PAST CONTINUOUS

Past Continuous

AFFIRMATIVE FORM

Form: SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + VERB + ING

★

I was working in the garden when you called me yesterday..

★

You were singing at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon.

★

He was running as the dog started barking.

★

She was laughing while he continued telling funny jokes.

★

It was sleeping when the alarm went off.

★

We were enjoying our summer break in Turkey last month.

★

You were playing basketball when the lights went off.

★

They were reading in class when a cat jumped on their desk.

NEGATIVE FORM

Form: SUBJECT + WASN'T/WEREN'T+ VERB + ING

★

I wasn't (was not) working when mom called me.

★

You weren't (were not) singing in the shower yesterday morning.

★

He wasn't (was not) running when the storm started.

★

She wasn't (was not) laughing at his joke.

★

It wasn't (was not) sleeping on the front porch.

★

We weren't (were not) enjoying ourselves at the party.

★

You weren't (were not) playing cards during the English class.

★

They weren't (were not) reading novels during the Math class.

INTERROGATIVE FORM

YOUR TURN NOW

What was he doing yesterday at 7 a.m.?

What were you doing
yesterday at 7 a.m.?

What was he doing yesterday at 9 p.m.?

What were you doing
yesterday at 9 p.m.?

USES OF THE PAST CONTINUOUS

The Past Continuous tense is used to express:

★two or more simultaneous past actions

e.g. While I was sunbathing, Paul was swimming.

★

an action in progress at a stated time in the past

e.g. He was playing tennis at 4:30 pm yesterday.

USES OF THE PAST CONTINUOUS (2)

Past Continuous tense is also used to express:

★

past action in progress interrupted by another past action

‼

Remember ‼

The longer action is in the Past Continuous, the shorter action is in the
Past Simple.

e.g. While Julie was walking around the supermarket she bumped into a
soda can display.

★

background description to events in a story

e.g. The sun was shining brightly on that beautiful summer morning. Linda
was sipping her cup of coffee on the balcony admiring the scenery.

Multiple Choice

While Tom (read) , Amely (watch) a documentary on TV.

• was reading / was watching

• read / watched

• was reading / were watching

• read / was watching

Multiple Choice

I ______________ Science last night

• study

• was studying

• were studying

• studies

Multiple Choice

______ you _________ the movie when I called you?

• Are, watching

• Was, watching

• Were, watching

• Is, watching

Multiple Choice

It (rain)...........all the day.

• was raining

• were raining

• was rain

• were rain

Multiple Choice

John arrived while I _____________.

• slept

• was sleeping

• sleep

• were slept

Multiple Choice

My father came in as my mother ____________

• cooks

• cooking

• is cooking

• was cooking

Multiple Choice

You (sleep)........more than ten hours.

• were sleep

• was sleeping

• were sleeping

• was sleep

Multiple Choice

Belinda ___________ her house when we came home.

• were tidying

• tidied

• was tidying

• tidies

Multiple Choice

The phone rang while I (have) ........breakfast.

• was having

• were having

• was have

• were have

Multiple Choice

Jenny and Jessica __________ in the pool last Wednesday.

• swim

• swam

• was swimming

• were swimming

Multiple Choice

I didn't think Grace ___________, as she was out for a whole day.

• was studying

• is studying

• studies

• study

Multiple Choice

The students ____ _____ very loudly when the teacher came.

• are talk

• are talking

• was talk

• were talking

Multiple Choice

I ___________ my car for a whole day.

• drives

• was driving

• drive

• have driven

Multiple Choice

Lindsay and her three friends _____________ hide and seek when the gardener finished his task.

• played

• is playing

• were playing

• plays

Multiple Choice

Sara ____ ____ at college when she had a baby.

• is study

• is studying

• was studying

• was study

Multiple Choice

I ____________ my blouse as my sister came back from work.

• wore

• were wearing

• was wearing

• is wearing

Multiple Choice

What ____ you ____ when the accident happened?

• are, do

• are, doing

• was, do

• were, doing

Multiple Choice

I __________ when you called me.

• was shopping

• am shopping

• is shopping

• shop

Multiple Choice

Tania _______ her favorite dish while her daughter was studying her English.

• cooked

• is cooking

• was cooking

• cooks

Multiple Choice

The students ____ taking notes while the teacher ____ talking.

• were, was

• was, was

• was, were

• were, were

Multiple Choice

Whlie Jane ___________ her story book, Jackie was writing her novel.

• are reading

• is reading

• read

• was reading

Multiple Choice

Why ____ you listening when the manager told you what to do?

• was

• wasn't

• weren't

• aren't

Multiple Choice

My brother fell asleep while he ___ ____.

• was drive

• were drove

• was driving

• were driving

Multiple Choice

Nobody ___ ___ when the thief stole the laptop.

• was watching

• were watching

• was watched

• were watched

Multiple Choice

Were you ____ dinner when I called you?

• eat

• eaten

• ate

• eating

Multiple Choice

The people on the plane ____ ____ when it almost crashed.

• was sleep

• was sleeping

• were sleep

• were sleeping

Multiple Choice

The baby was _____ while the mother was _____ a video.

• laugh, record

• laughing, recording

• laughed, recorded

• laughing, recorded

Multiple Choice

What was she doing?

• She was running.

• She ran.

• She running.

• She was runing.

Multiple Choice

What were they doing?

• They were playing board games.

• They were studying.

• They were talking.

• They were plaing board games.

Multiple Choice

It (snow) heavily when he (wake) up.

• was snowing/ woke

• snowed/ woke

• snowed/ woked

• snowed/ was waking