Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)
Past Progressives
According to Katrina Daly Thompson and Antonia Folárìn Schleicher, there are six ways to write about the past in English and five corresponding ways in Swahilito refer to the English versions. The Swahili versions as follows: simple past, past progressive, perfect , past perfect, past perfect progressive. The following examples are copied verbatim from their Swahili grammar guide,
Simple Past: Nilikimbia (I ran)
Past Progressive: Nilikuwa nikikimbia (I was running)
Perfect: Nimekimbia (I have run)
Past Perfect: Nilikuwa nimekimbia (I had run)
Past Perfect Progressive: Nilikuwa nimekuwa nikikimbia (I had been running)
The past progressive will help you narrate/depict actions that took place for a continual period of time. The following worksheet offers an opportunity to practice past progressive:
[1] Thompson, Katrina Daly. and Schleicher, Antonia Yétúndé Fọlárìn. and Educational Resources Information Center (U.S.). Swahili learners’ reference grammar [microform] / by Katrinia Daly Thompson, Antonia Folárìn Schleicher NALRC Press ; U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Educational Resources Information Center [Madison, Wis.] : [Washington, DC] 2001
