past continuous tense presentation

• English Grammar

Past continuous

Level: beginner

The past continuous is made from the past tense of the verb be  and the –ing form of a verb:

We use the past continuous to talk about the  past :

for something which happened before and after   another action :

The children  were doing their homework  when I got home .

Compare:  The children did their homework when (= after) I got home.

This use of the past continuous is very common at the beginning of a story:

The other day  I was waiting  for a bus when … Last week, as I was driving  to work, … 

• for something that happened before and after   a specific time :

It was eight o'clock . I was writing a letter.

Compare:  At eight o'clock I wrote (= started writing) some letters .

• to show that something  continued for some time :

My head  was aching . Everyone  was shouting .

• for something that happened again and again :

I  was practising  every day, three times a day. They  were meeting  secretly after school. They  were always quarrelling .

• with verbs which show  change or growth :

The children  were growing up  quickly. Her English  was improving . My hair  was going  grey. The town  was changing  quickly.

We do not normally use the past continuous with stative verbs .   We use the past simple instead:

When I got home, I really needed   (NOT  was needing )  a shower .

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Level: intermediate

Past continuous and hypotheses

We can also use the past continuous to refer to the  present or future in hypotheses (when we imagine something). See these pages:

• Verbs in time clauses and conditionals
• Wishes and hypotheses

Hello team, i have a simple question, can past simple and continuous have the same meaning? For example: “yesterday she was wearing trousers” and “yesterday she wore trousers”. Is there any difference in meaning between these sentences?.

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Hello itzSaif123457,

In general, the past simple describes a completed action while the past continuous describes an interrupted action in some way - that is, one which happens around another action or time. Wear is an unusual verb in that it is usually in the continuous unless you are talking about a particular event or situation. For example, if I were describing my dress yesterday I would normally say ' I was wearing a dark suit '. However, if I want to describe my dress for a particular event then I would probably say ' I wore my black tie to the funeral '. Your example does not specify any particular context so I think the continuous form is more likely but the simple is also possible.

The LearnEnglish Team

I've read somewhere online that " The past continuous tense shows an action that started in the past and continued over a period of time in the past. It is NO LONGER GOING ON in the present." But I don't think so. I think when someones say "This time last year I was living in Hong Kong.", he might be not living there in the present or he might still be living there. 

Thank you for your help.

Hello hangng89,

' This time last year I was living in Hong Kong ' certainly implies that the person is no longer living there. Of course, you could change this by adding something like 'already': ' This time last year I was already living in Hong Kong. '

It's not so much that the past continuous cannot be used for something which is still true. It's rather that when you use the past continuous you are only focused on what happened in the past time frame. For example, imagine a man (A) being interviewed by the police (B):

A: You live in London, correct? B: Yes, that's right. A: And were you living in London when the robbery happened last year? B: Yes, I was. I moved here three years ago.

The man still lives in London but the police officer is asking about a past time period, so can use a past tense.

Can I write "What were you doing from 6 to 10 last night?" 

I've just run into a grammar exercise that requires completing a sentence from the given clues "What/ you/ do/ from 6 to 10 last night?" My friend says it has to be "What did you do ...?" because of "from ... to ...". But I think the past continuous still makes sense if I was still in the middle of doing that thing from ... to ....  Thank you for your help.

In this sentence the continuous form fits better. The question is about the person's activity during a particular period of time and the continuous form is normal for this kind of meaning.

Can I write "We were donating money to help the earthquake victims last month."?

My grammar workbook says there is one mistake in the above sentence, that is "were donating" --> "donated". But I think the past continuous is fine, because I read an example in another book "In 2010, I was studying in the UK".  So I think it's not because of the time expressions "in 2010" and "last month" that I have to use the past simple, but the meaning of the speaker. I'm not sure if I'm right (?)

Hi hangng89,

I mostly agree with your book. The past continuous shows that the action happened over a period of time. Studying normally does happen over a period of time such as weeks or months, so I was studying makes sense. 

On the other hand, donating money just happens in one moment. If you sent money or gave money in the past, those actions just took a moment and then the actions end, so past simple should be used. They did not have a significant duration.

If, however, you repeatedly gave money during that period of time, then you could use past continuous because the donations took place over a period of time.

I hope that helps.

LearnEnglish team

Thank you very much! Your answer is so clear and easy to understand.

Can I also ask in my grammar book, it said: "We do not use the past continuous for regular or repeated actions in the past. NOT Last year, I was going to the cinema every weekend." But I read in this post above that the past continuous can be used: " I  was practising  every day, three times a day." 

I'm confused. Thank you again for your help.

The sentence 'I was practising every day, three times a day' describes something that the speaker did for a period of time, not as a permanent/fixed habit. The implication is that normally the speaker did not practise in this way but for a certain period - maybe before a concert or an exam - they changed their approach. In this sense it is not a regular action but something exceptional done over a limited period of time.

Hello 1) can I use Past continuous before now I was studding one hour ago 2) can I use Past continuous before now and between verbs I mean about the length of the action ?

Your first example is fine. Past tenses (simple or continuous) describe actions in a finished past time frame, and 'one hour ago' is certainly this. Your sentence means that you were in the middle of studying one hour before now.

I don't understand your second question. Could you provide an example to illustrate what you mean, please?

Hello Peter can I use Past continuous Same meaning present perfect continuous and What is the difference between these two examples and both from the past before now ? Example I have been playing squash and need a shower I was playing squash and need a shower

Hi HLH,

Sentence 1 (present perfect continuous) shows that the action "playing squash" happened recently, and it's connected to the other present action "need a shower".

Sentence 2 is not as clear as sentence 1 because "was playing" is a past (not present perfect) action, so it seems more distance from and less connected to the other present action "need a shower". You could still say this if you add a past time phrase (e.g.  I was playing squash earlier and now I need a shower ), but otherwise sentence 1 seems better.

Hi Jonathan (shows that the action "playing squash" happened recently) 1- Do you mean that the action stopped minutes or hours ago? 2-What is the length of time between the verb between the present perfect continuous and the past continuous ? example - I was studding one hour ago (mean now I stopped studding) -I have been studding for one hour now I will sleep (mean now I stopped studding )

# And also with the present perfect and past simple

-I've waited him for an hour and now I will go home - I waited him for an hour and now I will go home

3- Is this correct ? - I was studding for one hour one hour ago OR -- I was studding one hour ago and I was studding for one

1. Yes, right. Because the person says "I need a shower", I am assuming that he/she has already stopped playing.

2. Sorry, I don't really understand the question. The length of time is shown by "for" or "since", e.g.  I was studying for one hour  or  I have been studying for one hour  (length of time = one hour).

A sentence like  I was studying one hour ago  shows WHEN you studied, but it doesn't tell us the length of time (i.e. HOW LONG).

3.  I was studying for one hour one hour ago - yes, this is grammatically possible (note the spelling  studying ). But, it is unusual because the past continuous ("was studying") shows that the action was in the middle of happening , at the given time "one hour ago". It emphasises the ongoing-ness of the action (i.e., being in the middle of it, at that time). So, it conflicts with "for one hour", which emphasises the total length of time (one hour), which involves the activity being finished (rather than being in the middle of it).

Could I say I have studied English there? I was studying English there for three months? or should I use past perfect continuous in this case?

Hi Khangvo2812,

All of these sentences are correctly formed, but the choice of verb tense depends on how this action is related to other actions in the rest of the sentence, text or conversation. For example:

• I have studied English there (present perfect) - this is the main topic of the conversation, or happened recently (see our Present perfect page for more uses and meanings)
• I was studying English there for three months (past continuous) - you want to emphasise how long it was (see the page above for more)
• I had been studying English there for three months (past perfect continuous) - this is the background to some other past action (see our Perfect aspect and Continuous aspect pages)

So, without knowing the context, we cannot know which tense is the best one to use.

Hi, I need help.

Sir, footprints," Kyle called when he found a trace on the ground. Jean approached and knelt down.

"It is like a wolf's footprints but bigger …. Dread wolf," Jean concluded, and he traced where it went.

Should I change "When he found" with "When finding"?

Hi Aida Hanabi,

When he found is better. The act of finding is instantaneous so the calling is after it, not during it.

Could you please help me with this excercise: fill the gaps with correct tense : PAST SIMPLE, PAST CONTINUOUS, PAST PERFECT. 1. play a. I ... a game when the computer broke down. b. By 1999, Ralph ... thirty matches with the team. c. My mother ... in a shool theatre as a girl. 2. write a. By noon the secretary ... fifteen replies. b. What ... (Tina) when you entered her room? c. When he lived in Spain, Hemingway ... quite a few good stories. 3. use a. Before the dishwasher broke down, I ... only three times. b. In the 19th century, teachers seldom ... chalk to write on the blackboard. c. He was angry when he learnt that I ... his mobile phone on a few occasions

Hello Paouri_A,

I'm afraid we don't provide this kind of help on the site. We're happy to explain structures and rules, give examples and so on, but we don't just provide answers to tests or tasks from elsewhere. If we did, we would end up doing our users' homework for them.

Hello, Could you check this sentence for me please? I couldn't go out this morning because it was raining the whole morning.

Hello Khangvo2812,

I don't see anything wrong with that sentence. Of course, whether or it is appropriate will depend on the context in which it is used.

If I understand correctly, it had been raining the whole morning, so I couldn’t go out has a different meaning to my previous sentence?

Hello again Khangvo2812,

Both sentences tell us that you did not go out because of the rain. In most situations that would be the message you would want to convey and so you could use either sentence.

The only difference is that the past progressive form (was raining) suggests that it was still raining when you made the decision and continued to rain, whereas the past perfect progressive (had been raining) tells us only about the situation up to the decision. The past perfect progressive, for example, could mean that the rain had stopped when you made the decision (but everything was still wet). The past perfect progressive does not tell us if the rain continued; it deals only with the time up to the decision. As I said, most of the time this distinction would be irrelevant and you could use either form.

Hello Team,

I got confused between the past simple and past continuous in this situation. What do you say about it? Here is the sentence: We were late for school because it rained heavily. Of course, it happened and finished and we were late. But can we use past continuous instead? (We were late for school because it was raining heavily). If yes, how could we make it clearer for others to understand, sir?

Thanks a lot for your help.

Hi anhtuan01995,

Yes, you can use the past continuous. The meaning of the two sentences is similar, but the past continuous emphasises "raining" as having a duration, i.e. going on for some time. The past simple, in comparison, presents "rained" simply as something that happened and finished.

It does help me a lot! Thank you for your explanation.

"he doesn't prepared for what's coming." was this sentence wrote correctly?

Hello buggyman94,

No, I'm afraid not. If I understand what you want to say, the correct version is 'He wasn't prepared for what was coming' or 'He hasn't prepared for what's coming' or 'He's not prepared for what's coming'.

Does that make sense?

All the best, Kirk LearnEnglish team

No, it wasn't. Because if you want to talk about the past in a negative form, you use didn't + Verb in base form, so, the sentence would be "He didn't prepare for what's coming"

Hi everyone. Is the following sentence grammatically correct? Thank you “ He was reading a book yesterday at night.”

Hi mr.rm.6656,

Yes, it is! But for "yesterday at night" it would be more usual to say "last night".

Hi, Can you tell me what grade the past progressive tense is introduced?

Hi AnnabelD,

I don't think there's a single answer to this! It may be introduced at various grades, ages or stages, depending on the country, curriculum and textbooks used.

Hi, I have a quick question. Is it correct to say "As the snow was falling, I was staying inside my house and playing the piano."? There are three actions mentioned in this sentence and every one of them is a "long-term" action. But still, I'm not quite sure if I got it right.

Hi _Chris_,

The sentence is not incorrect - it's grammatically fine - but I'm not sure in which context you would use it.

Remember, continuous forms are not about the length of the action but rather the fact that it is in progress in some way relative to another event. You can describe very long-term actions with simple forms: The Roman Empire lasted for almost 1500 years by most counts . However, when one event occurs within the context of another event the continuous is used: The Roman were ruling Britain when Boudica rebelled .

As the sentence is, without any wider context, there is no reason to use continuous forms here.

Hello Team. Could you please help me choose the correct one? Why? - One day, the boys found a man in the forest. He (had died - was dying). Thank you.

Hello Ahmed Imam,

Both forms are possible. It depends on whether or not the man was still alive when he was found.

hi thanks for your answering i have one question can we say and is that correct? "i was going to club for 5 month" or we say...."i have gone to club for 5 month" which one is correct?and when do we use from these? Thanks

Hello waza1000,

This depends on the context but I think these are the most likely options:

If you still go to the club:  I have been going to the club for 5 months.

If you no longer go to the club:  I went to the club for 5 months / I was going to the club for 5 months.  [the meaning is the same; was going emphasises that you knew it was a temporary situation]

I have gone to the club for 5 months is not correct.

is this correct

when i lived in England, i had taken a course on english grammar when i had been living in England, i took a course on english grammar

Hello Qirat2004,

It really depends on the situation, but I'm afraid that these are probably not correct. If you are now living somewhere else, lived in England for a time in the past, and took a course on English grammar before you lived in England, you could say, for example: 'Before living in England, I had taken a course on English grammar'.

Does that express what you mean?

All the best, Kirk The LearnEnglish Team

Is it correct to say that while i was living in England i was taking a course: when i lived in England i was taking a course. P.S. i am not living there any more

Hi yyyyyyyy7,

Yes, both of those sentences are correct and they have the meaning that you said.

Using the past continuous ( was taking a course ) means that the course lasted the whole of the length of your stay in England (i.e., you started living in England when the course started, and you left England when the course ended).

In comparison, if you say While I was living in England, I took a course  ("took" = past simple), the course could last the whole of your stay in England, or it could be just one part of your stay.

The first sentence is accurate if.... you no longer live in English but when you did, you had taken a course.

The second sentence doesn't indicate the right timing. The course should be further in the past than living in English....I had been taking a course on English grammar when I was living in England.

Hello! Could you,please, explain this sentence: 'I was going to meet my friend while it was raining' Can we say that these are two actions in the Past Continous tense, although 'was going to' is future time expressed in the Past?

Hi Nora Kirts,

Yes, I would probably understand the sentence as two past continuous actions. In this sense, "I was going" shows an action in progress (i.e., I was walking, driving or moving in some other way), not future time in the past.

The future time meaning is different. That shows the person's plan or intention, rather than an action in progress. So, it might make sense for the person to say that they were planning to meet the friend while it was raining, but it's a bit unusual (why would they only plan to meet as long as it was raining?).

Jonathan The LearnEnglish Team

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• Verb Tense Intro.
• Types of Verbs
• Active/Passive
• Simple Present
• Present Continuous
• Simple Past

Past Continuous

• Present Perfect
• Present Perf. Cont.
• Past Perfect
• Past Perfect Cont.
• Simple Future
• Future Continuous
• Future Perfect
• Future Perfect Cont.
• Would Always
• Future in the Past

The past continuous (also called past progressive) is a verb tense which is used to show that an ongoing past action was happening at a specific moment of interruption, or that two ongoing actions were happening at the same time. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and past continuous exercises.

Past Continuous Forms

The past continuous is formed using was/were + present participle . Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and was/were . Negatives are made with not .

• Statement: You were studying when she called.
• Question: Were you studying when she called?
• Negative: You were not studying when she called.

Complete List of Past Continuous Forms

Past Continuous Uses

Use 1 interrupted action in the past.

Use the past continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the simple past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

• I was watching TV when she called.
• When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
• While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
• What were you doing when the earthquake started?
• I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
• You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off.
• While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.
• Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.
• While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.
• A: What were you doing when you broke your leg? B: I was snowboarding .

USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption

In USE 1, described above, the past continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the simple past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
• At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
• Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.

In the simple past, a specific time is used to show when an action began or finished. In the past continuous, a specific time only interrupts the action.

• Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner. I started eating at 6 PM.
• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner. I started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the process of eating dinner.

USE 3 Parallel Actions

When you use the past continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

• I was studying while he was making dinner.
• While Ellen was reading , Tim was watching television.
• Were you listening while he was talking ?
• I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes.
• What were you doing while you were waiting ?
• Thomas wasn't working , and I wasn't working either.
• They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.

USE 4 Atmosphere

In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.

• When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing , some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at a secretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each other about the bad service.

USE 5 Repetition and Irritation with Always

The past continuous with words such as always or constantly expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often happened in the past. The concept is very similar to the expression used to but with negative emotion. Remember to put the words always or constantly between be and verb+ing .

• She was always coming to class late.
• He was constantly talking . He annoyed everyone.
• I didn't like them because they were always complaining .

Past Continuous Tips

While vs. when.

Clauses are groups of words which have meaning, but are often not complete sentences. Some clauses begin with the word when such as "when she called" or "when it bit me." Other clauses begin with while such as "while she was sleeping" and "while he was surfing." When you talk about things in the past, when is most often followed by the verb tense simple past , whereas while is usually followed by past continuous. While expresses the idea of "during that time." Study the examples below. They have similar meanings, but they emphasize different parts of the sentence.

• I was studying when she called .
• While I was studying , she called.

REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs

It is important to remember that Non-continuous verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for mixed verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using past continuous with these verbs, you must use simple past .

• Jane was being at my house when you arrived. Not Correct
• Jane was at my house when you arrived. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as always , only , never , ever , still , just , etc.

• You were just studying when she called.
• Were you just studying when she called?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

• The salesman was helping the customer when the thief came into the store. Active
• The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the store. Passive

More About Active / Passive Forms

Past Continuous Exercises

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Past Continuous Tense: How to Use It, With Examples

Table of contents

What is Past Continuous Tense?

When to use the past continuous tense?

How to form the past continuous tense.

How to make the negative form of the past continuous tense?

How to make the question form?

What is the difference between the past continuous and the past simple tense, past continuous tense and stative verbs, use of the past continuous tense to describe a future action that was planned or arranged in the past., past continuous tense examples, what is the past continuous tense.

The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense, is a verb tense used to describe an action or event that was in progress at a specific time in the past. This article will explain how to use the past continuous tense and provide examples to help you understand it better.

1. Actions in Progress in the Past The past continuous tense is commonly used to describe actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past. For example: ● I was walking to the store when it started raining. ● They were studying English when I arrived at the library. ● She was eating pizza for dinner when the phone rang. 2. Background Information in the Past The past continuous tense can also be used to provide background information about a past event or situation. For example: ● I was watching TV when the power went out. ● They were talking about their vacation plans when I walked in. ● She was feeling sick all day yesterday. 3. Parallel Actions in the Past The past continuous tense can be used to describe two or more actions that were happening simultaneously in the past. For example: ● I was cooking dinner while my husband was setting the table. ● They were playing cards and chatting at the same time. ● She was dancing while he was singing. 4. Interrupted Actions in the Past The past continuous tense can be used to describe an action that was interrupted by another event or action in the past. For example: ● I was reading a book when the phone rang. ● They were driving to the airport when they got a flat tire. ● She was painting a picture when her friend came over.   Note that the past continuous tense is not used to talk about past habits or repeated actions. It is used to describe an action that was ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past. For past habits or repeated actions, the past simple tense is used. For example: Past continuous ( incorrect ): "I was playing basketball every day after school." (This sentence implies that you played basketball for a continuous period of time, but it does not describe when or how often this happened.) Past simple ( correct ): "I played basketball every day after school." (This sentence clearly describes a past habit or repeated action.)

To form the past continuous tense, you need to use the auxiliary verb "to be" in the past tense (either "was" or "were") and the present participle (-ing) form of the main verb. The structure is as follows: Subject + "was" or "were" + present participle of the main verb. Here are some examples: ●  I was walking to the store. ●  He was watching TV all night. ●  They were playing soccer in the park. ●  She was studying for her exam. ●  We were listening to music in the car. Note that the auxiliary verb "to be" changes depending on the subject of the sentence. "Was" is used with singular subjects (I, he, she, it) and "were" is used with plural subjects (we, you, they). The present participle (-ing form) of the main verb always remains the same.

How to make the negative form of the past continuous tense? 

The negative form of the past continuous tense is formed by using the verb "to be" in the past tense (was/were) and the negative particle "not" (also contracted as "n't"). Here is the formula to form the negative past continuous tense: Subject + was/were + not + verb + -ing Here are some examples: ●  I was not studying for my exam yesterday. ●  They were not working on the project last night. ●  She was not cooking dinner when I arrived home. ●  We were not watching TV at that time. In the negative form, the contraction "wasn't" can be used instead of "was not", and "weren't" can be used instead of "were not". It's important to note that the negative form of the past continuous tense is often used to emphasize that something was not happening during a particular time in the past.

To form a question in the past continuous tense, the auxiliary verb "to be" comes before the subject. For example: Was/Were + subject + verb + -ing? Here are some examples: ●  Was I studying for my exam yesterday? ●  Were they working on the project last night? ●  Was she cooking dinner when I arrived home? ●  Were we watching TV at that time? In the past continuous tense, "was" is used with singular subjects (I, he, she, it) and "were" is used with plural subjects (we, you, they). Also, note that when forming a question in the past continuous tense, the verb "to be" is inverted with the subject, which means that the subject comes after the auxiliary verb "to be". Here are some more examples of past continuous tense questions: ●  Was he listening to music when you called? ●  Were they playing basketball in the park? ●  Was she studying for her test all night? ●  Were you watching TV at 9 PM last night?

The main difference between the past continuous and the past simple tense is that the past continuous tense describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past, while the past simple tense describes a completed action in the past. The past continuous tense is formed with the auxiliary verb "to be" in the past tense (either "was" or "were") and the present participle (-ing) form of the main verb, and is used to describe actions that were ongoing in the past. For example: "I was studying when my friend called." On the other hand, the past simple tense is formed by adding -ed or an irregular form to the base form of the verb, and is used to describe a completed action in the past. For example: "I studied for two hours last night." Here's a comparison of the two tenses: Past continuous: "I was studying when my friend called." (ongoing action) Past simple: "I studied for two hours last night." (completed action) Past continuous: "He was cooking dinner while she was watching TV." (two ongoing actions at the same time) Past simple: "He cooked dinner last night." (a completed action in the past) Past continuous: "They were playing soccer in the park when it started raining." (an ongoing action interrupted by another event) Past simple: "They played soccer in the park yesterday." (a completed action in the past)

You cannot use the past continuous tense with non-continuous verbs (also known as stative verbs). Stative verbs are verbs that describe a state, condition, or situation, rather than an action. Examples of stative verbs include "like", "hate", "believe", "belong", "seem", "know", and "understand". The reason why the past continuous tense cannot be used with stative verbs is that stative verbs do not describe an ongoing action or event, but rather a state or condition that exists at a particular point in time. Using the past continuous with stative verbs would create an illogical or incorrect sentence. For example, consider the sentence "I was knowing the answer to the question". This sentence is not correct because "know" is a stative verb that describes a state of knowing or understanding, not an ongoing action. Instead, you would use the past simple tense: "I knew the answer to the question." Here are some more examples of stative verbs and their appropriate tense: Past continuous ( incorrect ): "I was loving the beach." (love is a stative verb) Past simple ( correct ): "I loved the beach." Past continuous ( incorrect ): "He was understanding the concept." (understand is a stative verb) Past simple ( correct ): "He understood the concept." Past continuous ( incorrect ): "She was believing in ghosts." (belief is a stative verb) Past simple ( correct ): "She believed in ghosts."

The past continuous tense can be used to describe a future action that was planned or arranged in the past, particularly in informal English. This usage is sometimes called the "future in the past" or "past continuous for future arrangements." Here is the formula for using the past continuous tense to describe a future action that was planned or arranged in the past: Subject + was/were + going to + verb + -ing Here are some examples: ●  We were going to be having a party next Saturday. ●  They were going to be traveling to Europe this summer. ●  She was going to be taking her driver's test tomorrow. ●  He was going to be starting his new job next week. In each of these examples, the past continuous tense is used to describe a future action that was planned or arranged in the past, often with the use of "going to". This usage of the past continuous tense creates a sense of continuity or ongoingness of the action in the future from a past perspective. It's important to note that this usage of the past continuous tense is more commonly used in spoken or informal English, and the past simple tense is often used instead to describe past future arrangements in more formal or written English.

1. I was studying for my exam when my friend called. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress in the past, in this case studying for an exam, which was interrupted by another action, the friend's call. 2. They were driving to the beach when the car broke down. Explanati on: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was happening at a specific point in the past, in this case driving to the beach, which was interrupted by another action, the car breaking down. 3. She was listening to music while she was cooking dinner. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe two actions that were happening simultaneously in the past, in this case listening to music and cooking dinner. 4. We were playing cards when the storm started. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress at a specific point in the past, in this case playing cards, which was interrupted by another action, the storm starting. 5. He was watching TV when the phone rang. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress in the past, in this case watching TV, which was interrupted by another action, the phone ringing. 6. They were practicing their instruments before the concert. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress in the past, in this case practicing their instruments, which was happening before the concert. 7. She was sleeping when her alarm went off. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress in the past, in this case sleeping, which was interrupted by another action, the alarm going off. 8. We were walking in the park when we saw a deer. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress in the past, in this case walking in the park, when another action happened, in this case seeing a deer. 9. He was running late for his meeting. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing situation in the past, in this case running late for a meeting. 10. They were planning to go on a road trip. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe a future plan that was made in the past, in this case planning to go on a road trip. 11. She was studying English grammar for two hours yesterday afternoon. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress at a specific point in the past, in this case studying English grammar for two hours yesterday afternoon. 12. They were laughing so hard that they couldn't stop. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was happening continuously in the past, in this case laughing so hard that they couldn't stop. 13. He was jogging when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his ankle. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress in the past, in this case jogging, which was interrupted by another action, feeling a sharp pain in his ankle. 14. We were enjoying the beautiful sunset when the clouds suddenly covered the sun. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress in the past, in this case enjoying the beautiful sunset, which was interrupted by another action, the clouds suddenly covering the sun. 15. She was taking a bath when her husband knocked on the bathroom door. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress in the past, in this case taking a bath, which was interrupted by another action, her husband knocking on the bathroom door. 16. They were waiting for the bus for an hour before it finally arrived. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress in the past, in this case waiting for the bus for an hour, until it finally arrived. 17. He was playing video games all night instead of studying for the test. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing action in the past, in this case playing video games all night instead of studying for the test. 18. We were walking on the beach when we spotted a pod of dolphins swimming in the ocean. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress in the past, in this case walking on the beach, when another action happened, in this case spotting a pod of dolphins swimming in the ocean. 19. They were discussing the project for hours before they finally came up with a solution. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was happening for a long period of time in the past, in this case discussing the project for hours, until they finally came up with a solution. 20. She was always singing in the shower when she was a child. Explanation: The past continuous tense is used to describe a past habit or repeated action, in this case singing in the shower, which occurred frequently in the past. 21. Was she studying English grammar for two hours yesterday afternoon? Explanation: This question uses the past continuous tense to inquire about a past action that was in progress at a specific point in time, in this case studying English grammar for two hours yesterday afternoon. 22. Were they laughing so hard that they couldn't stop? Explanation: This question uses the past continuous tense to inquire about a past action that was happening continuously, in this case laughing so hard that they couldn't stop. 23. Was he jogging when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his ankle? Explanation: This question uses the past continuous tense to inquire about a past action that was in progress in the past, in this case jogging, which was interrupted by another action, feeling a sharp pain in his ankle. 24. Were you enjoying the beautiful sunset when the clouds suddenly covered the sun? Explanation: This question uses the past continuous tense to inquire about a past action that was in progress, in this case enjoying the beautiful sunset, which was interrupted by another action, the clouds suddenly covering the sun. 25. Were they waiting for the bus for an hour before it finally arrived? Explanation: This question uses the past continuous tense to inquire about a past action that was in progress for a certain period of time, in this case waiting for the bus for an hour, until it finally arrived.

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How To Teach The Past Continuous | Step By Step

Once students have a good understanding of the past simple tense and the present continuous tense , teaching the past continuous tense is relatively easy. Once your students understand this grammatical concept, they will be able to accurately convey their experiences and construct detailed narratives about things that were ongoing at a specific point in the past. In this guide, we will show you step-by-step how to teach the past continuous tense using clear explanations, relatable examples, and lots of opportunities to practice. First, let’s take a look at exactly what the past continuous tense is and how to form it.

What Is The Past Continuous Tense?

The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense, is a verb tense used to express actions or situations that were ongoing, continuous, or in progress at a specific point in the past. For example,

• She was reading a book when I called her.
• They were playing soccer in the rain.

In these examples, the actions ( reading a book , playing soccer ) were in progress at a specific moment in the past when another event occurred ( when I called her , in the rain ).

How To Form The Past Continuous

To form the past continuous tense, the auxiliary verb “to be” should be in its past form (was/were), followed by the present participle of the main verb (the -ing form). The structure for the past continuous tense is:

Subject + was/were + verb(-ing)

• He was playing soccer.
• They were watching a movie.

How To Form Past Continuous Negative Sentences

To make negative statements in the past continuous tense, simply add “not” after the auxiliary verb:

Subject + was/were + not + verb(-ing)

• She was not studying for the exam.
• We were not attending the conference.

Past Continuous Usages

The past continuous tense has several usages, which include:

• Describing an ongoing action in the past: The past continuous is used to indicate that an action was in progress at a specific time or during a period in the past. Example: At 6 pm yesterday, she was cooking dinner.
• Indicating two simultaneous past actions: When two actions were happening at the same time in the past, the past continuous can be used for both actions. Example: While I was doing my homework, my sister was watching TV.
• Interrupted past actions: The past continuous is used to describe an action that was in progress when it was interrupted by another action or event, which is usually expressed in the simple past tense. Example: I was taking a shower when the phone rang.
• Describing the background or setting of a past event: The past continuous can be used to provide context or background information for a story or event that took place in the past. Example: The sun was shining, and the birds were singing as they walked through the park.
• Showing a repeated or habitual action in the past (often with ‘always’, ‘constantly’, or ‘continuously’): The past continuous can emphasize a repeated or habitual action in the past, often to express annoyance or criticism. Example: He was always complaining about his job.

These are some of the main usages of the past continuous tense. Remember, the important point to convey to students is that the past continuous is used to talk about actions or situations that were ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past.

How To Teach The Past Continuous: Step By Step

Step 1: introduce the tense.

The first step to teaching the past continuous tense is to introduce what it is and when to use it. Tell students that the past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. Be sure to provide some examples to illustrate what you mean. Here are some examples you can use:

• Yesterday at 8 am, Tom was brushing his teeth.
• They were eating breakfast when the phone rang.
• S he was walking the dog when it started to rain.

Step 2: Explain the Structure

Once students have a basic understanding of what the past continuous is, the next step is to show students how to form the past continuous tense. Explain that the past continuous tense is formed with the past form of the verb “to be” (was/were) followed by the main verb in the “-ing” form. Write the following structure on the board to help them understand:

Step 3: Practice Making Sentences

Next, it’s time for students to try and make their own past continuous sentences. Have students change some present tense sentences into the past continuous tense.

You can find ready-made exercises and example sentences that you can use for this step in our Easy Guide To English Tenses .

Step 4: Introduce Time References

Once students understand how to form the past continuous, teach phrases like “while,” “when,” and “as” so that students can make more complex past continuous sentences that incorporate time references. Show students many examples so they can see how to use these time references correctly. Here are some examples you can use:

• She was reading a book while waiting for the bus.
• They were playing video games when their friends arrived.
• He was listening to music while working on his project.
• She was cooking dinner when the doorbell rang.
• They were watching a movie while enjoying some popcorn.

Step 5: Speaking and Listening Practice

The next step is to have students practice more with speaking and listening activities. Here are 6 activity ideas for teaching the past continuous tense:

• Storytelling: Have students create and share short stories that incorporate past continuous sentences. They can focus on describing background scenes, interrupted actions, or simultaneous past events.
• “What Were You Doing?” Game: In pairs or small groups, students can take turns asking each other, “ What were you doing at [specific time] yesterday/last week/last month? ” The other students should respond using past continuous sentences.
• Mime And Guess: One student acts out an action while the other students try to guess what the person was doing in the past continuous tense. For example, if a student pretends to play guitar, others can say, “ You were playing the guitar. “
• Two Actions, One Story: Divide students into pairs or small groups. Give each group two action cards (e.g., “ cooking dinner ” and “ talking on the phone “). Students must create a sentence or short story using both actions in the past continuous tense.
• Picture Description: Show a picture depicting a scene with multiple ongoing actions. Students take turns describing the scene using past continuous sentences. For example, if the picture shows a busy park, students can say, “ People were playing soccer, and children were laughing on the playground. “
• Interrupted Actions Roleplay: In pairs, students can create short roleplay scenarios where one student is engaged in an ongoing action, and the other student interrupts the action with a simple past event. They should use past continuous sentences to describe the ongoing action.

Common Mistakes Students Make With The Past Continuous Tense

English language learners often make a few common mistakes when learning the past continuous tense. Some of these mistakes include:

• Incorrect auxiliary verb usage: Learners might use the incorrect form of the auxiliary verb “to be” (was/were) for the subject or use another auxiliary verb instead (e.g., “did” or “had”). Example mistake: I were studying. (Correct: I was studying. )
• Forgetting the -ing form: Students may forget to use the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. Example mistake: She was read. (Correct: She was reading.)
• Misusing “when” and “while”: Learners might mix up or misuse the conjunctions “when” and “while” when describing interrupted actions or simultaneous actions in the past. Example mistake: He was eating breakfast when watching TV. (Correct: He was eating breakfast while watching TV. )
• Overusing the past continuous: Students may use the past continuous tense when the simple past tense would be more appropriate, especially for completed actions or single events in the past. Example mistake: I was going to the store. (Correct: I went to the store. )
• Confusing the past continuous with the present continuous: Learners might mix up the past continuous tense with the present continuous tense due to the similarity in their structure. Example mistake: * She is studying when I called. (Correct: She was studying when I called. )

Related Resources

Thanks for reading! I hope you found this guide to teaching the past continuous tense useful. Before you go, here are some related resources you might also like: Past Continuous Exercises Past Continuous Negative Exercises Past Continuous Worksheets

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Past Continuous Tense - Full Lesson Presentation + Activities & Answers!

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

25 February 2024

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A full lesson presentation (PowerPoint) teaching how to use the past continuous tense.

The past continuous tense is made from the past tense form of the verb ‘to be’ (was or were) + the progressive/ continuous form of the verb (a verb with the -ing suffix). It is used to describe background actions and long actions, usually that happened at the same time as something else.

This lesson presentation on the past continuous tense includes:

√ Learning objective

√ Three success criteria

√ Starter activity

√ Review of prior learning (examining the other tenses and why we use them)

√ Teaching input/ information slides (explaining how to identify and construct sentences in past continuous tense)

√ Multiple differentiated consolidation activities (fill in the blanks, spot the mistakes, change the sentences to past continuous tense etc.)

√ Independent activities and application tasks

√ Mini plenaries and extra practice tasks

√ Extension of learning challenges

√ Reading & writing tasks

√ Plenary activity

The lesson covers the following:

Review of other tenses

Structure of clauses in past continuous

Difference between ‘was’ and ‘were’ (plural and singular subjects)

How to describe the actions of the following types of subjects in the past continuous tense: regular and irregular plurals, countable and uncountable nouns, collective nouns, exceptions and pronouns

Changing verbs into their progressive/ continuous form

Purposes of using the past continuous tense

Distinguishing between long and short actions

Joining clauses in past continuous to clauses in past simple

Using the past continuous tense in writing to describe background actions and set the scene

PLEASE NOTE - Please look at the ‘notes’ section of the PowerPoint for additional information about each slide. These include teaching tips, ideas and further explanations.

This lesson is also suitable for being delivered remotely through online learning with some slight adaptations. It could combine very well with platforms such as Pear Deck and Nearpod.

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Learn English Tenses: PAST CONTINUOUS

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247 comments.

Very good. Congratulations

Thank you Rebecca,I like your teaching style. I need some recommendation. When I toke the quiz, most of time get 90% or 100% right but, when its come to writing I make a lot of mike. What should I do to over come that obstacle ? Thank you in advance.

Thank you, Rebecca I certainly improved which would have been impossible without your assistance.

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I got 9 out of 10 this lesson was very clear and obviously helpful thank you very. Much

Thanks a lot

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Theks thecher it’s awesome I got 8 out of ten

ha a nice teacher , Thanks for the lovely explanation . I got eight out of ten degrees. thanks soooooooooo much.

Dear Mrs Rebecca, Please Can you help me about the different between Firm Vs Company? By the way, can you do some more video relative to court. Thank you Ma’am and Have a great day.

thanks so much

Thanks for this great lesson. Hearing the word “were” in a sentence pronounced by a native or whatever be a good speaker it’s a big challenge.

I enjoy honning my English communication skills as I keep watching your videos. Keep posting more videos. May the Lord bless you!

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ok. You can write to [email protected]

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10 out of 10, thank you!!

This quiz seemed to have more more questions about the verb “to be” than questions about past continous. This is the impression I had doing it.

Could i use i was working instead i did working? What were you learning instead what did you learning ?

n5. I WAS PLANNING to leave the office at 5:00 pm, but our manager asked us to work late.

I HAD BEEN PLANNING to leave the office at 5:00 pm, but our manager asked us to work late.

May i ask which is it corretct?

The first one

Thank you Rebacca it’s very helpful

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Alhamdulliah Its a good side to improve our English knowledge.. thanks all to help us….

Thanks again Rebecca

Hi! Rebecca. This tense the past continuos is very easy to understand,thanks you for you wonderful Job!

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8 is correct

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I finally found an effective teacher like Ms. Rebecca too. thanks a lott

Great experience

good afternoon Mrs Rebecca

Please why ask Number7 the answer going to (add preposition to)? thank you

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You’re a very good teacher, thank you for the teachings!!

Rebecca you are a very good teacher. Congratulations!

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Rebecca is a Great teacher, she has awesome teaching techniques, i gave you number one English teacher in YouTube channel and Engvid.com “From Somalia”

Thank you for this lesson. I learnt a lot. I like sentences between main topic, for example: Were you paying attention to this lesson ? It’s improving my English.

is there any way to discuss our doubts? any thank you so much for such a clear and to the point lecture.

Thank you very much.

100% thank you

You’r way of explaining grammar is incredible.

VISIT-(C-V-C) SO IT SHOULD BE VISITTING.

Thank you very much ??

I like the way you teach Rebecca. Thank you

Thank you rebecca mam for your efforts and time

Hi Rebecca, I have a question. How would I form a sentence with a stative verb, if I want to put focus on the time. For example: We lived there for 10 years or we were living there for 10 Years? I hope you can understand what I mean.

Hi Rebecca, thank you for the video! Helped me a lot.

Hi Rebecca! Thank you for the video! I like the way you teach.

Hello, could you explain please the difference between was/were and did? For example was he playing tennis today? Or did he play tennis today? Thanks

Thanks Rebecca.?

I`ve got 10! Thanks teacher Rebecca.

Very simple and easy to explain. Thanks you Rebecca. Greetings from Serbia-Belgrade

I would be grateful if you could make a video and explain the difference between the word “Where” and the word “Were”. I always mix them:)

thank you God bless

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Thank you so much Rebecca

begin – beginning visit – visiting Is the rule of c-v-c different for some verbs ?

I have Same question.

our exams are difficult but i am good at english that s not my problem LOL

Thank you so much teacher Rebecca. Bless you

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I didn’t rush this time so I got a 100%

good work. thanks

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Thanks Rebecca :)

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I was learning English when my mother called me So Rebecca I have to go !! Kiss

Now I clearly understand the difference between past simple and past perfect. Thanks Rebecca for this lesson.

perfect class can i have one suggestion,can u make quiz redding questions

Thanks a lot, teacher Rebecca.I got 9 correct out of 10. (Azores Islands, 15jan2021).

Thank you Rebecca. I have gotten 10 to the test.

Great Job Rebecca!

Good lesson!

in the field of teaching You are master Rebecca !

Thank you for this lesson )

thank you ma’am :)

Thanks a lot Rebecca, Interesting part of your lecture is that i never get bored.

Thank you..

Could you please do a video on past perfect continuous vs past continuous. Thank you !

I got 10/10 and Thank you for this

Thank you very much, I’m learning

Thank you a lot Rebecca

I’m learning ?

could we say “wondering”…isn’t it a feeling? …a stative verb..?pls clarify madam regards

Yehey! I got a perfect score❤

Thanks for your class on past continuous tense. You made it look simple….. Well-done

Thanks you so much I got 100 out of 90 marks just cuz of you ????????

We got 100 marks. Thank you for the lesson.

Thanks a lot teacher, I love your classes. ;)

Thanks a lot. Good method in all of the world

Thank you, the best course of English, high level.

Thank You. Mrs.Rebecca

Thank you Rebecca you are a good teacher .you make it easy

thank you very much for this lesson

I watched this video twice on August 06, 2021, and took the quiz after watching it. I got ten out of 10.

Thank you for this lesson. I learnt a lot and I got 10 correct out of 10. :D Respectfully

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I get 100% points

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I am learning a lot

I got 10/10

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Thank you I got 100 %

Thank you. I got 90/100

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love your lesson

Thank You So Much Ma’am !!

Thanks Rebecca Mam…if every single person get a teacher like you then each and every person can understand and speak s English fluently,..

Thank you, Rebecca, for this lesson!

I understood it very well Rebecca madam. I got 10/10.Thank you so much!

thank you for this great lesson

Thank you, Rebecca, you make great lessons.

thanks a lot, Rebecca.

thanks a lot, Rebecca. You’re a good teacher.

very interesting

thinks very mutch

thanks Mrs. Rebecca I got it this tense i got 10 out of 10 to it’s quiz so, thank you very much

I love your lessons Rebecca. It help me to understand the grammar easily. I showed it to my daughter who is in grade 11 and struggled with her English subject. She also watch your You-tube video’s now. Thanks a lot.

Thanks a lot. My result is 9/10.

I think you are a great teacher. I want to learn a lot here.

thx for the lesson, just what problems sts may have when pronouncing the past continuous like I was watching a movie when my phone rang.

I cannot thank you enough. I just feel confident when I use it.

This is so helpful and this is advanced grammar.

Thank you Rebecca,I like your teaching style. I’m 9/10. ‘Begin’ – not c-v-c, but ‘beginning’.

Sorry,thought there’s ‘c-v-c’ in word ‘Begin’!!! I thought whole word must be ‘c-v-c’!

Thank you so much. You’re amazing teacher!

I got 100%. Thank you. You are an amazing teacher.

9/10 wish you all the best 👍 teacher Rebecca.

You are great teacher! Thank you!

make is a cvc verb. why making and not makking?

oh no,I made a mistake, make isn’t acvc veb

Very good lesson, I like it

I appreciate ma’am

thank you very much i love extermly your lessons.10/10

it is useable

At 2:00 pm, I __________ a client. I wasn’t in the office. The answer is was visiting. My question is why should we use past continuous tense here if we have point in time ( at 2:00 pm)?

I got 10/10.

Thank you! :)

Rebecca, thank you so much!

Thank you very much for the lesson!!! It is very helpful! Can I ask a question? Has this polite request been used in the past? or we can use it in the present as well?! I misunderstood this moment a litlle bit. :) This one: “I was wondering if you could help me.”

Thank you Rebecca, you are the best teacher…I love your classes!!!!!

It’s the best channel where everyone can learn English without effort. Thanks to the Englishvid.com team.

I meant the website.

thank you rebbeca please give me advice iam begginer which lessons need to learn more grammer or vocabulary or writing etc

Rebecca, thank you very much for your way to teach!

Thank you so much Mam. You help me improve everyday.

Thanks, Rebeca. I like your class

Thank you for the lesson!

THANK YOU SO MUCH

Thank you so much

Thanks Alot

:(.. I was taking the quiz and got 9/10. Going to – is confused me a bit, cause I thought that is future and totally forgot about was/were in front of… :D

10/10 Come on

lesson completed!

Thank you Rebecca, I was learning a lot of things about English tenses.

thank you so much rebeca

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Now, I’ve got 100 :D

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It was interesting session, I have got 10 correct out of 10.

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Bless you, Rebecca.

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Great lesson.

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PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

Oct 28, 2012

1.68k likes | 3.61k Views

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE. Prepared By: English HOME. PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE. He started to cook the meal at 6.00. He cooked the meal at 7.00. He was cooking the meal at 6.30. Julia. dancing. was. sleeping. were. They. Were you studying at home at 6 o’clock yesterday?.

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PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE Prepared By: English HOME

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE He started to cook the meal at 6.00. He cooked the meal at 7.00. He was cooking the meal at 6.30.

Julia dancing. was sleeping. were They

Were you studying at home at 6 o’clock yesterday? Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t. Was she feeding the baby at 8 o’clock yesterday? Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.

We use the past continuous to talk about an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. e.g. At 7 o’clock yesterday morning I was driving to work.

When one action interrupts another, we use the past continuous and the past simple together in one sentence. We use the past continuous (was sleeping) for the longer action and the past simple ( rang) for the shorter “interrupting”action. e.g. I was sleeping when the phone rang. OR When the phone rang, I was sleeping. ( = I was in the middle of sleeping; then the phone rang.)

___________ But we use the past simple ( NOT past continuous) when one action followed another. e.g. When the phone rang, I woke up. (First the phone rang; then I woke up.)

We use past continuous with while to talk about two actions in progress at the same time in the past. e.g. While I was studying, my sister was listening to music. OR My sister was listening to music while I was studying.

Time expressions we use with the past continuous : when while / as when + while/as + past continuous (longer action) when + past simple (shorter action) e.g. While I was waiting for the bus, I met David. When the lights went out, I was reading in bed.

We don’t use the past continuous with verbs not used in the continuous form ( know, want, etc.) e.g. I had a headache last night. ___________ (was having) e.g. She wanted to eat out yesterday. ______________ (was wanting)

Exercise: Put the words in the right order. 1 We / talk / the beach(+) We were talking on the beach. ……………………………. 2 My sister/ travel/in Swiss(?) My sister was travelling in Swiss. ………………………………..

Exercise: Put the words in the right order. 3 We/ visit/monastery/ China (+) We were visiting the monastery in China. …………………………………………… 4 Some women/ dance/ temple (-) Some women were dancing in the temple. ……………………………………………..

Exercise: Put the words in the right order. 5 We/ eat/ fish/ the beach (+) We were eating fish on the beach. ………………………………………… 6 You/ swim/ the Caribbean (?) You were swimming in the Caribbean. …………………………………………………….

Exercise: Put the words in the right order. 7 My friend Anna/climb up/ Great Wall (+) My friend Anna was climbing up the Great Wall …………………………………………………………. 8 We/ hike/ a forest(?) We were hiking to a forest. ……………………………………….

Exercise: Put the words in the right order. 9 I/ ride/ horse/ Canada (-) I was riding a horse in Canada. ……………………………………………. 10 My friend Bruce/ scuba dive/ the Caymon Islands (+) My friend Bruce was scuba diving in the Caymon Islands. ………………………………………………………………

MORE EXERCISES Rearrange the words and form sentences using the past continuous tense. Use the correct form of the words. 1 sleep / He / I / enter / when / the room. He was sleeping when I entered the room. ………………………………………………………………

2 stop / my car / when / the police / I drive home / yesterday. When the police stopped my car, I was driving home yesterday. …………………………………………………………….………………............ 3 When / play / the children / outside / The bell / ring. The children were playing outside when the bell rang. …………………………………………………………………………

4 The meat / while / she / burn / talk / on the phone. While she was talking on the phone, the meat burnt. ……………………………………………………………………. 5 break / his tooth / while / he play / He / football. He broke his tooth while he was playing football. …………………………………………………………………………

While she was lighting the cooker the electricity ………… ( go) out. went • We were lying by the pool when it …………….. (start) to become cloudy. started was looking for • I found the old photograph while I …………….. ( look for ) my passport.

Choose the correct words from the box & fill in the blanks. was watching rang _____ _________ were talking walked _________ ___________ was driving stopped ___________ started was waiting ____________ _______ arrested were running _______ ____ ______

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How to Effectively Teach the Past Continuous to EFL and ESL Students

• Resources for Teachers
• Pronunciation & Conversation
• Writing Skills
• Reading Comprehension
• Business English
• TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London
• M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music
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The main concept to relay when teaching the past continuous is the idea that the past continuous expresses an interrupted action. In other words, the past continuous speaks about what was going on when something important happened. The past continuous can be used by itself to express what happened at a precise moment in the past. However, the most common use is together with the past simple  ​(when something happened) .

You might want to consider teaching the past simple together with the past continuous for intermediate level classes, as the past simple will be review for students.

Introduction

Start by speaking about what was interrupted. Describe an important past event and then fill in the details as a painter would fill in background details by using the past continuous form. This immediately illustrates the idea that the past continuous is used to set the context of what was happening at that moment in time.

I'd like to tell you about the day I met my wife. I was walking through the park, the birds were singing and it was raining just a little bit when I saw her! She was sitting on the bench and reading a book at that moment. I'll never be the same.

This example is exaggerated for a reason. It boldly conveys the point. Continue introducing the past continuous by asking students simple questions in the past simple about events. Follow up these questions with a question asking what was happening when the event occurred.

• When did you leave home this morning - At nine o'clock.
• What was your sister doing when you left home?
• Where did you meet your girlfriend? - At school.
• What were you doing when you met her?

The next step in teaching the past continuous is to include simultaneous actions using "while." Explain that "while" is used when two actions happen at the same time in the past. It's a good idea to point out the difference between "while" and "during," to help avoid confusion.

Explaining the Past Continuous on the Board

Use a past continuous timeline to illustrate interrupted action. Contrasting this timeline with the past continuous for something happening at a specific point in the past may help illustrate the difference between the two uses. Make sure that students understand the use of time clauses with "when" and "while" to help them use the past continuous in context.

Comprehension Activities

Comprehension activities such as using photos in magazines will help with the past continuous. In this case, make it clear to students that they are to describe the event in the past. You can model this by using a photo in a magazine to describe such an event. Dialogues beginning with "What were you doing?" will help students practice. A creative writing exercise on the past continuous will also help students build their ability to integrate the past continuous into more advanced structures.

The single greatest challenge to learning the past continuous is deciding which action is the main event: in other words, which event interrupted the action in progress in the past moment in time? Other challenges can include the use of the past continuous to express an activity that happened over a period of time. It's crucial for students to understand that the past continuous describes a particular moment in time, and not a completed event.

Here are examples of this type of issue:

• I was studying science yesterday.
• She was cooking dinner last night.

In other words, the past continuous needs the context of another event when stopped the action in progress at the time.

• How to Teach the Present Continuous to ESL Students
• Past Continuous Lesson Plan for ESL Learners
• How to Teach the Past Simple to ESL Students
• How to Teach the Present Perfect
• Past Continuous Worksheets
• English Grammar: Past Auxiliary Verbs
• Guide to Past Simple and Past Continuous
• English Tenses Timeline Reference
• Visual Explanations of Each English Tense
• Guide to Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous for ESL
• How to Teach Present Perfect Continuous to English Learners
• How to Teach the Past Perfect Continuous
• How to Teach the Present Simple
• Grammar Lesson: Tense Review
• Beginning Level Curriculum for ESL Classes
• How to Conjugate Verbs

Present and Past Continuous Tenses

In this lesson, you’ll learn how use present and past continuous tenses in business contexts.

In professional communications and job searches, you will want to use continuous tenses. The continuous tenses can help you express things you are doing, as well as share about things you have done while doing something else.

Present Participle Review

To use the continuous tenses, you need to know how to form the present participle of verbs. The present participle is formed by adding -ing to the base form of the verb. See the example below:

I am working here. (work + -ing)

Many present participle verbs are formed this way, but there are other verbs that have to be changed before the -ing can be added. We will not study all the spelling rules for creating present participles, but here are a few examples of how we change some verbs to present participle:

Our customers are begging for more queso. (beg + g + -ing)

They are closing the deal today. (drop silent e + -ing)

If you are unsure whether a verb needs to be changed to make the present participle, do a quick internet or dictionary search. This will help you determine how to form the present participle of the verb. Let’s study continuous tenses now.

Present Continuous

The present continuous tells about an action that is happening now. You can use it to tell about the work you do, the skills you have, the school you attend, etc.

It is formed by using the present tense of “to be” (is, am, are) with a present participle verb. Let’s look at an example:

Adam is teaching in the conference room. (is + teaching)

In the above example, we know that Adam is in the conference room now and that he is teaching.

Now let’s consider how you can use present continuous to tell about yourself in your cover letter, in your résumé, and in interviews. See the examples below:

I am studying health sciences at BYU-Idaho.

I am running the kitchen at the Friendly Café.

I am submitting this application for the nurse position posted on Monster.com.

I am planning to start a master of arts program after I graduate.

Notice how you can use present continuous to tell what you are doing every day , what you can do , what you are doing now , and even what you will do.

Past Continuous

The past continuous is used to describe a time when an action happened in the past. It can also tell about an action that happened when something else was happening. It is formed by using the past tense of “to be” (was, were) with a present participle verb. Let’s look at an example:

Vida and Peter were creating plans for that building last year. (were + creating)

Now, let’s learn how to use past continuous to explain an action that happened during a longer event. To do that, use the words while or when, plus past continuous to describe the longer event. Then use simple past to describe the action that happened during the long event. See the example below:

While Jon was working as a housekeeper, he learned English. (was + working)

In the above example, we know that when Jon worked as a housekeeper (long event—use past continuous), he learned English (short event—use simple past).

Now let’s consider how you can use past continuous to tell about yourself in your cover letter, in your résumé, and in interviews. See the examples below:

Three years ago, I was studying business management at my local college.

I was working as a taxi driver two months ago.

While I was living in England, I worked as a teacher.

When I was caring for my young children, I studied at night.

Remember, past continuous tense can help you describe when something happened in the past, or tell about an action that happened in the past during a longer event.

Practice Problems

Tim and Juan are attending a business lunch.

I have been working here since I was 18.

She had been training the new employees.

I am sending these packages back to the sender.

• am directing
• was directing
• have been directing
• will be directing
• am planning
• have a plan
• was planning
• was finishing
• is finishing
• will be finishing
• was reading
• We will be interviewing candidates at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow.
• We are interviewing candidates at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow.
• We can interview candidates at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow.
• We shall interview candidates at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow.
• When I had been managing the Retreat Inn, profits increased by seven percent.
• When I had managed the Retreat Inn, profits increased by seven percent.
• When I managed the Retreat Inn, profits increased by seven percent.
• When I was managing the Retreat Inn, profits increased by seven percent.

• English Grammar
• English Tenses
• Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous Tense: Definition, Formula, Structure and Examples

I was watching Avengers Endgame. Don’t you want to know if I liked it or not? Learn how to speak about a movie that you watched, a person you met or a place that you visited using the past continuous tense. You can give your reader or listener a feeling of how the action or event was progressing at that time in the past. In this article, you will learn about the meaning, definition, formula and structure of the past continuous tense along with examples that will definitely let you use the tense effectively.

Table of Contents

Definition of the past continuous tense, formula and structure of the past continuous tense, using the past continuous tense – points to remember, uses of the past continuous tense, 30 sentence examples of past continuous tense, examples of the past continuous tense, check your understanding of the past continuous tense, frequently asked questions on the past continuous tense, what is the past continuous tense.

The past continuous tense is employed in a sentence to represent an action or event that was going on in the past. In other words, it shows the progress of the action or event at a specific time in the past. The past continuous tense is, therefore, also called the ‘past progressive tense’. Take a look at how different dictionaries define the past continuous tense so that you can develop a clear idea of what it is.

The past continuous tense, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is defined as “the grammatical form used for an action that someone was doing or an event that was happening at a particular time.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines the past continuous tense as “the tense used to talk about actions or behaviour that were begun and ended at some time in the past”, and according to the Collins Dictionary, it is defined as “a verb form consisting of an auxiliary be in the past tense followed by a present participle and used esp. to indicate that an action or event was incomplete or in progress at a point of reference in the past, as ‘was sleeping’ in I was sleeping when the phone rang .”

Conjugating a verb in the past continuous tense can be made easier if you know and understand its formula and structure.

Here is the formula with which you can structure a sentence in the past continuous tense.

Now, learn how to write a positive, negative, interrogative and negative interrogative sentence by looking at the following table and examples given.

Knowing how to structure the verb in the past continuous tense can make your task easy. A verb, when used in the past continuous tense, always takes a helping verb ( was or were ) and a main verb . The helping verb is followed by the main verb, which happens to be in the present participle form (gerund form – base verb +ing). The sentence should start with a subject when it is a positive or negative sentence. When the tense is used in an interrogative or negative interrogative sentence, it should start with the helping verb, followed by the subject and the main verb.

The past continuous tense can be put to use when,

• You want to convey parallel or simultaneous actions.

For example:

• Mercy was studying while her mom was cooking breakfast.
• She wasn’t listening properly when I was speaking.
• You want to speak about an overlapping action.
• I was watering the plants when my brother came home.
• When Joe was playing cricket, he sprained his ankle.
• You want to indicate an action at an overlapping time.
• At five o’clock, I was studying for the Maths exam.
• Yesterday, she was waiting for me in the evening.
• You want to emphasise an action or event that was taking place at some point in the past.
• He was working on his project all day.
• My mom was looking for these keys the whole day.
• You want to give details about the background of a story.
• When she woke up, the sun was shining , the birds were chirping , and the wind was swirling.
• The children were playing cricket, and the parents were watching happily.

Now, take a look at a few more examples to enrich your knowledge of past continuous tense.

• The band was playing The Best of Me.
• I was not preparing for the test though I was scared.
• Were you not sleeping yesterday when I came home?
• I was thinking about meeting you.
• Brendon was talking to his class teacher when we were leaving home.
• The whole gang was laughing at the boy who tripped and fell down.
• My cousin was watching the new series that was released yesterday.
• My friends were waiting for me the whole day.
• The children were shouting when the teacher entered the class.
• Even at midnight, we were sitting on the balcony and talking.
• The band was playing The Best of Me. 
• I was not preparing for the test though I was scared. 
• The whole gang was laughing at the boy who tripped and fell down. 
• My cousin was watching the new series that was released yesterday. 
• My friends were waiting for me the whole day. 
• Even at midnight, we were sitting on the balcony and talking. 
• It was snowing yesterday.
• They were eating at the restaurant.
• You were working yesterday.
• I was studying last night.
• I was waiting for the cab when I met Raj.
• The children were shouting when the teacher came in.
• It was midnight when it was raining .
• Everyone was clapping .
• Raj was practising the guitar after classes.
• The baby was laughing when I came into the room.
• The children were playing in the garden.
• The girls were dancing as the music played.
• The child was eating an apple.
• Trina was going to the library.
• The dog was barking in the night.
• The students were not studying for the test.
• The armies were going to war.
• My mother was baking a cake for me.
• The birds were chirping in the sky.
• The kite was flying in the sky.

Fill in the blanks with the right form of the past continuous tense using the verbs given in the brackets.

1. Oshin _________ (prepare) dinner.

2. ______ he _________ (drive – negative) the car?

3. I ___________ (watch) TV when my mom came.

4. Sheela __________ (play) the lead role in the skit.

5. Yesterday, we _____________ (clean) the house when the guests arrived.

6. She ______________ (do – negative) what the teacher had asked her to do.

7. _______ you ________ (feel – negative) good yesterday?

8. I _________ (plan) to dance at my cousin’s wedding.

9. The train __________ (run) late by an hour.

10. We ___________ (go) to buy new clothes for all of us.

Find out if you answered it all correctly from the answers given below.

1. Oshin was preparing dinner.

2. Wasn’t he driving the car?

3. I was watching TV when my mom came.

4. Sheela was playing the lead role in the skit.

5. Yesterday, we were cleaning the house when the guests arrived.

6. She was not doing what the teacher had asked her to do.

7. Were you not feeling good yesterday?

8. I was planning to dance at my cousin’s wedding.

9. The train was running late by an hour.

10. We were going to buy new clothes for all of us.

What is the past continuous tense?

The past continuous tense is employed in a sentence to represent an action or event that was going on in the past. In other words, it shows the progress of the action or event at a specific time in the past. The past continuous tense is, therefore, also called the ‘past progressive tense’.

What is the definition of the past continuous tense?

The past continuous tense, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is defined as “the grammatical form used for an action that someone was doing or an event that was happening at a particular time.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines the past continuous tense as “the tense used to talk about actions or behaviour that were begun and ended at some time in the past”, and according to the Collins Dictionary, it is defined as “a verb form consisting of an auxiliary be in the past tense followed by a present participle and used esp. to indicate that an action or event was incomplete or in progress at a point of reference in the past, as ‘was sleeping’ in I was sleeping when the phone rang.”

What is the formula of the past continuous tense?

Understanding the past continuous tense could be made easy if you know the formula of the past continuous tense. The formula is as follows: Subject + was/were + present participle (verb+ing) + the rest of the sentence

What are the uses of the past continuous tense?

Given below are the various reasons for which the past continuous tense can be used.

• To convey parallel or simultaneous actions.
• To speak about an overlapping action.
• To indicate an action at an overlapping time.
• To emphasise an action or event that was taking place at some point in the past.
• To give details about the background of a story.

Give some examples of the past continuous tense.

Here are a few examples of sentences using the past continuous tense.

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Past Perfect Continuous Tense

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Past Perfect Continuous Tense refers to actions or events that were ongoing in the past and continued up to another point in the past. It’s formed using “had been” + verb + “-ing.” This tense emphasizes the duration of an action that occurred before another action or point in the past. For example, “She had been studying for hours before the exam.”

What is Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is a verb form used to describe actions or situations that were ongoing in the past and continued up to a specific point in the past. It is formed by combining “had been” with the present participle form of the main verb (-ing form). This tense emphasizes the duration of an action that occurred before another action or point in the past.

For example, consider the sentence: “She had been waiting for the bus for over an hour when it finally arrived.” In this sentence, the Past Perfect Continuous Tense “had been waiting” indicates that the action of waiting started before a specific time in the past and continued up to that point, which is when the bus finally arrived.

Formula of Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Rules of past perfect continuous tense.

The rules for using the Past Perfect Continuous Tense are as follows:

• Formation : It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “had been” followed by the present participle (verb + “-ing”).
• Continuous Action in the Past : It is used to describe actions or events that were ongoing in the past and continued up to a specific point in the past.
• Duration Emphasis : It emphasizes the duration of an action that occurred before another action or point in the past.
• Time Reference : It often involves time expressions such as “for” (indicating duration) and “since” (indicating starting point).
• Narrative Past : It is commonly used in storytelling to provide background information or set the scene for past events.
• Multiple Actions : It can be used to show that one action was in progress while another action or event occurred.

Uses of the Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used in English for several purposes:

• Continuous Actions in the Past : It describes actions or events that were ongoing in the past and continued up to a specific point or another action in the past.
• Background Information : It provides background information in storytelling or narratives, setting the scene for past events.

Examples of the Past Perfect Continuous Tense

• She had been studying for hours before the exam.
• They had been waiting at the bus stop when the bus finally arrived.
• He had been working on the project for weeks before he completed it.
• By the time they arrived, she had been cooking dinner for two hours.
• The children had been playing outside all afternoon before it started raining.
• We had been driving for hours when we finally reached our destination.
• By the time I woke up, she had been practicing the piano for hours.
• They had been hiking for days before they reached the summit.
• She had been talking on the phone for hours before it suddenly disconnected.
• The team had been training hard for months before the competition.

Differences between Past Continuous Tense and Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The main differences between the Past Continuous Tense and the Past Perfect Continuous Tense are as follows:

1. Timing of the Action : Past Continuous Tense: It describes actions or events that were ongoing at a specific point in the past. Past Perfect Continuous Tense: It describes actions or events that were ongoing in the past and continued up to a specific point or another action in the past. 2. Formation : Past Continuous Tense: It is formed by using the past tense of the verb “to be” (was/were) with the base form of the main verb plus the “-ing” suffix. Past Perfect Continuous Tense: It is formed by using “had been” with the present participle (verb + “-ing”). 3. Usage : Past Continuous Tense: It is used to describe ongoing actions or events in the past, often with a specific time reference. 4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense : It is used to emphasize the duration of an action that occurred before another action or point in the past. Example: Past Continuous Tense: “She was studying when the phone rang.” Past Perfect Continuous Tense: “She had been studying for hours before the phone rang.”

FAQ’s

What are some common time expressions used with the past perfect continuous tense.

Time expressions such as “for” (indicating duration) and “since” (indicating starting point) are commonly used with this tense.

Is the Past Perfect Continuous Tense commonly used in everyday conversation?

While it is not as commonly used as other tenses in everyday conversation, it is frequently found in written narratives, storytelling, and formal writing.

How does the Past Perfect Continuous Tense differ from the Past Continuous Tense?

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense emphasizes the duration of an action leading up to another point in the past, while the Past Continuous Tense describes ongoing actions at a specific time in the past.

Can the Past Perfect Continuous Tense be used with all verbs?

Yes, the Past Perfect Continuous Tense can be used with all verbs to describe ongoing actions in the past.

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