The past continuous describes something that was in progress at a moment in the past. The action had started, it had not finished, and we can picture it happening: "At six o'clock I was cooking dinner."
It is not the tense of finished events. The past simple does that job. The past continuous describes the background scene, and the past simple usually describes the event that interrupted it: "I was cooking when the phone rang."
This page shows the form, the four jobs of the tense, and the places where learners reach for the continuous but a stative verb needs the past simple instead. The drill at the end has 20 questions with a rule explanation under every answer.
The rule
The form: was or were plus -ing
- Positive: I was working. You were working. He was working. We were working. They were working.
- Negative: add not after was or were. I was not listening. They were not sleeping.
- Question: put was or were before the subject. Was she studying? What were you doing?
- Short answers repeat the auxiliary only: "Were they waiting?" "Yes, they were."
- The -ing form never changes: it is always was or were plus the -ing verb, with no did.
An action in progress at a past moment
- The tense answers the question "what was happening at that time?".
- "At eight o'clock this morning, I was driving to work." The journey was in progress at eight.
- Time expressions are common: at eight o'clock, at midnight, all morning, this time yesterday.
- Both the start and the end of the action are outside the picture. We only see the middle.
Interrupted actions: the classic pair
- A longer background action uses the past continuous. A shorter event that interrupts it uses the past simple.
- "I was having a shower when the doorbell rang." The shower was in progress; the bell rang once.
- The order of the clauses does not matter: "When the doorbell rang, I was having a shower."
- Usually the past continuous clause comes first, but the past simple event is the new information.
Two actions at the same time
- When two longer actions happen together, both verbs can be past continuous.
- Use while to join them: "She was cooking while I was cleaning."
- While often signals the past continuous; when often signals the interrupting past simple event.
- Two actions can also be connected with and: "He was reading and listening to music."
Background description and stative verbs
- Stories open with the past continuous to set the scene: "The sun was shining and the birds were singing."
- Use the past continuous for the atmosphere, then switch to the past simple for the events.
- Stative verbs usually stay in the past simple, even about the past: know, want, like, need, believe, understand, remember.
- Say "I knew the answer", not "I was knowing the answer". Say "She wanted to leave", not "She was wanting to leave".
Examples
- At nine o'clock last night, I was watching a film.The film was in progress at nine. The tense shows the middle of the action.
- They were playing tennis when it started to rain.The tennis was the background; the rain interrupted it.
- What were you doing when I called you?A question about the action in progress at the moment of the call.
- She was not listening to the radio. She was reading.Negative form with not after was, then another action in progress.
- While I was waiting for the bus, I read two chapters.While introduces the long action; the completed reading uses the past simple.
- The children were running around the garden all afternoon.An activity that continued for a period and had no single finishing moment in the picture.
- It was raining, so we stayed at home.The rain is the background reason; staying home is a past simple decision.
- I was looking for my keys when I met her.Looking was in progress; meeting her interrupted the search.
- The band was playing and everyone was dancing.Two actions in progress at the same time.
- He said he was feeling tired, so he went to bed early.The past continuous can report a feeling that was continuing at that time.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: I was knowing the answer. Right: I knew the answer.
- Know is a stative verb. Stative verbs describe a state, not an activity, so they stay in the past simple.
- Wrong: When she called, I cooked dinner. Right: When she called, I was cooking dinner.
- The dinner was already in progress when the phone rang. The past continuous shows the background action.
- Wrong: Did you were watching TV at eight? Right: Were you watching TV at eight?
- Was and were are already auxiliaries, so the question needs no did.
- Wrong: They was waiting outside. Right: They were waiting outside.
- Were goes with you, we and they. Was goes with I, he, she and it.
- Wrong: I was watched TV all evening. Right: I was watching TV all evening.
- The past continuous needs was or were plus the -ing form, not the past participle.
Practice drill
Answer all 20 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the rule is explained under the question.
At nine o'clock last night, I ___ a film.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. was watching The film was in progress at nine o'clock, so the past continuous is needed: was watching.
They ___ tennis when it started to rain.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. were playing The tennis was the longer background action. Use the past continuous: were playing.
What ___ you doing at eight this morning?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. were The past continuous question is formed with were before you: What were you doing?
She ___ the dishes while I dried them.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. was washing While introduces an action in progress, so the past continuous fits: was washing.
He ___ when the alarm rang.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. was sleeping He was in the middle of sleeping when the alarm interrupted. Use was sleeping.
While we ___ dinner, the lights went out.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. were having The dinner was in progress when the lights went out. Were having is the past continuous for we.
The children ___ in the garden all afternoon.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. were playing An activity continuing through the afternoon takes the past continuous: were playing.
I ___ my keys when I met her.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. was looking for The search was in progress when the meeting interrupted it: was looking for.
It ___ heavily, so we stayed at home.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. was raining The rain was the background situation. The past continuous describes it: was raining.
At midnight, they ___ still working.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. were They takes were. The sentence describes work in progress at midnight: were still working.
The cat ___ on the sofa when I came in.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. was sleeping The cat was in the middle of sleeping, so the past continuous is correct: was sleeping.
We ___ for the bus when the taxi appeared.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. were waiting Waiting was in progress when the taxi appeared. Use were waiting with we.
She ___ not listening when I explained the rule.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. was The negative past continuous is was not plus -ing: she was not listening.
I hurt my back while I ___ the boxes.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. was moving While introduces the longer action in progress. With I, use was moving.
When the phone rang, I ___ the answer.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. knew Know is a stative verb, so it stays in the past simple: I knew the answer.
Why ___ crying?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. was she In a past continuous question, was comes before the subject: Why was she crying?
I ___ about you when you called.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. was thinking The thought was in progress at the moment of the call: was thinking. With I, was is the auxiliary.
While he ___ a book, someone knocked on the door.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. was reading The reading was the background action interrupted by the knock: was reading.
The teacher ___ when the bell rang.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. was talking The teacher was in the middle of talking when the bell interrupted: was talking.
While I was cooking, she ___ the table.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. was setting Two actions were happening at the same time, so both take the past continuous. With she, use was setting.
Drill complete
You answered every question.
Next topic: Past simple vs past continuousTake the level test
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between the past continuous and the past simple?
The past continuous shows an action in progress at a past moment. The past simple shows a completed action or a single event. "I was reading at ten" describes what was happening. "I read the book yesterday" says the whole action is finished and seen as one fact. The two often work together: the continuous sets the scene, and the simple tells the event that happened.
Which words usually go with the past continuous?
At eight o'clock, at midnight, all morning, all day, this time yesterday and while are the usual signals. While joins two continuing actions: "While I was cooking, she was setting the table." When usually introduces the interrupting event: "I was cooking when she arrived."
Can I use the past continuous for repeated actions?
Yes, when you describe repeated actions as a temporary background habit: "He was always losing his keys." With always, the past continuous can also show a mild complaint or surprise: "She was always borrowing my pen." For simple facts about the past, the past simple is the safer choice: "He lost his keys twice last week."
More grammar topics
Past simple vs past continuous
The event or the background: choosing the right past tense, and how when and while help.
Will vs going to
The future has two shapes: will for decisions made now, going to for plans and visible evidence.
Present continuous for the future
Fixed plans with a time and a place: why "I am meeting Anna at six" sounds more certain than "I will meet Anna".
Take the free A1 to C2 level test to find your starting point.