Past Continuous

Definition

The Past Continuous Tense describes actions that were ongoing at a specific moment in the past.

Formula: Subject + was/were + Present Participle (V1 + ing) + Object
Tip: Use this tense to emphasize the duration or progress of an action at a certain past time.
Uses of Past Continuous Tense
# Use Description Examples
1 Ongoing Action at a Past Time To describe an action that was happening at a specific moment in the past. I was reading a book at 8 p.m.
They were watching TV when I called.
2 Interrupted Action To show that a longer action was interrupted by a shorter one. I was cooking when the phone rang.
She was sleeping when he arrived.
3 Parallel Actions To describe two actions happening at the same time in the past. He was reading while she was writing.
They were playing football as I was walking.
Sentence Structures

Positive Structure

Subject + was/were + V1 + ing + Object

1) I was reading a book.
2) She was cooking dinner.
3) They were playing football.

Negative Structure

Subject + was/were not + V1 + ing + Object

1) I wasn’t reading a book.
2) She wasn’t cooking dinner.
3) They weren’t playing football.

Interrogative Structure

Was/Were + Subject + V1 + ing + Object?

1) Was I reading a book?
2) Was she cooking dinner?
3) Were they playing football?

Negative Interrogative Structure

Wasn’t/Weren’t + Subject + V1 + ing + Object?

1) Wasn’t I reading a book?
2) Wasn’t she cooking dinner?
3) Weren’t they playing football?

Common Signal Words

Here are some signal words often used with the Past Continuous Tense:

  • at 8 p.m.
  • while
  • when
  • all day yesterday
  • at that moment
Examples in Context
  • 1) I was reading a book at 8 p.m. yesterday. (Positive)
  • 2) She wasn’t cooking dinner when he arrived. (Negative)
  • 3) Were they playing football all afternoon? (Interrogative)
  • 4) Wasn’t he sleeping at midnight? (Negative Interrogative)
  • 5) They were watching TV while I was studying. (Positive)
  • 6) I wasn’t walking when it started raining. (Negative)
  • 7) Was she reading the newspaper this morning? (Interrogative)
  • 8) Weren’t they talking during the class? (Negative Interrogative)
  • 9) He was playing guitar all evening. (Positive)
  • 10) She wasn’t working when I called. (Negative)
  • 11) Was I driving at that moment? (Interrogative)
  • 12) Wasn’t he studying while waiting for the bus? (Negative Interrogative)
  • 13) We were enjoying the party all night. (Positive)
  • 14) I wasn’t eating breakfast when she called. (Negative)
  • 15) Were you sleeping at 10 p.m.? (Interrogative)