Past Continuous: How to Talk About What Was Happening

Have you ever wanted to explain what you were doing at a particular time in the past?

For example:

• I was cooking dinner at 7 p.m.
• She was studying when I called.
• They were walking home when it started to rain.

In these sentences, we use the Past Continuous to talk about an action that was in progress at a particular time in the past.

This article explains how to form and use the Past Continuous, common time expressions, and how to avoid some common mistakes.

What Is the Past Continuous?

The Past Continuous describes an action that was happening or was in progress at a specific time in the past.

Basic form

was/were + verb-ing

For example:

• I was working.
• She was cooking.
• We were studying.
• They were watching TV.

Remember:

I / he / she / it → was

you / we / they → were

Past Continuous: Reference Table

Usage	Form	Example
An action in progress at a specific time	was/were + verb-ing	I was working at 8 p.m.
An action in progress when another action happened	was/were + verb-ing	She was sleeping when I called.
Two actions happening at the same time	was/were + verb-ing	I was cooking while my husband was watchingTV.
Describing the background of a past event	was/were + verb-ing	People were walking around the park.
A temporary situation in the past	was/were + verb-ing	I was staying with my sister that week.

PAST CONTINUOUS USAGE

1. An Action Happening at a Specific Time

Use the Past Continuous when an action was in progress at a particular moment in the past.

The action may have started before that time and continued after it.

Examples

• At 6 p.m., I was making dinner.
• At 10 o’clock last night, she was studying.
• They were driving home at 5 p.m.
• We were having lunch at noon.

The important idea is that the action was happening at that time.

Compare:

I cooked dinner at 6 p.m.
→ This tells us about the completed activity.

I was cooking dinner at 6 p.m.
→ This tells us what was happening at that moment.

2. An Action That Was Happening When Something Else Happened

This is one of the most common uses of the Past Continuous.

We often use:

Past Continuous + when + Simple Past

The longer action is usually in the Past Continuous. The shorter action is usually in the Simple Past.

Examples

• I was walking home when it started to rain.
• She was taking a shower when the phone rang.
• We were watching TV when the lights went out.
• He was driving to work when he saw an accident.

Think about the timeline:

I was walking home → it started to rain

The walking was already in progress when the rain started.

3. Two Actions Happening at the Same Time

Use the Past Continuous when two actions were happening at the same time.

We often use while.

Examples

• I was cooking while my children were playing.
• She was studying while her brother was watching TV.
• They were talking while they were waiting for the bus.
• I was doing the dishes while my husband was cleaning the kitchen.

Remember:

while + action in progress

I was reading while she was watching TV.

4. Describing the Background of a Story

The Past Continuous is useful when we describe what was happening around a particular event.

Example

It was a beautiful summer evening. People were walking in the park, children were playing near the playground, and some families were having a picnic.

The Past Continuous helps create the background of the story.

Then we can use the Simple Past for the main events:

Suddenly, a dog ran across the park. A little girl started to laugh.

5. Temporary Situations in the Past

The Past Continuous can also describe something temporary that was happening during a period in the past.

Examples

• I was staying with my sister that week.
• She was working at a restaurant during the summer.
• We were living in Toronto at that time.
• He was taking an English course last year.

The focus is on the situation as something happening during that period.

Common Time Expressions with the Past Continuous

These expressions are often used with the Past Continuous:

Time expression	Example
at 5 p.m.	I was working at 5 p.m.
at that time	She was living in Canada at that time.
at that moment	They were talking at that moment.
then	I was working then.
when	I was sleeping when you called.
while	She was cooking while I was cleaning.
all morning	We were studying all morning.
all afternoon	They were working all afternoon.
all evening	I was preparing for my exam all evening.
from 2 to 4 p.m.	She was working from 2 to 4 p.m..
this time yesterday	I was driving home this time yesterday.

How to Form the Past Continuous

Positive Sentences

Subject + was/were + verb-ing

Subject	Form	Example
I	was + verb-ing	I was working.
He	was + verb-ing	He was studying.
She	was + verb-ing	She was cooking.
It	was + verb-ing	It was raining.
You	were + verb-ing	You were working.
We	were + verb-ing	We were studying.
They	were + verb-ing	They were sleeping.

Negative Sentences

Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing

Examples:

• I was not working.
• She wasn’t sleeping.
• We were not watching TV.
• They weren’t listening.

Short forms

was not → wasn’t

were not → weren’t

Questions

Put was/were before the subject.

Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?

Examples:

• Was she working?
• Were they sleeping?
• Were you studying?
• Was he driving?

WH-questions

WH-word + was/were + subject + verb-ing?

• What were you doing?
• Where was she going?
• Why were they laughing?
• What was he cooking?

Past Continuous vs. Simple Past

This is an important difference.

Simple Past

Use the Simple Past for a completed action or event.

I watched TV last night.

Past Continuous

Use the Past Continuous to focus on an action that was in progress.

I was watching TV at 8 p.m.

Together

We often use both tenses in the same sentence:

I was watching TV when my friend called.

was watching = action in progress
called = shorter completed event

Common Mistakes

❌ I was watch TV.

✅ I was watching TV.

Remember:

was/were + verb-ing

❌ They was working.

✅ They were working.

Use was with I/he/she/it.

Use were with you/we/they.

❌ I were studying.

✅ I was studying.

❌ She was cook dinner.

✅ She was cooking dinner.

Practice

Practice Activity 1: Complete the Sentences

Complete each sentence with the Past Continuous form of the verb in brackets.

1. I __________ dinner at 7 p.m. (make)
2. She __________ for her English test. (study)
3. They __________ football in the park. (play)
4. We __________ TV when you called. (watch)
5. He __________ home from work. (drive)
6. The children __________ in the garden. (play)
7. It __________ when I left the house. (rain)
8. You __________ very quickly. (speak)

Practice Activity 2: Past Continuous or Simple Past?

Choose the correct form of the verb.

1. I was walking / walked home when I saw my friend.
2. She was cooking / cooked dinner at 6 p.m.
3. We were watching / watched TV when the phone rang.
4. They were going / went to the store yesterday.
5. He was driving / drove when he received the message.
6. I was studying / studied English from 7 to 9 p.m.
7. The children were playing / played outside when it started to rain.
8. She was visiting / visited her parents last weekend.

Practice Activity 3: Make Sentences

Use the words to make complete sentences.

Example:

I / cook / dinner / at 7 p.m.

→ I was cooking dinner at 7 p.m.

1. she / study / at 9 p.m.
2. they / play / soccer / when it started raining
3. we / watch / TV / when the phone rang
4. he / drive / to work / at 8 a.m.
5. I / clean / the kitchen / while my children were playing

Practice Activity 4: What Were You Doing?

Answer these questions using the Past Continuous.

1. What were you doing at 7 p.m. yesterday?
2. What were you doing when you received your last text message?
3. What were you doing this time yesterday?
4. What were you doing while you were waiting for the bus or train?
5. What were you doing when you last heard someone knock on the door?

Try to answer using complete sentences.

Example:

At 7 p.m. yesterday, I was making dinner.

Quick Review

Remember these three important patterns:

1. Action in progress at a specific time

I was working at 6 p.m.

2. Action in progress + shorter event

I was working when she called.

3. Two actions happening at the same time

I was cooking while she was cleaning.

Past Continuous Reference Table

	Form	Example
Positive	subject + was/were + verb-ing	She was working.
Negative	subject + was/were + not + verb-ing	She wasn’t working.
Yes/No question	Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?	Was she working?
WH-question	WH + was/were + subject + verb-ing?	What was she doing?
With when	Past Continuous + when + Simple Past	I was sleeping when he called.
With while	Past Continuous + while + Past Continuous	I was cooking while she was cleaning.

One Easy Rule to Remember

When you want to describe what was happening at a particular moment in the past, think:

WAS/WERE + -ING

I was working.
She was studying.
We were eating.
They were playing.

The Past Continuous helps your listener see an action in progress in the past.