Past Continuous

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Do you know how to describe what was happening at a specific moment in the past? 🚶‍♂️📚 Today, we’re focusing on the past continuous!

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Introduction to theory part 1

Watch the video clip from Kim's Convenience and fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb:

"He ___ (was/were) ___ (wait/waiting) for a tip."

Select the correct form of the verb "to be" for each subject:

I →was/were

you →was/were

he/she/it →was/were

we →was/were

you →was/were

they →was/were

Choose the correct rule: The sentence “He was waiting for a tip”…

emphasises the duration or the process of an action.

emphasises the completion of an action.

Theory part 1

Exercise 1

Create the missing positive sentences, negative sentences or questions.

➕ She was reading a book. ➖ … ❓ …

➕ … ➖ They weren’t playing football in the park. ❓ …

➕ ➖ … ❓ Was Jim watching TV at 6 pm?

➕ … ➖ … ❓ Were you travelling to Paris yesterday?

➕ The children were drawing pictures in class. ➖ … ❓ …

➕ … ➖ I wasn’t waiting for you. ❓ …

Check your answers

Exercise 2

The police officers are asking the man something. Put the words in the correct order and watch the clip to check your answer.

you / were / yesterday / doing / noon / what / at / ?

Now let’s guess what his answer might be. Look at the pictures below and come up with a few possible answers.

What were you doing yesterday at noon?

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We often use the past continuous to say what we were in the middle of doing at a specific time.

"I was cooking at 6 p.m."

But that's not the only way we use it.

Let’s look at more situations where the past continuous is used.

Introduction to theory part 2

Match the examples to the correct rule

Shows that something continued for some time

Actions in process interrupted by another action

Two or more actions happening at the same time in the past

Background actions

a) I was reading a book when the phone rang.

b) I was waiting for you for 2 hours!

c) They were walking through the park while the sun was setting.

d) I was cooking dinner while he was setting the table.

Answer key

Theory part 2

Exercise 3

Fill in the gaps with the correct verb forms, and watch the clips to check your answers. Why was Past Continuous used in each clip and not Past Simple?

A "He should be home in no time." "… waffles." (he/make) "I'm sorry?" " … waffles. (he/make) … (he/mix) the batter and, and then he was on the floor."

B "Phoebie? What are you doing? … me?" (you/follow) "Perhaps, yes, I'm sorry”

Did you notice that in clip A, the sentence "he was on the floor" uses Past Simple not Past Continuous? Can you guess why?

Exercise 4

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses using the past continuous tense.

When I entered the office at 10:30 yesterday, everyone was busy. John, the man with the beard, __________ (type) on his laptop, focused on his work. Lisa, the woman in the red top, __________ (talk) on the phone, perhaps with a client or a colleague. At the same time, Mike, the young man with blond hair, __________ (wear) headphones and __________ (work) on the computer, likely listening to music or a podcast. Near the window, Sarah __________ (hold) some documents and __________ (read) them carefully. Meanwhile, Max, the large fluffy dog, __________ (sit) on the floor with a ball in its mouth, waiting for someone to play. Daisy, the small dog, __________ (walk) around the office, probably looking for some attention or a treat. Outside, the sun __________ (shine) brightly through the windows, adding a warm glow to the room. The room was full of activity, and everyone __________ (focus) on their tasks.

Exercise 5

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in brackets using the past continuous tense.

Susan ... (wait) for you for two hours!

I ... (play) the piano at 5 pm yesterday.