Past Continuous: Form, Uses and Examples
The past continuous tells us what was in progress at a moment in the past. It sets the scene in stories and shows an action that something else interrupted.
By LearnLingo Team · Updated
Form
| Subject | Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I was working. | I wasn't working. | Was I working? |
| You | You were working. | You weren't working. | Were you working? |
| He, she, it | She was working. | She wasn't working. | Was she working? |
| We | We were working. | We weren't working. | Were we working? |
| They | They were working. | They weren't working. | Were they working? |
Wasn't = was not and weren't = were not. Use was with I, he, she and it, and were with you, we and they. The main verb always takes -ing.
| Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Were you sleeping? | Yes, I was. | No, I wasn't. |
| Was it raining? | Yes, it was. | No, it wasn't. |
| Were they waiting for us? | Yes, they were. | No, they weren't. |
| Was he driving? | Yes, he was. | No, he wasn't. |
Short answers repeat was or were, not the -ing verb. Say Yes, I was, not Yes, I was sleeping, unless you want to add more.
| Verb ending | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Most verbs | add -ing | work, working; read, reading; play, playing |
| Silent -e | drop the e and add -ing | make, making; write, writing; drive, driving |
| -ie | change ie to y and add -ing | lie, lying; die, dying; tie, tying |
| One vowel + one consonant, stressed | double the last consonant | run, running; sit, sitting; stop, stopping; begin, beginning |
| Ends in -w, -x or -y | never double | snow, snowing; fix, fixing; stay, staying |
In British English, verbs ending in vowel + l double the l even when the last syllable is not stressed: travelling. American English usually writes traveling.
| Past simple | Past continuous |
|---|---|
| A finished, complete action: I read a book yesterday. | An action in progress, not finished at that moment: I was reading at nine. |
| Short actions, one after another: I got up, showered and left. | Two longer actions at the same time: I was cooking while he was cleaning. |
| The short action that interrupts: when the phone rang | The longer action that is interrupted: I was having a bath |
| The main events of a story | The background and the scene of a story |
How to make the past continuous
The past continuous has two parts: the past of be (was or were) and a verb with -ing. Use was with I, he, she and it, and were with you, we and they.
For negatives, add not: wasn't or weren't. For questions, put was or were before the subject: Were you sleeping? With question words, the word order is the same: What were you doing?
It is the past form of the present continuous. If you can say I am working, you can move it to the past: I was working.
I was talking to my sister when you called.
The children were playing in the garden all afternoon.
She wasn't listening, so she missed the instructions.
What were you doing at eight last night?
Was it snowing when you left the house?
An action in progress at a time in the past
We use the past continuous to say that an action was happening at a particular moment in the past. The action started before that moment and continued after it. We do not know or care when it finished.
Compare: At seven o'clock I had dinner (I started at seven) and At seven o'clock I was having dinner (I was in the middle of dinner at seven). Common time phrases are at 6 p.m., at this time yesterday, at midnight and all morning.
At ten o'clock last night, I was watching a film.
This time yesterday, we were flying to Lisbon.
He was working in Berlin in 2019.
A temporary situation in the past, not one moment.
It was raining all morning, so we stayed inside.
Interrupted actions with when and while
The most common use is a longer action that is interrupted by a shorter one. The longer action uses the past continuous. The short action that interrupts it uses the past simple.
We usually use when before the short action and while before the long action: I was cooking when the phone rang. While I was cooking, the phone rang. Both sentences mean the same.
If the clause with when or while comes first, put a comma after it. If it comes second, you do not need a comma.
I was walking home when I saw an old friend.
While we were having lunch, the lights went out.
She cut her finger while she was chopping onions.
When the teacher came in, the students were talking.
When the teacher came in, the students stopped talking.
Past simple: they stopped after she came in. The meaning changes.
Two actions at the same time
When two longer actions were happening at the same time, we can use the past continuous for both. While is the usual linking word here.
For two short actions one after the other, use the past simple for both: When she arrived, we started the meeting.
While I was studying, my flatmate was playing loud music.
Dad was washing the dishes and Mum was reading the paper.
We were chatting while we were waiting for the bus.
Setting the scene in a story
Writers and speakers use the past continuous at the start of a story to describe the background: the weather, what people were doing, the atmosphere. Then they switch to the past simple for the main events.
This contrast makes stories easy to follow. The past continuous paints the picture; the past simple moves the action forward. For longer stories with events that happened even earlier, you will also need the past perfect.
It was getting dark and a cold wind was blowing. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
The sun was shining and birds were singing when we arrived at the lake.
Everyone was dancing, but Tom was sitting alone in the corner.
Verbs we do not use in the past continuous
State verbs describe feelings, thoughts and possession, not actions. We usually use them in the past simple, even for a moment in the past. Common examples are know, like, love, want, need, believe, understand, own and seem. See stative verbs for the full list.
Say I knew the answer, not I was knowing the answer. Some verbs, like think and have, can be both: I was thinking about you (an action in my mind) but I thought it was a good idea (an opinion).
I didn't understand what he was saying.
She was having a shower when I got home.
Have is an action here (taking a shower), so -ing is fine.
We wanted to leave, but the rain didn't stop.
In real life
In conversation, the past continuous is very common when people tell short stories, explain why they missed something, or say what they were doing when they heard news. People also use it to sound softer and more polite: I was wondering if you could help me sounds gentler than Can you help me?
In speech we almost always use the short forms wasn't and weren't. Practise the question What were you doing when...? because it is a natural way to start a conversation about the past.
Sorry I missed your call. I was driving.
I was wondering if you're free on Friday.
A polite, indirect way to ask.
What were you doing when you heard the news?
We weren't expecting so many people to come!
Common mistakes
I was work at nine o'clock.
I was working at nine o'clock.
The past continuous needs both parts: was or were and the -ing form. Without -ing the sentence is not correct.
They was waiting outside.
They were waiting outside.
Use were with you, we and they. Was is only for I, he, she and it.
When I was arriving, the film started.
When I arrived, the film was starting. Or: When I arrived, the film had started.
Short, quick actions like arrive normally use the past simple. Use the past continuous for the longer background action.
I was knowing his name.
I knew his name.
Know is a state verb, so it is not normally used in continuous forms. Use the past simple instead.
While I cooked, I was burning my hand.
While I was cooking, I burned my hand.
The long action takes the past continuous and the short, sudden action takes the past simple, not the other way round.
Practice quiz
10 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
1. At eight o'clock last night, I ___ dinner.
2. They ___ for the bus when it started to rain.
3. Choose the correct sentence.
4. ___ you sleeping when I called?
5. What does I was reading when you arrived mean?
6. Was it raining? No, it ___.
7. She cut her finger while she ___ vegetables.
8. Choose the correct sentence.
9. When the teacher came in, the students ___ talking, and the room went quiet.
10. While Ana was studying, her brother ___ video games.
0 of 10 answered
Show all answers
- was having
- were waiting
- While I was walking home, I saw a fox.
- Were
- I was in the middle of reading when you arrived.
- wasn't
- was chopping
- I wanted a new phone.
- stopped
- was playing
See what the A2 English course covers, or test your level first.
People also ask
What is the difference between the past simple and the past continuous?+
The past simple describes a finished action, often a short one: I called her. The past continuous describes an action in progress at a time in the past, often as background: I was calling her when the doorbell rang. Together they show which action was longer and which one interrupted it.
Do we use when or while with the past continuous?+
Use while before a longer action (while I was cooking) and when before a short action (when the phone rang). In everyday English, when can also introduce the long action, but while is never used for a short, sudden event.
Is the past continuous the same as the past progressive?+
Yes. Past continuous and past progressive are two names for the same tense. British teaching materials usually say continuous, and many American books say progressive.
Can I use the past continuous for habits in the past?+
Usually no. For past habits, use the past simple, used to or would: I walked to school every day, I used to walk to school. The past continuous with always can show an annoying habit, though: He was always losing his keys.
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