Past Continuous Tense in English

The Past Continuous tense (also called Past Progressive) is used to describe actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past. If you've already studied the Present Continuous and Past Simple tenses, you'll find this tense combines elements of both: it uses the continuous form (-ing) but places the action in the past using "was/were" instead of "am/is/are".

The Past Continuous helps us paint a picture of what was happening at a particular moment in the past, describe the background of a story, or show that two actions were happening simultaneously.

1. Structure of Past Continuous (Affirmative Only)

The Past Continuous is formed using the past tense of the verb "be" (was/were) plus the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb.

Structure: Subject + was/were + verb-ing

  • I / he / she / it → was + verb-ing
  • You / we / they → were + verb-ing

Examples:

  • I was reading a book at 8 PM last night.
  • You were studying when I called.
  • He was working in the garden all afternoon.
  • She was cooking dinner when the guests arrived.
  • It was raining heavily yesterday evening.
  • We were watching TV when the power went out.
  • They were playing football in the park.

2. Forming the -ing Form (Present Participle)

The rules for forming the -ing form are the same as you learned for the Present Continuous:

General Rule: Add -ing to the base verb

  • work → working
  • read → reading
  • play → playing
  • study → studying

Special Cases:

Rule Base Form -ing Form Example in Past Continuous
Drop silent -e make, take, write making, taking, writing She was making a cake.
Double final consonant (CVC pattern) run, sit, stop running, sitting, stopping They were running in the race.
Change -ie to -y lie, die lying, dying He was lying on the beach.
Keep -y at the end play, study, enjoy playing, studying, enjoying We were enjoying the party.

3. Verb Conjugation Table

Here's how the Past Continuous is conjugated with the verb "work":

Subject Be Verb (Past) Present Participle Example
I was working I was working late yesterday.
You were working You were working very hard last week.
He was working He was working when I saw him.
She was working She was working on her project.
It was working It was working perfectly before.
We were working We were working together on this.
They were working They were working all night.

4. Main Uses of Past Continuous

1. Actions in Progress at a Specific Time in the Past

To describe what was happening at a particular moment in the past:

  • At 7 PM yesterday, I was having dinner.
  • This time last week, we were flying to Paris.
  • At midnight, she was still studying for her exam.
  • What were you doing at 10 o'clock last night?

2. Background Actions (Setting the Scene)

To describe the background or atmosphere in stories:

  • The sun was shining and birds were singing.
  • People were shopping and children were playing in the streets.
  • It was getting dark and the wind was blowing strongly.

3. Interrupted Actions

To show that a longer action was interrupted by a shorter action (using Past Simple for the interruption):

  • I was watching TV when the phone rang.
  • She was cooking dinner when her husband arrived home.
  • They were sleeping when the earthquake started.
  • We were walking in the park when it started to rain.

Pattern: Past Continuous (longer action) + when + Past Simple (interruption)

4. Parallel Actions (Happening at the Same Time)

To show two or more actions happening simultaneously in the past:

  • While I was cooking, my husband was cleaning the house.
  • The children were playing while their parents were talking.
  • She was listening to music while she was working.

Pattern: While + Past Continuous, Past Continuous

5. Temporary Situations in the Past

To describe temporary situations or habits that were true for a limited time:

  • Last summer, I was living with my grandparents.
  • In 2019, she was working as a teacher.
  • During that period, they were renting an apartment downtown.

5. Past Continuous vs. Past Simple

Understanding when to use Past Continuous versus Past Simple is crucial:

Past Continuous Past Simple
Actions in progress at a specific time Completed actions
I was reading at 8 PM. I read the whole book yesterday.
Longer, background actions Shorter, interrupting actions
She was walking home... ...when she saw an accident.
Temporary past situations Permanent or completed past situations
Last year I was living in London. I lived in London for ten years.
Incomplete or ongoing actions Complete actions with results
They were building a house. They built a house.
Combined Example:

Yesterday at 6 PM, I was cooking dinner. I was cutting vegetables when suddenly I heard a loud noise. I went to the window and saw that a tree had fallen on the street. People were running to help.

Notice how Past Continuous sets the scene and describes ongoing actions, while Past Simple shows completed actions and events.

6. Time Expressions with Past Continuous

Specific Past Times
  • at 8 o'clock yesterday
  • at this time last week/month/year
  • at that moment
  • all day/night/morning yesterday
  • from 5 to 7 PM
  • between 2 and 4 o'clock
Duration and Simultaneity
  • while
  • when
  • as
  • all morning/afternoon/evening
  • the whole day/night
  • during the meeting/party/film

Examples:

  • At 3 PM yesterday, I was having a meeting.
  • She was working from 9 to 5.
  • While we were waiting, it started to rain.
  • They were traveling all last week.

7. Common Mistakes with Past Continuous

Incorrect Correct Explanation
I was go to school. I was going to school. Always use -ing form after was/were
She were studying. She was studying. Use "was" with I/he/she/it
They was working. They were working. Use "were" with you/we/they
I was knowing the answer. I knew the answer. State verbs don't use continuous form
Yesterday I was reading all day the book. Yesterday I was reading the book all day. Time expressions usually go at the end

8. State Verbs and Past Continuous

Remember that state verbs (non-action verbs) are rarely used in the continuous form, even in the past:

Common State Verbs (use Past Simple instead):
  • know → I knew (NOT: was knowing)
  • want → She wanted (NOT: was wanting)
  • need → We needed (NOT: were needing)
  • like → They liked (NOT: were liking)
  • believe → He believed (NOT: was believing)
  • own → She owned (NOT: was owning)
Exceptions (verbs with action meanings):
  • think (actively thinking) → I was thinking about you.
  • have (experiencing) → She was having a good time.
  • see (meeting) → We were seeing the doctor.
  • taste (actively tasting) → He was tasting the soup.

Past Continuous Practice Test

Choose the correct form of the verb in the Past Continuous tense.

1. At 9 PM last night, I ______ TV.

2. They ______ football when it started to rain.

3. She ______ dinner when the guests arrived.

4. We ______ to music all afternoon.

5. The sun ______ when we left the house.

Fill in the Blanks

Type the correct form of the verb in the Past Continuous tense.

Past Continuous vs. Past Simple

Choose the correct tense for each sentence.

1. I ______ TV when the phone ______ .

2. While we ______ dinner, the lights ______ out.

3. She ______ her homework at 8 PM yesterday.

4. Last year, I ______ in London for six months.

5. They ______ the house yesterday. (completed action)

Summary: Key Points to Remember

  1. The Past Continuous is formed with was/were + verb-ing
  2. Use "was" with I/he/she/it and "were" with you/we/they
  3. It describes actions in progress at a specific time in the past
  4. Use it for background descriptions and setting the scene in stories
  5. It shows interrupted actions (with Past Simple for the interruption)
  6. Use "while" to connect two simultaneous Past Continuous actions
  7. State verbs (know, want, like) are not usually used in continuous form
  8. Common time expressions: at [time] yesterday, while, when, all day
  9. Past Continuous = ongoing/incomplete action; Past Simple = completed action
  10. Always add -ing to the base verb (following spelling rules)

The Past Continuous helps you tell more vivid stories and describe past situations more clearly. Practice using it with Past Simple to show the relationship between ongoing actions and completed events. Remember that this tense is all about painting a picture of what was happening at a particular moment in the past!