Past Continuous

Past Continuous

Learn how to use the past continuous tense to describe ongoing actions and situations in the past

⏰ When do we use Past Continuous

We use the past continuous to:

  • Describe Actions in Progress at a Specific Past Moment:
    • I was reading when you called me.
    • She was studying at 9 PM last night.
  • Show Two Actions Happening Simultaneously:
    • While I was cooking, my brother was doing his homework.
    • They were playing football when it started raining.
  • Express Temporary Situations in the Past:
    • They were staying at a hotel during their vacation.
    • She was traveling to Paris last summer.
  • Describe Interrupted Actions:
    • She was watching TV when the power went out.
    • He was walking to the park when he saw the accident.

📌 Structure

  • Affirmative: Subject + was/were + verb-ing
  • Negative: Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing
  • Question: Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?
  • WH-Questions: WH-word + was/were + subject + verb-ing?

📝 Note

Important rules for forming the past continuous:

    “Was” with singular subjects: I, he, she, it was + verb-ing
    “Were” with plural subjects: you, we, they were + verb-ing
    Verb form: Always use the -ing form of the main verb

Examples: I was studying, They were playing, She wasn’t working, Were you sleeping?

💬 Examples

✅ Affirmative Examples

  • I was reading a book when the phone rang.
  • They were working on the project all day.
  • She was traveling to Paris last summer.
  • We were having dinner when they arrived.

❌ Negative Examples

  • I wasn’t sleeping when you called.
  • They weren’t paying attention during the meeting.
  • She wasn’t feeling well yesterday.
  • We weren’t expecting visitors.

❓ Question Examples

  • Were you studying at 8 PM?
  • Was he working late last night?
  • What were you doing when I called?
  • Where were they going when you saw them?

🎯 Common Time Expressions

⏰ Specific Time Points

  • at 9 PM: I was studying at 9 PM.
  • at midnight: She was sleeping at midnight.
  • yesterday morning: They were working yesterday morning.
  • last night: We were watching TV last night.

🔄 Simultaneous Actions

  • while: While I was cooking, he was cleaning.
  • as: As she was leaving, it started raining.
  • during: During the meeting, he was taking notes.

⚡ Interrupted Actions

  • when: I was reading when you called.
  • suddenly: She was walking when suddenly it started raining.
  • just as: Just as we were leaving, they arrived.

🎯 Practice Exercises

⬇️ Interactive exercise will appear here soon.