Past Continuous Tense (Examples, Rules & Worksheet)

Published April 23, 2024

The past continuous tense (also called the past progressive) shows actions that were ongoing at a previous time. Learn how to form, use, and avoid common mistakes with the past continuous tense.

Verbs

Past Continuous Tense (Examples, Rules & Worksheet)

What is the past continuous tense?

The past continuous (also called the past progressive) describes actions or events that were ongoing at a specific time in the past. We use the past continuous to show interrupted past actions and emphasize duration.

Formula: was / were + present participle (the -ing form of the verb)
Use was for I, he, she, it (singular subjects)
Use were for you, we, they (plural and second person singular)

Examples of the past continuous tense

She was making dinner when I arrived.
They were laughing at the joke all night.
I was driving home at 7 PM.

When to use the past continuous?

To show an interrupted ongoing action in the past

I was showering when the doorbell rang.
They were playing soccer until it started to rain.

To set the scene or describe background actions

The sun was setting and birds were singing.
People were chatting while the music played.

To emphasize the duration of an action

He was studying all night for the test.
We were waiting for hours.

For habitual or repeated actions in the past (often with adverbs like always or constantly)

She was always losing her keys back then.
My neighbors were constantly arguing.

How NOT to use the past continuous (stative verbs)

Stative verbs (verbs that express a state rather than an action) generally don’t work in the past continuous. These include verbs like know, want, believe, understand, need, like, love, prefer, seem, and belong.

Incorrect: I was knowing the answer.
Correct: I knew the answer.

Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic, depending on meaning.

Stative: I thought you were right.
Dynamic: I was thinking about your idea.

Common mistakes with the past continuous

Using it for short or completed actions (use simple past instead)

Incorrect: She was dropping her keys.
Correct: She dropped her keys.

Forgetting subject-verb agreement with was and were

Incorrect: You was eating.
Correct: You were eating.

Using stative verbs in continuous tenses (see above)

Omitting time markers or context

I was eating. (When? Add context for clarity.)

Past continuous vs. simple past

Use the past continuous for ongoing actions, and the simple past for completed actions or when describing a sequence.

I was reading when he called. (ongoing action interrupted)
I read the book and went to bed. (sequence of completed actions)

Past continuous vs. past perfect continuous

The past continuous shows an action in progress in the past, possibly continuing after another event. The past perfect continuous (had been + -ing verb) shows an action that had been happening up to a specific point and usually stopped.

She was sleeping when I got home. (still sleeping)
She had been sleeping when I got home. (probably stopped sleeping)

Do You Always Need a Specific Time?
Not always. Sometimes the time is understood from context, or it’s relative to another event:

I was singing when you called.
The team was practicing every evening that summer.

Past continuous with modal verbs

Combine modal verbs with the past continuous to talk about possibility or ability in the past:

I could have been dreaming.
They might have been running late.

Quick recap

Use was/were + verb-ing for ongoing past actions.
Don’t use stative verbs in this tense.
The past continuous is great for background, interruptions, and actions in progress.
Make sure your sentence has clear time context, either explicit or implied.

Examples:

We were having dinner when the lights went out.
At 10 PM, I was still working.
She was always bringing cookies to school.

Worksheet: Past continuous quiz

Question 1 of 5

I ________ (read) when you called me.

was reading
read
had read

They ________ (watch) TV when the lights went out.

were watching
watched
had watched

She ________ (cook) dinner when her friend arrived.

was cooking
cooked
had cooked

We ________ (play) outside when it started to rain.

were playing
played
had played

At 8 PM, I ________ (study) for my exam.

was studying
studied
had studied

FAQs: The past continuous tense

Q: What is the past continuous tense?

A: The past continuous tense describes actions that were ongoing at a specific point in the past, often interrupted by another event or happening as background to another action.

Q: How do you form the past continuous?

A: Use was/were + [present participle] (the -ing form of the verb). For example, "She was reading," or "They were playing."

Q: When should I not use the past continuous?

A: Avoid using the past continuous with stative verbs (like know, believe, need, etc.). Use the simple past instead, e.g., "I knew the answer."

Q: What’s the difference between past continuous and past perfect continuous?

A: The past continuous describes an action in progress at a certain time in the past. The past perfect continuous describes an action that was ongoing before another past action and often stopped at that point.