Past Continuous: was/were + verb-ing
Practice the past continuous with was/were and the -ing form of the verb.
Past Continuous
When do we use the Past Continuous?
- An action in progress at a specific moment in the past
- At 8pm last night, I was watching TV.
- A longer action interrupted by a shorter one (Past Simple)
- She was cooking when the phone rang.
- Two actions happening at the same time in the past
- He was reading while she was listening to music.
- Setting the background scene in a story
- The sun was shining and the birds were singing.
Common time expressions
| Expression | Example |
|---|---|
| while | I fell asleep while I was studying. |
| when | She was sleeping when I arrived. |
| at that moment | At that moment, they were arguing. |
| all day / all night | He was working all day. |
| at + time | At 3pm, we were having lunch. |
Structure
| Positive | Negative | Question | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / He / She / It | I was working | I wasn't working | Was I working? |
| You / We / They | They were working | They weren't working | Were they working? |
⚠️ Past Continuous vs Past Simple
- Past Continuous = longer background action (was reading)
- Past Simple = shorter completed action that interrupts (rang)
- She was reading when the alarm rang.
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