Past Continuous
The Past Continuous is also called the past progressive tense. This tense is used to talk about longer past activities that ended in the past. In the Past Continuous, we use verbs in the present participle (verb-ing).
Affirmative sentences in Past Continuous
Sentences in the Past Continuous are formed with the past form of to be (i.e. was/were) and the main verb in the present participle.
Subject + was/were + verb-ing + the rest of the sentence
I was reading a book.
In the Past Continuous, it’s important to remember that to be in the first and third-person singular takes on the form was, instead of were.
You were reading a book.
He was reading a book.
He was reading a book.
Negative sentences in Past Continuous
Negative sentences are formed by adding not between was/were and the verb-ing.
Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing + the rest of the sentence
I was not reading a book.
Questions in Past Continuous
We form questions by the inversion of was/were.
Was/Were + subject + verb-ing + the rest of the sentence
Were you reading a book?
The Usage of Past Continuous
We use the Past Continuous to talk about:
+ a longer past activity that was interrupted by a shorter activity or event
I was frying eggs when the phone rang.
Avah was watching TV when the mailman rang the bell.
Avah was watching TV when the mailman rang the bell.
+ longer activities happening at a specific time in the past (activities happening before and after a specific time)
Last Friday at 10 a.m. I was attending the meeting with Fred.
We were eating dinner at 7 p.m.
We were eating dinner at 7 p.m.
+ two actions happening at the same time
I was not paying attention when he was giving the lecture.
Adam was cooking dinner while she was cleaning the house.
Adam was cooking dinner while she was cleaning the house.
+ a past activity lasting for a while
They were traveling all day yesterday.
I was waiting for you for hours.
I was waiting for you for hours.
+ the setting of the story or the background information
When I arrived at the office Adam was working on the computer, the phone was ringing, and my boss was yelling at our company’s new staff member.
The beach was brimming with activity, people were laying on their towels, some children were building a sandcastle and a couple of teenagers were swimming in the sea.
The beach was brimming with activity, people were laying on their towels, some children were building a sandcastle and a couple of teenagers were swimming in the sea.
+ repeated activities in the past, happening again and again
I was meeting with him nearly every day.
They were always arguing.
They were always arguing.
+ change and growth in the past
My English was improving quickly.
We were all getting smarter.
We were all getting smarter.
+ annoying habits from the past
Your predecessor was always arriving late to work.
Before he quit, he was constantly complaining about work.
Before he quit, he was constantly complaining about work.
Other Past Tenses in English
