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| Past Continuous(progressive) tense form,uses,questions,negatives,and examples By Mr.Zaki Badr |
Past Continuous FORM
subject + was/were + verb ing (= present participle)
I/he/she/it è was playing
We/you/they è were working
Examples:
positive sentence:
Subject + was/were + verb ing...
You were studying when she called.
a question:
Was/were + subject+ verb ing...?
Were you studying when she called?
A negative sentence:
Subject + was not / were not + verb ing + ...
You were not studying when she called.
Study this example :
Yesterday Karen and Jim played tennis. They began at 10 o’clock and finished at 11.30
So, at 10.30 they were playing tennis
I was doing something = I was in the middle of doing something at a certain time . The action or the situation had already started before this time, but had not finished
What were you doing at 10 o’clock last night?
USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past
Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted by the past simple.
Examples:
I was watching TV when she called.
When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
What were you doing when the earthquake started?
I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption
You can also use a specific time as an interruption.
Examples:
Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work
IMPORTANT
In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show when an action began or finished. In the Past Continuous, tells you the action was in progress at a certain time in the past.
Examples:
Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner.
(I
finished eating at 6 PM.)
Last night at 6 PM, I was
eating dinner.
(I
started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the process of eating dinner (=still eating, not finished)
While vs. When
When simple past, past cont.
While past cont. , simple past
Examples:
I was studying when she called.
While I was studying, she called.
She called while I was studying.
When she called, I was studying.
3️⃣ Two actions happening at the same time
Both actions are ongoing.
-
While I was studying, my brother was playing video games.
-
They were talking while the children were running around.
4️⃣ Setting the scene in a story
Writers love the past continuous because it creates atmosphere.
-
The wind was blowing, people were shouting, and the city was coming alive.
Common Time Expressions used with the Past Continuous
You’ll often see the past continuous with:
-
while
-
when
-
at that time
-
all day / all night
-
this time yesterday
Example:
-
This time yesterday, I was teaching an English class.
Common Mistakes to Avoid 🚫when using the Past Continuous
❌ I was know the answer.
✅ I knew the answer.
👉 Some verbs (know, believe, love, hate) are not usually used in continuous form.
❌ When I was seeing him, I waved.
✅ When I saw him, I waved.
Quick Practice
Fill in the blanks:
-
I ______ (study) when the power went out.
-
They ______ (not listen) while the teacher was explaining.
-
What ______ you ______ (do) at 10 p.m. last night?
1. was studying
2. were not listening
3. were, doing
Adding –ing: Spelling Rules Explained
We add –ing to a verb to form:
-
the present continuous (I am working),
-
gerunds (Swimming is fun),
-
or participles (a running child).
But spelling sometimes changes. Here are the rules you need 👇
1️⃣ Most verbs → just add –ing
For most verbs, nothing changes.
-
work → working
-
play → playing
-
eat → eating
-
help → helping
✅ Simple and safe rule.
2️⃣ Verbs ending in –e → drop the e, add –ing
If a verb ends in silent e, remove it.
-
make → making
-
write → writing
-
drive → driving
-
take → taking
❌ makeing
✅ making
⚠️ Exception:
If the –e is pronounced, keep it:
-
see → seeing
-
agree → agreeing
3️⃣ Short verbs (CVC pattern) → double the last consonant
If a verb:
-
has one syllable
-
ends in consonant + vowel + consonant
-
and the stress is on the final syllable
👉 Double the last consonant.
-
run → running
-
sit → sitting
-
stop → stopping
-
plan → planning
❌ runing
✅ running
4️⃣ Multi-syllable verbs → double only if the stress is on the last syllable
-
begin → beginning
-
prefer → preferring
But:
-
open → opening
-
visit → visiting
-
happen → happening
📌 Stress matters.
5️⃣ Verbs ending in –ie → change –ie to –y
-
die → dying
-
lie → lying
-
tie → tying
❌ dieing
✅ dying
6️⃣ Verbs ending in –y → just add –ing
No change to y.
-
study → studying
-
play → playing
-
enjoy → enjoying
7️⃣ Final w, x, y → do NOT double
Even if the verb is short.
-
snow → snowing
-
fix → fixing
-
play → playing
❌ snowwing
✅ snowing
Quick Summary Table
| Verb Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Most verbs | add –ing | work → working |
| Ends in –e | drop –e | make → making |
| CVC (short) | double consonant | run → running |
| Stress on last syllable | double consonant | begin → beginning |
| Ends in –ie | change to –y | lie → lying |
| Ends in –y | just add –ing | study → studying |
| Ends in w/x/y | don’t double | fix → fixing |