Learn how to talk about actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past. Practice using was/were + verb-ing to describe ongoing past activities.
The Past Continuous tense describes ongoing actions in the past. Learn to talk about background activities, interrupted events, and actions happening at specific past times.
Past continuous = was/were + verb -ing. WAS for I/he/she/it; WERE for you/we/they.
Negative & questions
Negative: wasn't/weren't + -ing. Questions: Was/Were + subject + -ing? 'Were you working?' → 'Yes, I was.' / 'No, I wasn't.'
The Past Continuous tense describes actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past. It sets the background for other past actions or shows parallel activities.
"I was studying at 8 PM yesterday."
"She was working late last night."
"They were watching TV at that time."
"I was cooking when the phone rang."
"He was driving when he saw the accident."
"We were talking when you arrived."
Past Continuous = was/were + verb + ing
✓ I was studying → I was studying
✓ She was working → She was working
✓ They were playing → They were playing
Imagine it was 7 PM yesterday. Mum was cooking dinner in the kitchen while Dad was reading the newspaper.
The children were playing a board game in the living room. Everyone was doing something different at the same time.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang! Everyone stopped what they were doing. Mum was stirring the soup when she heard it.
It was Grandma! She arrived while they were all busy. "What were you doing?" she asked with a big smile.
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Learn the simple pattern to create Past Continuous sentences correctly.
I was studying
You were working
He/She was eating
We were learning
They were playing
I was not studying (I wasn't studying)
You were not working (You weren't working)
He/She was not eating (He/She wasn't eating)
We were not learning (We weren't learning)
They were not playing (They weren't playing)
Complete these sentences:
1. "I __________ (study) when you called yesterday."
2. "She __________ (not work) at 6 PM last night."
3. "They __________ (play) football when it started to rain."
1. "I was studying when you called yesterday."
2. "She was not working at 6 PM last night." or "She wasn't working at 6 PM last night."
3. "They were playing football when it started to rain."
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Learn the specific situations where we use the Past Continuous tense.
"I was studying at 8 PM yesterday."
was/were + verb-ing
I was cooking
They were talking
when + past simple
when the phone rang
when you arrived
"I was cooking when the phone rang."
"While I was studying, you were sleeping."
Want to try a Past Continuous quiz?
Practice with multiple choice questions
These words and phrases often accompany the Past Continuous tense.
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Ready to test your Past Continuous knowledge?
Challenge yourself with fill-in-the-blank exercises
❌ I was study when you called.
✓ I was studying when you called.
❌ They was playing tennis.
✓ They were playing tennis.
❌ She was knowing the answer.
✓ She knew the answer.
❌ While I was cooked, she called.
✓ While I was cooking, she called.
❌ What you were doing yesterday?
✓ What were you doing yesterday?
Master Past Continuous sentence building!
Drag and drop words to form correct sentences
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She was doing her homework late last night.
They were playing football when it started to rain.
We were watching a movie together at 9 PM.
I wasn't living with my parents in London in 2009.
While he was driving, he saw an accident on the highway.
The children were playing in the park all afternoon.
I was studying for my exam while you were sleeping.
What were you doing when the power went out?
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