Past Continuous

A1 Beginner
What is the Past Continuous?

We use the Past Continuous to describe what was happening at a specific moment in the past.

+At 8 o'clock last night, I was watching TV.
+This time yesterday, she was sleeping.
💡 Think of the Past Continuous like a photograph. It shows a moment frozen in time — the action was in progress at that point.
How to Form It

was / were + verb-ing

SubjectPositiveNegative
II was workingI wasn't working
YouYou were workingYou weren't working
He / She / ItShe was workingShe wasn't working
We / TheyThey were workingThey weren't working
✏️ Use was with I / he / she / it. Use were with you / we / they.
Questions

To make a question, put was / were before the subject.

?Were you sleeping? — Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.
?Was she working late? — Yes, she was. / No, she wasn't.
?What were you doing at 9pm?
✏️ Question form: Was / Were + subject + verb-ing?
Spelling Rules for -ing
RuleBase verb-ing form
Most verbs — just add -ingwork, eat, playworking, eating, playing
Verb ends in -e — remove e, add -ingmake, write, comemaking, writing, coming
Short verb ends in consonant + vowel + consonant — double the final consonantrun, sit, swimrunning, sitting, swimming
Quick Summary
FormExample
PositiveI was reading a book.
NegativeHe wasn't listening.
QuestionWere they watching TV?
Wh- questionWhat were you doing?

Exercise 1 — True or False?

Read each statement about the Past Continuous. Choose True or False.

Exercise 2 — Multiple Choice

Choose the correct form to complete each sentence.

Exercise 3 — Matching

Match each sentence to the correct description.

Exercise 4 — Gap Fill

Choose the correct Past Continuous form from the dropdown to complete each sentence.

Exercise 5 — Word Order

Click the words to build the sentence in the correct order. Click a placed word to remove it.

Exercise 6 — Word Sort

Click a category box first, then click the sentence to place it there. Click a placed sentence to remove it.

✅ Positive Past Continuous

❌ Negative Past Continuous

❓ Question

🔤 Incorrect Form

Exercise 7 — Complete the Conversation

Choose the correct form to complete the conversation.

🏆 Your Scores

Exercise 1 — True / False–
Exercise 2 — Multiple Choice–
Exercise 3 — Matching–
Exercise 4 — Gap Fill–
Exercise 5 — Word Order–
Exercise 6 — Word Sort–
Exercise 7 — Conversation–