Past Continuous

Introduction to theory part 1

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."

2. 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
   

3. 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.

1. ➕ She was reading a book.
   ➖ …
   ❓ …
2. ➕ …
   ➖ They weren’t playing football in the park.
   ❓ …
   
3. ➕
   ➖ …
   ❓ Was Jim watching TV at 6 pm?
   
4. ➕ …
   ➖ …
   ❓ Were you travelling to Paris yesterday?
   
5. ➕ The children were drawing pictures in class.
   ➖ …
   ❓ …
   
6. ➕ …
   ➖ I wasn’t waiting for you.
   ❓ …

Check your answers

1. She wasn’t reading a book.
   Was she reading a book?
2. They were playing football in the park.
   Were they playing football in the park?
3. Jim was watching TV at 6 pm.
   Jim wasn’t watching TV at 6 pm.
4. You were travelling to Paris yesterday.
   You weren’t travelling to Paris yesterday.
5. The children weren’t drawing pictures in class.
   Were the children drawing pictures in class?
6. I was waiting for you.
   Was I waiting for you?

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?

Introduction to theory part 2

Match the examples to the correct rule

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.

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?

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.

1. Susan ... (wait) for you for two hours!
2. I ... (play) the piano at 5 pm yesterday.
3. They ... (not talk) while the singer ... (sing).
4. The teacher ... (read) a story when the principal came.
5. The actor ... (stand) and all the girls ... (scream).
6. I ... (tell) you about my work but you ... (not listen)!
7. What .... you .... (do) at 8 am two days ago?
8. People ... (look) at the girl while she ... (dance).
9. I didn't know you ... (sit) here! I'm sorry.
10. Do you know what he ... (talk) about when I came?
11. At 7 pm yesterday, I … (make) dinner.
12. She … (study) all evening, so she didn’t see my message.
13. We … (sit) on the tram and … (talk) about the weekend.
14. The kids … (run) around the garden and … (laugh).
15. You … (sleep) when I … (leave), weren’t you?
16. They … (drive) home and … (listen) to the radio.
17. What … you … (wear) at the party?
18. He … (work) from home, so he … (not travel) much.
19. I … (not pay) attention; I … (think) about something else.
20. The dog … (wait) by the door and … (cry).

Exercise 6

Compare each pair of sentences and explain the difference in meaning between them.

1a. She was cooking dinner when I came home.
1b. She cooked dinner when I came home.

2a. When I was singing someone laughed.
2b. When I sang someone laughed.

3a. My mum taught me how to cook.
3b. My mum was teaching me how to cook.

Exercise 7

Answer the questions below.

1. What were you thinking about while doing exercise 2?
2. What were you doing yesterday in the evening?
3. Were you looking at your phone 5 minutes ago?
4. Was your mum lecturing you when you talked last time?
5. Was it raining yesterday?
6. Were you feeling well yesterday?
7. Were you singing while taking a shower yesterday?
8. What were you doing an hour before our class?
9. Were you crying when you got your ears pierced?
10. What were you listening to while you were getting ready today?
11. What were you wearing when you left the house yesterday?
12. What were you watching the last time you fell asleep on the sofa?
13. Were you feeling relaxed or stressed while you were travelling last time?
14. Were you watching something while you were cooking dinner yesterday?
15. Were you watching TV yesterday afternoon?
16. Were you eating something while watching TV?
17. What were you doing while you were waiting for the bus or tram?

Extra clips!