How to use past continuous properly

What is past continuous

The past continuous tense is a verb form used to describe ongoing or interrupted actions that were happening at a specific time in the past. It is structured as was/were + the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. For example: "She was reading a book when the phone rang," or "They were playing soccer all afternoon." In these sentences, was reading and were playing are past continuous verbs, emphasizing actions in progress during a past period.

The past continuous is categorized into affirmative (was/were + verb-ing), negative (wasn't/weren't + verb-ing), and interrogative (Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?). These forms differ in purpose: affirmatives state ongoing actions ("I was working"), negatives deny them ("He wasn't listening"), and interrogatives ask about them ("Were you sleeping?"). Additionally, past continuous can describe parallel actions ("While I was cooking, she was cleaning") or set a scene for another event ("It was raining when the power failed").

Some most common uses of past continuous verbs in English

Below are some most frequent used English past continuous verbs.

Was talking (to converse)

Were studying (to learn)

Was cooking (to prepare food)

Were traveling (to journey)

Was writing (to create text)

Were dancing (to move rhythmically)

Was singing (to produce musical sounds)

Were arguing (to disagree)

Was driving (to operate a vehicle)

Were laughing (to express amusement)

In formal contexts, past continuous verbs like was negotiating ("The team was negotiating the contract") or were analyzing ("Scientists were analyzing the data") are common. Informal usage often includes contractions or casual verbs, such as wasn't paying ("I wasn't paying attention") or were chilling ("We were chilling at the beach"). Regional variations exist: British English might use was queuing ("She was queuing for tickets"), whereas American English often uses was standing in line ("She was standing in line"), though both mean "waiting in a sequence."

When to use past continuous

The past continuous is appropriate for describing interrupted actions ("I was sleeping when the alarm went off"), parallel actions ("While he was cooking, she was setting the table"), or background scenes ("The birds were singing as we hiked"). It also expresses temporary past situations ("She was living in Paris that year") or polite inquiries ("Were you waiting long?"). For example: "They were discussing plans when the meeting started," or "The kids were laughing uncontrollably."

Misusing the past continuous can distort meaning. Saying "I was going to the store yesterday" instead of "I went to the store" inaccurately implies the action was ongoing, not completed. Avoid using it for non-action verbs (know, believe) in most contexts ("I was knowing the answer" is incorrect; use "I knew"). Overusing it for habitual past actions ("He was walking to school every day" should be "He walked") also creates confusion.

How to evaluate my knowledge on past continuous

All dynamic verbs can form the past continuous, totaling thousands of possibilities. Categories range from simple (was walking, were eating) to complex with irregular -ing spellings (dying from die, lying from lie). Self-assessment methods include rewriting past-tense narratives to include interruptions ("I was reading when..."), identifying errors in sentences ("They was playing -> were playing"), or creating dialogues using parallel actions ("While X was happening, Y was occurring"). Timed exercises, peer reviews, and oral storytelling ("What were you doing at 8 PM?") effectively test proficiency.

One simple way to check your current knowledge level of past continuous is by testing your skills. Try out to guess what are the expressions on the sentences gaps below:

1. She ______ (read) a book when I called.

2. They ______ (play) video games all night.

3. I ______ (watch) TV during the storm.

4. While he ______ (cook), she ______ (clean).

5. The students ______ (discuss) the project loudly.

6. We ______ (not/listen) during the lecture.

7. The activists ______ (protest) before the policy changed.

8. He ______ (contemplate) his decision when she interrupted.

9. The waves ______ (crash) violently during the storm.

Sentences from 1 to 3 uses beginner level past continuous. Their answers are: 1. was reading | 2. were playing | 3. was watching. Sentences 4 to 6 are intermediate level, their answers are: 4. was cooking, was cleaning | 5. were discussing | 6. weren't listening. Sentence 7 to 9 are advanced level, their answers are: 7. were protesting | 8. was contemplating | 9. were crashing. Check how much you guessed right on each level and you will have a clue on how much you know and which is your current knowledge level on past continuous. Of course this is a very simple test and it is very high biased. You should take a longer test, using a wide range of past continuous verbs to have a more accurate score.

Ways to improve my knowledge on past continuous

Improvement strategies include reading fiction to identify past continuous usage, writing diary entries focusing on interrupted actions ("I was jogging when it began to rain"), and practicing with flashcards for irregular -ing forms (run -> running). Role-playing interrupted scenarios ("What were you doing when...?") enhances conversational skills. Grammar workbooks with sentence-combining exercises ("Combine: 'He cooked. She called.' -> 'He was cooking when she called'"), group storytelling sessions, and self-recorded narratives ("Describe your day using past continuous") reinforce understanding. Peer feedback on written or spoken exercises and revisiting common errors in practice tests also solidify mastery.

You could learn them by listening to podcasts, watching videos on youtube or reading online news focused on the audience you are looking to be part of. Focusing situations and audience will shrink the amount of common used past continuous verbs you have to learn at the beginning of your learning journey. Don't be afraid on not kowing all of things you hear or read. Don't be afraid to ask or search online the meaning of new expressions. Ask natives: Clarify new words you hear in conversations. Stay curious: Note down unfamiliar words in a "expression diary." Finally, embrace mistakes: Misusing it can become a funny learning moment!"

Learninn is a great way to get in touch with English past continuous. Articles and videos hosted on our platform include most common past continuous, if not all existent ones. Every content consumed on our platform is recorded and used in the future for your learning.