The Past Continuous Tense describes actions that were ongoing in the past. These actions usually occurred over a period of time and might have been interrupted by another action. This tense is formed using the past tense of the verb ‘to be’ (was/were) followed by the present participle (verb+ing).
Structural Formula:
Subject + was/were + verb+ing + object.
- Affirmative: Sub. + was/were + Verb (ing) + Ob.
- Negative: Sub. + (was/were) Not + Verb (ing) + Ob
- Interrogative: ——— was/were + Sub. + Verb (ing) + Ob. + ?
Examples:
- I was reading a book when you called.
- They were playing football when it started raining.
- She was watching TV all evening.
- We were traveling in Europe last summer.
- He was working in the garden when I saw him.
Past Continuous Tense Exercises
1) He _________ dinner at 8 pm last night. (was cooking, were cooking)
2) They _______ football on the school playground yesterday afternoon? (was playing, were playing)
3) She _________ home from work yesterday morning when it started to rain. (was cycling, were cycling)
4) We _______ in the pool before it started to rain. (were swimming, was swimming)
5) He _________ a letter to his grandmother last night before he went to bed? (was writing, were writing)
6) The sun ____ shining in the sky when it started raining yesterday afternoon. (was shining, were shining)
7) They ________ video games after school yesterday afternoon? (were playing, were playing)
8) She ________ for her exams yesterday before she went to bed. (was studying, were studying )
9) The children _______ into the sea when it started to rain yesterday afternoon (jumped, were jumping )
10) I ______ TV in the living room last night. (was watching, was watching)
11) He _________ in the pool before he went to bed last night. (was swimming, were swimming)
12) We _______ in the park on Saturdays if it is sunny before it started raining yesterday afternoon. (we’re running, was running )
13) They ______ football on the school playground yesterday afternoon? (were playing, were playing)
14) She ______ for her exams last night before she went to bed at 10 pm. (was studying, were studying )
15) They _______ home from work on most days of the week before it started raining yesterday afternoon? (were cycling, were cycling)
16) The girls ______ songs in chorus at 8 pm on Saturdays yesterday evening. (were singing, were singing)
17) He _______ to school every day since January before it started raining yesterday afternoon. (was walking, was walking )
18) I _____ TV in the living room last night. (was watching, was watching)
19) The children ______ into the sea when it started to rain yesterday afternoon for two hours. (jumped, were jumping )
20) She _______ dinner at 6 pm every evening last night. (was cooking, was cooking )
Answers
1) He was cooking dinner at 8 pm last night.
2) They were playing football on the school playground yesterday afternoon.
3) She was cycling home from work yesterday morning when it started to rain.
4) We were swimming in the pool before it started to rain.
5) He was writing a letter to his grandmother last night before he went to bed.
6) The sun was shining in the sky when it started raining yesterday afternoon.
7) They were playing video games after school yesterday afternoon?
8) She was studying for her exams yesterday before she went to bed.
9) The children were jumping into the sea when it started to rain yesterday afternoon
10) I was watching TV in the living room last night.
11) He was swimming in the pool before he went to bed last night.
12) We were running in the park on Saturdays if it is sunny before it started raining yesterday afternoon.
13) They were playing football on the school playground yesterday afternoon.
14) She was studying for her exams last night before she went to bed at 10 pm.
15) They were cycling home from work on most days of the week before it started raining yesterday afternoon.
16) The girls were singing songs in chorus at 8 pm on Saturdays yesterday evening.
17) He was walking to school every day since January before it started raining yesterday afternoon?
18) I was watching TV in the living room last night.
19) The children were jumping into the sea when it started to rain yesterday afternoon for two hours.
20) She was cooking dinner at 6 pm every evening last night.
Explore More:
Structures of All Tenses with Examples (Download Pdf)
Example Sentences of Past Continuous Tense
Past Continuous Tense Worksheets
