Preparing your learning mission…

AcadeMY icon
Lv 1
Grammar mission 05

Past Continuous Tense

Talk about actions that were happening at a particular moment in the past.

Form 1Learn at your pace0% read
Student walking under an umbrella in the rain, showing an action already in progress in the past.

It was already happening.

Mission brief

Talk about what was already happening

Past continuous describes an action that was already in progress at a particular time in the past.

By the end of this mission, you will know how to form it, use it with when and while, and tell it apart from the simple past.

Match was / wereForm verb-ingUse when and while

Big idea

The action was in progress at that moment

past
action in progress
nowWas happening · at that moment
At 8 p.m.

I was studying at 8 p.m.

The studying had already started at that time.

Interrupted

She was sleeping when I called.

The sleeping was already in progress when the call came.

In the evening

They were playing football in the evening.

The game was underway during that part of the day.

On the way

We were walking home.

The walk was in progress, not finished.

How it works

Basic formula

Subject+was / were+verb-ing

I was reading. · She was sleeping. · They were playing.

Watch out: you need both parts — a past be-verb and a main verb ending in -ing.

Control panel

Choose was or were

I / He / She / It

was

I was studying.

He was running.

You / We / They

were

We were waiting.

They were talking.

They was playing. They were playing.

Verb transformation

Adding -ing

play → playingmake → makingrun → running
Most verbs+ ingplay → playing · read → reading · study → studying
Final silent edrop e + ingmake → making · write → writing
Short CVC verbsdouble + ingrun → running · swim → swimming
Already know this?

These are exactly the same -ing rules you used in the present continuous. Only the be-verb changes: am/is/are becomes was/were.

See it in action

Action in progress at a past time

Several everyday activities shown while they were still happening at a past moment.
At 8 p.m.

At 8 p.m., I was doing my homework.

The homework was underway at that exact time.

At noon

At noon, she was having lunch.

Lunch had started and was not finished.

At that time

At that time, they were watching TV.

They takes were, and the verb becomes watching.

At 7 a.m.

At 7 a.m., we were waiting for the bus.

The waiting was in progress at that moment.

The key pattern

Interrupted action

A long action was already in progress when a shorter action interrupted it.

Long action
I was cooking dinner
Short event
the phone rang

I was cooking dinner when the phone rang.

Past continuous

The long, ongoing action

was cooking

Simple past

The short action that interrupts

rang

Watch out: this kind of sentence uses two different tenses on purpose — one for the background action, one for the interruption.

Linking word

When

When usually introduces the shorter action — the one that interrupts.

When

I was sleeping when the alarm rang.

The alarm is the short interrupting event.

When

She was cooking when I arrived.

Arriving happened during the cooking.

Linking word

While

While connects two actions happening at the same time.

I was reading
she was cooking

I was reading while she was cooking.

While

While I was studying, my brother was watching TV.

Both actions were in progress together.

While

They were talking while they were walking home.

Two ongoing actions share the same stretch of time.

Compare it

When vs while

When

Introduces the interrupting action

I was sleeping when the phone rang.

long action + short event

While

Connects two ongoing actions

I was cooking while she was studying.

two actions at the same time

wheninterruptswhilesame time

Negative structures

Add not after was or were

Subject+was / were+not+verb-ing
I

I was not sleeping.

You can also say: I wasn't sleeping.

She

She was not studying.

You can also say: She wasn't studying.

They

They were not playing.

You can also say: They weren't playing.

was not → wasn'twere not → weren't

Question structures

Move was or were before the subject

Was / Were+subject+verb-ing?
Were

Were you studying?

Yes, I was. · No, I wasn't.

Was

Was she sleeping?

Yes, she was. · No, she wasn't.

Were

Were they playing?

Yes, they were. · No, they weren't.

Compare it

Simple Past vs Past Continuous

Simple past

I played football yesterday.

Student after a finished football game.

yesterday · finished action

Past continuous

I was playing football at 5 p.m.

Same student mid-game, with the football action still in progress.

at 5 p.m. · in progress at that moment

yesterdaysimple pastat 5 p.m.past continuous

Common mistakes

Error detector

Error scan

I was study at 8 p.m.

Error scan

They was playing football.

Error scan

She were sleeping.

Error scan

I studying when you called.

Error scan

We were play football.

Real-life English

Talking about last night

Aiman What were you doing last night?

Sara I was studying.

Aiman Were you studying when I messaged you?

Sara Yes. I was finishing my homework.

Test yourself

Quick check

1At 9 p.m., I ___ my homework.
2They ___ football when it started to rain.
3Choose the correct sentence.
4I was studying ___ the phone rang.
5While I was reading, my brother ___ TV.
0/5 correct · Answer each card to check your understanding.

Revision map

Mission summary

Past continuous

action in progress at a past moment

Formula

subject + was / were + verb-ing

Was / were match

I/he/she/it → was · you/we/they → were

Negative

subject + wasn't / weren't + verb-ing

Question

Was / Were + subject + verb-ing?

Common clues

at 8 p.m. · at that moment · while · when

Exam strategy

Exam booster

Look for a specific past moment such as at 8 p.m., or an interrupting event.

Choose was or were correctly for the subject.

The main verb must end in -ing — a lone -ing verb is not a full sentence.

When usually introduces the shorter, interrupting action.

While usually connects two actions happening together.

Decide whether the action is finished (simple past) or ongoing (past continuous).

Worked example: “At 8 p.m., Amir ___ his homework.” At 8 p.m. names a past moment and the homework was already underway, so: Amir was doing his homework.

Mission review point

Past Continuous complete

Your saved reading progress reaches Completed after every lesson section has been read.