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Past Continuous (Active)
Past Continuous is used to describe actions that were in progress at a specific moment in the past or when another action happened. Structure: was/were + verb-ing. Example: I was studying when she called. ### What Past Continuous focuses on - **An action in progress** at a past time: At 8 p.m., I was studying. - **Background action**: I was cooking when you called. ### Form was/were + verb-ing (was working / were working) ### Common connectors when, while ### Practice tip Write 5 sentences using this grammar point.
💡 Tips
- Use for background actions in the past.
- Often used with when/while.
- Shows action in progress.
Grammar Rules
✅
Positive
Subject + was/were + verb-ing.
❌
Negative
Subject + was/were not + verb-ing.
❓
Question
Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?
Examples
A2
EN"I was reading when the phone rang."
interrupted action
HY"I was reading when the phone rang."
interrupted action
A2
EN"They were watching TV all evening."
ongoing action
HY"They were watching TV all evening."
ongoing action
B1
EN"She was working while he was cooking."
two actions together
HY"She was working while he was cooking."
two actions together
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Wrong:
I was study when he came.
✅ Correct:
I was studying when he came.
💡 Note:
Use verb-ing.
❌ Wrong:
They were play football.
✅ Correct:
They were playing football.
💡 Note:
Add -ing form.
🧠 Practice Quiz1 / 10
Choose the correct option.
I ____ studying when he arrived.
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