Speaker is male.)
Ê. hu& hstI htI.
I was laughing.(Speaker is female.)
Ë. Ame hsta hta.
We (exclusive) were laughing.(Speakers are male.)
Ì. Ame hsta& hta&
We (exclusive) were laughing.(Speakers are female or male and female together.)
Í. Aap8e hsta hta.
We (inclusive) were laughing.(Speakers are male.)
Î. Aap8e hsta& hta&
We (inclusive) were laughing.(Speakers are female or male and female together.)
Ï. tu& hsto hto.
You were laughing.(Listener is male.)
Ð. tu& hstI htI.
You were laughing.(Listener is female.)
Ñ. tme hsta hta.
You (pl.) were laughing.(Listeners are male.)
ÉÈ. tme hsta& hta&.
You (pl.) were laughing.(Listeners are female or male and female together.)
ÉÉ. te hsto hto.
He was laughing.(The person mentioned is male.)
ÉÊ. te hstI htI.
She was laughing.(The person referred to is female.)
ÉË. 2okru& hstu& htu&.
The child was laughing.(The gender of the person referred to is not known.)
ÉÌ. teAo hsta hta.
They were laughing.(The persons referred to are male.)
ÉÍ. teAo hsta& hta&.
They were laughing.(The persons referred to are female or male and female together.)
Exercise 1 Translate the following.
C. To make negative of the past progressive sentences you will need to insert
n between the main verb and the auxiliary verbs. Examples:É. hu& hsto n hto.
I was not laughing.Ê. hu& hstI n htI.
I was not laughing.Ë. Ame hsta n hta.
We (exclusive) were not laughing.Ì. Ame hsta& n hta&.
We (exclusive) were not laughing.Í. Aap8e hsta n hta.
We (inclusive) were not laughing.Î. Aap8e hsta& n hta&.
We (inclusive) were not laughing.Ï. tu& hsto n hto.
You were not laughing.Ð. tu& hstI n htI.
You were not laughing.Ñ. tme hsta n hta&.
You (pl.) were not laughing.ÉÈ. tme hsta& n hta&.
You (pl.) were not laughing.ÉÉ. te hsto n hto.
He was not laughing.ÉÊ. te hstI n htI.
She was not laughing.ÉË. 2okru& hstu& n htu&.
The child was not laughing.ÉÌ. teAo hsta n hta.
They were not laughing.ÉÍ. teAo hsta& n hta&.
They were not laughing.