Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense, is used to describe actions or events that were ongoing at a specific point in the past. This tense is formed by combining the past tense of the verb “to be” (was/were) with the base verb + “-ing.”

 
Structure

Affirmative Sentences

Subject + was/were + base verb + “-ing”

Examples:

  • “I was reading a book.”
  • “She was playing the piano.”
  • “They were watching a movie.”

Negative Sentences

 Subject + was/were + not + base verb + “-ing”

Examples:

  • “I was not (wasn’t) reading a book.”
  • “She was not (wasn’t) playing the piano.”
  • “They were not (weren’t) watching a movie.”

Interrogative Sentences

Was/Were + subject + base verb + “-ing”?

Examples:

  • “Was I reading a book?”
  • “Was she playing the piano?”
  • “Were they watching a movie?”
Uses of Past Continuous Tense

Actions in Progress at a Specific Time

  • Used to describe actions that were in progress at a specific moment in the past.
  • Example: “At 8 PM, I was watching TV.”

 

Interrupted Actions

  • Used to describe an action that was in progress when another action interrupted it.
  • Example: “I was studying when the phone rang.”

 

Parallel Actions

  • Used to describe two or more actions that were happening at the same time in the past.
  • Example: “She was cooking while he was setting the table.“

 

Background Information

  • Used to provide background information in a story or narrative.
  • Example: “The sun was setting, and the birds were singing.”
Examples with Time Expressions

Specific Time

  • “At 7 AM, I was jogging in the park.”
  • “At midnight, they were still working.”

When/While

  • “I was sleeping when the alarm went off.”
  • “She was reading while he was cooking.”

All [Day/Night/Week]

  • “I was studying all night.”
  • “They were traveling all week.”
Examples in Context
  • “He was fixing his car all morning.”
  • “We were having dinner at 8 PM.”
  • “I was not (wasn’t) listening to music.”
  • “They were not (weren’t) playing outside.”
  • “Was she studying for the exam?”
  • “Were you driving to the office?”
Using “When” and “While” with Past Continuous and Past Simple Tenses
“When” and “While” Overview

Both “when” and “while” are used to connect actions in the past, but they are used in different contexts. Understanding the distinction between these two conjunctions can help you accurately describe simultaneous or interrupted actions in the past.

 
“When” with Past Simple

“When” is typically used to introduce a shorter action (past simple) that interrupts or occurs during a longer ongoing action (past continuous).

 Past continuous action + when + past simple action

Examples:

  • “I was reading a book when the phone rang.”
  • “She was cooking dinner when the guests arrived.”
  • “They were watching TV when the power went out.”

In these examples, the past continuous action (reading, cooking, watching) was interrupted by a shorter past simple action (the phone rang, the guests arrived, the power went out).

 
“While” with Past Continuous 

“While” is generally used to emphasize that two actions were happening simultaneously over a period of time. It is often followed by the past continuous tense in both clauses or by a past continuous and a past simple tense.

  •  Past continuous action + while + past continuous action

Examples:

  • “She was reading a book while he was cooking dinner.”
  • “I was listening to music while doing my homework.“
  • “They were playing outside while it was raining.”

In these examples, both actions (reading and cooking, listening and doing homework, playing and raining) were happening at the same time.

 
Differences Between “When” and “While”

Focus on Duration vs. Interruption:

  • When: Emphasizes the interruption of one action by another. The shorter action in the past simple tense interrupts the longer action in the past continuous tense.
  • While: Emphasizes the simultaneous duration of two actions. Both actions are usually in the past continuous tense, showing they were happening at the same time over a period.

Common Structures:

  • When: Past continuous action + when + past simple action
  • While: Past continuous action + while + past continuous action 

Typical Usage:

  • When: “I was studying when the doorbell rang.”
  • While: “I was studying while my brother was playing video games.“
Examples in Context

When:

  • “He was walking to the store when it started to rain.“
  • “We were having dinner when the lights went out.”

While:

  • “She was painting the fence while he was mowing the lawn.”
  • “They were playing chess while their friends were chatting.”