The past continuous tense describes an action that was already in progress at a specific time in the past. It helps you show what was happening in the background, what was interrupted, or what was unfolding over time. Think of it as a way to paint movement into your past events: I was working, They were studying, It was raining.

Before diving into the different ways to use it, let’s start with the simple structure that makes this tense easy to recognize and apply.

How to Form the Past Continuous

The past continuous is built with was/were + the –ing form of a verb. Use this structure when you want to show that an action was ongoing at a specific moment in the past.

Affirmative

• I/he/she/it was working.
• You/we/they were working.

Negative

• I/he/she/it was not (wasn’t) working.
• You/we/they were not (weren’t) working.

Questions

• Was she working at 8?
• What were you doing yesterday afternoon?
   

Spelling Tips for –ing Verbs

Most verbs simply add –ing, but a few need small spelling changes:

• Drop the silent e: make → making
• Double the final consonant after a short vowel: sit → sitting
• Change ie to y: lie → lying

More Past Continuous Examples

• I was cooking dinner at 7 p.m.
• They were studying while it was raining.
• She wasn’t working yesterday because she was travelling.

When to Use the Past Continuous

Use the past continuous when you want to show that an action was in progress in the past, often giving background, describing an ongoing situation, or setting the scene for another event. If the action feels “unfinished” at that moment in time, the past continuous is usually the right choice.

1. An action in progress at a specific time

Use it when something was happening at an exact moment in the past. Understanding the right time expressions makes this especially easy to recognise.

• She was visiting her family last night.
• At 7 a.m., I was getting ready for work.

2. Background actions

It’s ideal for describing the backdrop to a more important event.

• Lisa was cycling to school when she saw the accident.
• We were talking when the phone rang.

3. Actions happening around a time period

If the action stretched over a period rather than a single instant, use past continuous.

• They were travelling all week.
• We were working all morning to finish the project.

4. Temporary or developing situations

Use it when the situation wasn’t permanent.

• I was staying with my cousins for a few days.
• He was taking extra classes during the summer.

5. Repeated actions (when they feel annoying or unplanned)

Use the past continuous with adverbs like always, constantly, or forever.

• She was always losing her keys.
• My boss was constantly calling me last year.

6. Giving reasons or context

It explains why something else happened.

• We couldn’t join you because we were finishing a report.
• They met Fran and Dave because they were staying in the same hotel.

Past Continuous vs Other Past Tenses

The past continuous often works together with other past tenses, so understanding the differences helps you choose the right one. Use the table below to quickly compare how each tense functions and when it’s most appropriate.

Important Notes

• Do not use the past continuous for repeated main actions. Those take simple past.

✔ I called you four times.
✘ I was calling you four times.

• “Used to” describes past habits or states, not actions in progress.

✔ We used to go to the beach every summer.
✘ We were going to the beach every summer.

• Past perfect continuous emphasizes duration before another past event, while past continuous focuses on the action at the moment.

Common Mistakes with Past Continuous Tense

Most mistakes with the past continuous come from confusing it with other past forms or using it in situations where it doesn’t naturally fit. Here are the errors learners make most often—and how to correct them quickly.

1. Using the past continuous for repeated main actions

Use simple past for repeated events, not past continuous.

❌ I was calling you four times last night.
✔ I called you four times last night.

Why: The repeated action itself is the main event. Past continuous is for background or ongoing actions, not repeated attempts.

2. Using stative verbs in the past continuous

Stative verbs describe feelings, thoughts, possession, and senses. They usually don’t take the –ing form.

❌ I was knowing the answer.
✔ I knew the answer.

Common stative verbs: know, understand, love, hate, want, need, believe, seem, belong, prefer

Fix: Use the simple past unless you’re describing a temporary action involving a non-stative meaning (e.g., “He was having dinner.”).

3. Choosing past continuous when the action is actually complete

If the action is finished and not ongoing, the simple past is the correct choice.

❌ I was finishing the report yesterday.
✔ I finished the report yesterday.

Fix: Ask: Was the action still happening at that moment?
If not, choose the simple past.

4. Using the past continuous when “used to” is needed

Past continuous describes ongoing actions, not past habits.

❌ We were going to the beach every summer.
✔ We used to go to the beach every summer.

Fix: Use used to for habits, routines, or states that are no longer true.

5. Incorrect word order in questions

Remember to put was/were before the subject.

❌ You were working yesterday?
✔ Were you working yesterday?

Fix: Follow the pattern: Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?

6. Forgetting context when using past continuous

The past continuous almost always needs a time reference or a connection to another event.

❌ I was cooking. (Feels incomplete)
✔ I was cooking when he arrived.
✔ At 7 p.m., I was cooking.

Fix: Give the reader a clear sense of when the action was happening.

Practice: Story + Mini-Quiz

Put your understanding into action with a short story that blends past continuous and simple past. Read it once, then answer the questions that follow.

Short Story

Yesterday evening, I was walking home when it suddenly started raining. I was wearing a light jacket, so I wasn’t prepared for the weather at all. While I was looking for an umbrella in my bag, a taxi stopped beside me. The driver smiled and said he saw that I was struggling. I got in quickly, and as we were driving through the storm, we talked about our day. By the time we reached my street, the rain had already stopped.

Mini-Quiz

1. Which action was in progress when the rain started?

A. It suddenly started raining.
B. I was walking home.
C. The taxi stopped beside me.

2. Which verb from the story is a correct use of past continuous?

A. I got in quickly.
B. The rain had already stopped.
C. I was wearing a light jacket.

3. Why is “I was looking for an umbrella” in the past continuous?

A. Because it was a repeated action
B. Because it was a background action happening when something else occurred
C. Because the action was completed

4. Which sentence shows a completed past action?

A. We were driving through the storm.
B. The rain had already stopped.
C. I was struggling.

5. Which sentence describes two actions happening at the same time?

A. As we were driving, we talked about our day.
B. I got in quickly.
C. It suddenly started raining.

Answer Key

1. B — I was walking home was the ongoing action.
2. C — I was wearing a light jacket.
3. B — It’s the background action for the main event (the rain starting).
4. B — The rain had already stopped is a completed action.
5. A — Driving was the background; talking happened at the same time.

Conclusion

Mastering the past continuous tense allows you to share past events with clarity and detail. 

With practice, you’ll easily describe ongoing or background actions just like native speakers. 

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