Past Continuous Tense – Negatives, Questions, and Negative Questions

Building on your knowledge of the affirmative Past Continuous tense, this lesson covers how to form negative statements, questions, and negative questions. These forms are essential for complete communication about ongoing past actions and allow you to ask about what was happening, express what wasn't occurring, and seek confirmation about past situations.

The Past Continuous in negatives and questions follows specific patterns that are different from the Simple Past, making it important to understand these structures for effective English communication about ongoing actions in the past.

1. Forming Negative Statements

To make a negative statement in the Past Continuous, we add not after the verb "be" (was/were). The contractions wasn't and weren't are very commonly used in spoken English.

Structure:

Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing + (rest of sentence)

Full Forms vs. Contractions

Subject Full Form Contraction Example
I was not wasn't I wasn't working yesterday evening.
You were not weren't You weren't listening to me.
He was not wasn't He wasn't studying when I called.
She was not wasn't She wasn't feeling well yesterday.
It was not wasn't It wasn't raining when we left.
We were not weren't We weren't expecting visitors.
They were not weren't They weren't playing football.

More Examples

  • I wasn't sleeping when you called me last night.
  • She wasn't cooking dinner when the guests arrived.
  • We weren't watching TV at 8 PM yesterday.
  • They weren't studying English last year.
  • The children weren't playing outside because of the rain.
  • He wasn't working late on Friday evening.

Common Time Expressions with Negatives:

  • At that time: I wasn't working at that time.
  • When + past simple: She wasn't studying when I visited.
  • While: They weren't talking while the teacher was explaining.
  • All day/evening/morning: We weren't working all day yesterday.

2. Forming Yes/No Questions

To ask a yes/no question in the Past Continuous, we move the auxiliary verb was or were before the subject. The main verb stays in its -ing form after the subject.

Structure:

Was/Were + subject + verb-ing + (rest of sentence)?

Formation Pattern:

  • Affirmative: I was reading. → Question: Was I reading?
  • Affirmative: They were playing. → Question: Were they playing?
Was/Were Subject Verb-ing Example Question
Was I working Was I working too late?
Were you studying Were you studying last night?
Was he watching Was he watching TV at 9 PM?
Was she cooking Was she cooking dinner when you arrived?
Was it raining Was it raining when you left home?
Were we talking Were we talking too loudly?
Were they playing Were they playing football yesterday?

More Examples

  • Were you sleeping when I called?
  • Was she working late last Friday?
  • Were they discussing the project during the meeting?
  • Was it snowing when you woke up?
  • Were we making too much noise?

3. Forming WH-Questions

WH-questions in the Past Continuous are formed by placing a question word (what, where, when, why, how, who, which) before the auxiliary verb was/were and subject.

Structure:

Wh-word + was/were + subject + verb-ing + (rest)?

Common WH-Questions with Past Continuous

What
  • What were you doing at 8 PM last night?
  • What was she studying when you visited?
  • What were they discussing during the meeting?
Where
  • Where were you working last summer?
  • Where was he living when he met his wife?
  • Where were they traveling when the accident happened?
When
  • When were you studying English? (asking about the time period)
  • When was she working at that company?
  • When were they building the new bridge?
Why
  • Why were you crying when I saw you?
  • Why was he running so fast?
  • Why were they arguing yesterday?
How
  • How were you feeling yesterday morning?
  • How was she managing with three children?
  • How long were you waiting for the bus?
  • How many people were attending the conference?
Who (Special Cases)

When "who" is the subject of the question, we don't invert the word order:

  • Who was calling you so late? (Who is the subject)
  • Who was making that noise? (Who is the subject)

When "who" is the object, we use the normal question structure:

  • Who were you talking to? (You is the subject)
  • Who was she visiting in hospital? (She is the subject)

Note: Past Continuous WH-questions often focus on the background or setting of events, asking about what was in progress when something else happened.

4. Forming Negative Questions

Negative questions in the Past Continuous are used to express surprise, seek confirmation, or show disbelief. They can be formed in two ways: with contractions (more common in spoken English) or without contractions (more formal).

Two Structures

1. With Contractions (More Common)

Wasn't/Weren't + subject + verb-ing + (rest)?

  • Wasn't she working yesterday?
  • Weren't you studying when I called?
  • Wasn't it raining when you left?
  • Weren't they playing football in the park?
2. Without Contractions (More Formal)

Was/Were + subject + not + verb-ing + (rest)?

  • Was she not working yesterday?
  • Were you not studying when I called?
  • Was it not raining when you left?
  • Were they not playing football in the park?

Uses of Negative Questions

1. Expressing Surprise:

  • Weren't you sleeping? It's so late!
  • Wasn't he working at that company? I thought I saw him there.

2. Seeking Confirmation:

  • Weren't we meeting at 7 PM? I thought that was the plan.
  • Wasn't it raining when we left? My clothes got wet.

3. Showing Disbelief or Contradiction:

  • Weren't you paying attention during the lesson?
  • Wasn't she feeling well yesterday? She looked tired.

4. Polite Corrections:

  • Weren't you going to call me back?
  • Wasn't he supposed to be working on this project?

Important: The meaning of negative questions can sometimes be confusing. The expected answer often depends on the context and the speaker's expectations.

5. Short Answers with Past Continuous

When answering yes/no questions in the Past Continuous, we use short answers with the auxiliary verb was/were (not the -ing verb).

Structure for Short Answers:

  • Positive: Yes, + subject + was/were
  • Negative: No, + subject + wasn't/weren't
Question Positive Short Answer Negative Short Answer
Were you studying last night? Yes, I was. No, I wasn't.
Was she working yesterday? Yes, she was. No, she wasn't.
Were they playing outside? Yes, they were. No, they weren't.
Was it raining when you left? Yes, it was. No, it wasn't.
Were we making too much noise? Yes, we were. No, we weren't.

Important Notes about Short Answers:

  • We never use the -ing form in short answers: ❌ "Yes, I was studying." ✅ "Yes, I was."
  • We usually use contractions in negative short answers: "No, I wasn't" (not "No, I was not")
  • In very informal speech, sometimes just "Yes" or "No" is used, but proper short answers are preferred

6. Summary Table of All Forms

Type Structure Example
Affirmative Subject + was/were + verb-ing She was studying English.
Negative Subject + wasn't/weren't + verb-ing She wasn't studying English.
Yes/No Question Was/Were + subject + verb-ing Was she studying English?
WH-Question Wh-word + was/were + subject + verb-ing What was she studying?
Negative Question Wasn't/Weren't + subject + verb-ing Wasn't she studying English?

7. Common Mistakes with Negatives and Questions

Incorrect Correct Explanation
Did you working yesterday? Were you working yesterday? Use "was/were" not "did" for Past Continuous questions.
I didn't working last night. I wasn't working last night. Use "wasn't/weren't" not "didn't" for Past Continuous negatives.
Was you studying English? Were you studying English? Use "were" with "you," not "was."
They wasn't playing football. They weren't playing football. Use "weren't" with "they," not "wasn't."
What you were doing? What were you doing? Correct word order: Wh-word + was/were + subject + verb-ing.
Yes, I was studying. Yes, I was. Don't include the -ing verb in short answers.
She wasn't study English. She wasn't studying English. Always use the -ing form after wasn't/weren't.

8. Uses of Negative and Question Forms

When to Use Negative Forms

1. Describing What Wasn't Happening
  • I wasn't sleeping when you called. (I was awake)
  • The children weren't playing outside because it was raining.
  • She wasn't feeling well yesterday, so she stayed home.
2. Contrasting Past Actions
  • While I was working, my colleagues weren't helping me.
  • He was reading the newspaper, but he wasn't paying attention to the news.
  • They were at the meeting, but they weren't participating actively.
3. Correcting Misunderstandings
  • No, I wasn't ignoring you. I just didn't hear my phone.
  • She wasn't being rude; she was just tired.
  • We weren't discussing you; we were talking about work.

When to Use Questions

1. Asking About Past Activities
  • What were you doing at 9 PM last night?
  • Were you studying when I called you?
  • Where were they traveling when the storm hit?
2. Investigating Past Situations
  • Why was she crying when you saw her?
  • How long were you waiting for the bus?
  • Who was making that noise last night?
3. Setting Context for Stories
  • What was happening when the accident occurred?
  • Were people still working when the fire alarm went off?
  • Was it raining when you left the house?

Practice Test - Negative Statements

Choose the correct negative form for each sentence.

1. She ______ TV when I arrived.

2. They ______ attention during the meeting.

3. I ______ when the phone rang.

4. We ______ outside because of the rain.

5. It ______ when we left the house.

Practice Test - Yes/No Questions

Choose the correct question form for each sentence.

1. ______ you ______ when I called?

2. ______ she ______ dinner when the guests arrived?

3. ______ they ______ football in the park?

4. ______ it ______ when you left home?

5. ______ we ______ too much noise?

Fill in the Blanks - WH- Questions

Complete each WH-question with the correct form of the Past Continuous.

Practice Test - Negative Questions

Choose the correct negative question form.

1. ______ you ______ when I called? (expressing surprise)

2. ______ she ______ to you yesterday?

3. ______ they ______ during the meeting?

4. ______ it ______ when you left? (seeking confirmation)

5. ______ we ______ at the same restaurant? (checking understanding)

Short Answers Practice

Complete each short answer with the correct form.

1. "Were you studying last night?" "Yes, ______."

2. "Was she working yesterday?" "No, ______."

3. "Were they playing outside?" "Yes, ______."

4. "Was it raining when you left?" "No, ______."

5. "Were we making too much noise?" "Yes, ______."

Advanced Mixed Practice

Transform the sentences according to the instructions.

Summary: Key Points to Remember

  1. Negative: Subject + wasn't/weren't + verb-ing (I wasn't working)
  2. Yes/No Questions: Was/Were + subject + verb-ing? (Were you working?)
  3. WH-Questions: Wh-word + was/were + subject + verb-ing? (What were you doing?)
  4. Negative Questions: Wasn't/Weren't + subject + verb-ing? (Weren't you working?)
  5. Short Answers: Yes/No + subject + was/were (Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.)
  6. Use "was" with I/he/she/it and "were" with you/we/they in all forms
  7. Never use "did/didn't" with Past Continuous - always use was/were forms
  8. Don't include the -ing verb in short answers
  9. Negative questions express surprise, seek confirmation, or show disbelief
  10. WH-questions about past continuous often ask about background or ongoing situations

Mastering negative forms and questions in the Past Continuous tense allows you to ask about ongoing past actions, express what wasn't happening, and engage in detailed conversations about past situations. Practice these forms regularly to become more confident in discussing past events and their context. Remember that the Past Continuous is all about painting a picture of what was or wasn't in progress at specific moments in the past!