Past Continuous

Actions in progress at a specific past time: was/were + verb-ing

beginner

When to Use

•Action in progress at a specific past time: At 8 pm, I was watching TV.
•Background action interrupted by another event: I was cooking when the phone rang.
•Two simultaneous past actions: While she was reading, he was sleeping.
•Setting the scene in narratives: The sun was shining and birds were singing.
•Temporary past situations: She was living in Paris last year.

How to Form

Affirmative (+)

Subject + was/were + verb-ing

Negative (-)

Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing

Question (?)

Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?

💡 Use was with I/he/she/it; were with you/we/they.

Examples

✓I was studying at 10 pm.

✗I studied at 10 pm (if in progress).

Use continuous for action in progress at that time.

✓They were talking when I arrived.

✗They talked when I arrived.

Background action uses continuous; interrupting action uses simple.

✓What were you doing yesterday?

✗What was you doing yesterday?

Use were with you.

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

• Pattern: was/were + -ing.
• Use for background actions; past simple for main/interrupting events.
• Time markers: at 8 pm, when, while, all day yesterday.
• Contrast with past simple: continuous = in progress; simple = completed.

past-simple present-continuous simple-vs-continuous-overview 📝 tenses-beginner 📝 past-continuous-quiz

Past Continuous

Actions in progress at a specific past time: was/were + verb-ing

beginner

When to Use

•Action in progress at a specific past time: At 8 pm, I was watching TV.
•Background action interrupted by another event: I was cooking when the phone rang.
•Two simultaneous past actions: While she was reading, he was sleeping.
•Setting the scene in narratives: The sun was shining and birds were singing.
•Temporary past situations: She was living in Paris last year.

How to Form

Affirmative (+)

Subject + was/were + verb-ing

Negative (-)

Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing

Question (?)

Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?

💡 Use was with I/he/she/it; were with you/we/they.

Examples

✓I was studying at 10 pm.

✗I studied at 10 pm (if in progress).

Use continuous for action in progress at that time.

✓They were talking when I arrived.

✗They talked when I arrived.

Background action uses continuous; interrupting action uses simple.

✓What were you doing yesterday?

✗What was you doing yesterday?

Use were with you.

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

• Pattern: was/were + -ing.
• Use for background actions; past simple for main/interrupting events.
• Time markers: at 8 pm, when, while, all day yesterday.
• Contrast with past simple: continuous = in progress; simple = completed.

past-simple present-continuous simple-vs-continuous-overview 📝 tenses-beginner 📝 past-continuous-quiz

Past Continuous

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

Related

Past Continuous

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

Related

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

✗I was watch TV.

✗She were sleeping.

✗While I cooked, the phone rang.

💡 Practice Tips

Related

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

✗I was watch TV.

✗She were sleeping.

✗While I cooked, the phone rang.

💡 Practice Tips

Related