The past continuous, also called the past progressive, shows that an action was in progress at a certain moment in the past: it started before that moment and was still going on at that time. It is the tense of background scenes in stories: the sun was shining, people were talking, and someone was playing the guitar.
The form is simple: was or were + a verb with -ing. The harder part is choosing between the past continuous and the past simple. Think of a scene in a movie: the past continuous describes what was going on in the background, and the past simple tells you what suddenly happened, like a phone ringing or a door opening. When and while help you join the two.
How to form the past continuous
Use was with I, he, she and it. Use were with you, we and they. Then add the main verb with -ing.
| Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | subject + was/were + verb-ing | I was reading a magazine. They were playing basketball. |
| Negative | subject + was/were + not + verb-ing | She wasn't listening. We weren't sleeping. |
| Question | (Question word +) was/were + subject + verb-ing? | Were you working at six? What was he doing? |
| Short answers | Yes, subject + was/were. / No, subject + wasn't/weren't. | Yes, I was. No, they weren't. |
- Contractions: wasn't = was not, weren't = were not. Was and were have no short positive forms, so write them in full: I was working, you were waiting.
- Spelling of -ing: add -ing to most verbs (read → reading); drop a silent -e (ride → riding); change -ie to -y (lie → lying); and double the last consonant when a one-syllable verb ends in one vowel + one consonant (sit → sitting, swim → swimming), but not w, x or y (snow → snowing). American English writes traveling; British English writes travelling.
- Pronunciation: in a normal sentence, was and were are unstressed and short (was sounds like /wəz/). They are stressed in short answers and negatives: Yes, I was. No, it wasn't.
- State verbs such as know, want, like, need, believe, understand and belong are not normally used in the continuous: I knew her name (not I was knowing her name).
When to use the past continuous
1. An action in progress at a time in the past
Use the past continuous to say what was happening at a particular moment in the past. The action started before that moment and was not finished yet.
- At seven o'clock this morning, I was jogging in the park.
- "Where were you at six?" "I was waiting for the bus."
- This time last year, we were living in Denver.
2. A longer action interrupted by a shorter one
Use the past continuous for the longer action and the past simple for the shorter action that happened in the middle of it. When usually comes before the shorter action, and while before the longer one.
- I was taking a shower when the doorbell rang.
- When the teacher came in, the students were talking loudly.
- While she was driving to work, she saw an accident.
3. Two actions in progress at the same time
When two longer actions were happening at the same time, use the past continuous for both. While is the most common linking word here.
- While I was cooking, my roommate was setting the table.
- The kids were playing outside while their parents were talking.
- Was anyone watching our bags while we were buying the tickets?
4. The background of a story
Stories often begin with the past continuous to describe the scene. The past simple then tells us the main events.
- It was a dark night. Rain was falling, and the wind was blowing hard.
- The sun was shining, and children were swimming in the lake.
- Everyone was dancing and laughing. Suddenly, the lights went out.
5. An activity that continued for a whole period
With expressions like all day, all morning and all evening, the past continuous shows that an activity continued for the whole time. The past simple is also correct here; it just presents the activity as one complete event.
- I was studying all evening, so I didn't see your message.
- It was raining all day yesterday.
- They were working on the project all weekend.
Words that often go with the past continuous
- while
- when
- as
- at that moment
- at the time
- at ten o'clock last night
- all day yesterday
- all morning
- all evening
- this time last year
- still
These words are clues, not rules. When can also join two actions in the past simple, one after the other: When the bus came, we got on (first the bus came, then we got on). If a sentence begins with when or while, put a comma after the first part: While we were eating, it started to snow.
Examples
Positive
- I was listening to a podcast on the way to work.
- At nine last night, we were having dinner with friends.
- My sister was living in Chicago when she met her husband.
- The kids were making a lot of noise, so I closed the door.
Negative
- I wasn't sleeping when you called. I was just resting.
- They weren't paying attention during the lesson.
- She wasn't wearing a coat, so she felt cold.
- We weren't expecting visitors, so the house was a mess.
Questions
- What were you doing at ten o'clock last night?
- Was it snowing when you left the office?
- Who were you talking to on the phone?
- Were they still waiting when you got there?
Past continuous or past simple?
Both tenses talk about the past. The past simple presents an action as complete: it started and finished. The past continuous shows an action in progress, in the middle of happening. Many sentences need both: the past continuous for the background and the past simple for the event.
| Past continuous | Past simple |
|---|---|
| I was painting the bedroom yesterday. (in progress; maybe it isn't finished) | I painted the bedroom yesterday. (the job is finished) |
| When we arrived, they were having dinner. (dinner started before we arrived) | When we arrived, they had dinner. (first we arrived, then they ate) |
| At seven, I was making breakfast. (I started before seven) | At seven, I made breakfast. (I started at seven) |
| It was snowing all morning. (the focus is on the activity going on) | It snowed three times last week. (complete events that we count) |
Common mistakes
- WrongShe was knowing the way to the station.RightShe knew the way to the station.
Know is a state verb, so it normally takes the past simple, not the past continuous.
- WrongI was watch TV when you called.RightI was watching TV when you called.
After was or were, use the -ing form of the verb, not the base form.
- WrongThey was playing in the backyard.RightThey were playing in the backyard.
Use were with you, we and they, and was with I, he, she and it.
- WrongWe were having lunch when the waiter was dropping a plate.RightWe were having lunch when the waiter dropped a plate.
The short action that interrupts the longer one takes the past simple.
- WrongWhen I was a child, I was playing soccer every Saturday.RightWhen I was a child, I played soccer every Saturday.
For regular habits in the past, use the past simple or used to; the past continuous is for an action in progress at a particular time.
- WrongWhat you were doing at eight o'clock?RightWhat were you doing at eight o'clock?
In questions, was or were comes before the subject.
The blackout
Examples of the past continuous are highlighted.
Last Friday, our whole street lost power. It was about eight o'clock in the evening. I was helping my little brother with his homework, and my parents were watching a movie in the living room. Outside, it was raining hard, and the wind was shaking the windows. Suddenly, everything went dark. My brother screamed, and the dog started barking. While my dad was looking for a flashlight, my mom was trying to find some candles. When the lights came back on an hour later, nobody was doing homework anymore. We were all sitting on the floor, playing cards and laughing. My brother was winning, of course. "Can we have another blackout tomorrow?" he asked.
Past Continuous quiz
8 questions. Choose an answer to see if it is right and why.
Read texts that use the past continuous
Grammar sticks when you meet it again in real reading. These graded texts use this structure; each one has key words, audio and questions.
Past Continuous: questions and answers
What is the past continuous tense?
The past continuous is formed with was or were and a verb ending in -ing (I was working, they were sleeping). It describes an action that was in progress at a particular time in the past, often as the background to another event.
What is the difference between the past continuous and the past simple?
The past simple presents a complete action (I painted the bedroom yesterday). The past continuous shows an action in progress, often interrupted or unfinished (I was painting the bedroom when you called). In stories, the past continuous gives the background and the past simple gives the main events.
Do I use when or while with the past continuous?
Both are common. While usually introduces the longer action in the past continuous (While I was waiting, I read the news), and when usually introduces the shorter action in the past simple (I was waiting when the bus came).
Can I say "I was knowing" or "I was having a car"?
No. Know, want, like, need and have (when it means own) are state verbs, so they normally take the past simple: I knew the answer, I had a car. Have can be continuous when it is an action: We were having lunch.
Is the past continuous the same as the past progressive?
Yes. Past continuous and past progressive are two names for the same tense: was or were + verb-ing. You will see both names in grammar books.