Learn how to use the past continuous to talk about the past, and do the exercises to practise using it.

Feb 13, 2025 · What is the past continuous tense? The past continuous tense is a verb tense that shows an ongoing action that began and ended in the past. I was watching a movie when the power went out.

The Past Continuous tense is an important tense in English. We use it to say what we were in the middle of doing at a particular moment in the past. In this lesson we look at the structure and the use of the Past Continuous tense, followed by a quiz to check your understanding.

The past continuous (also called past progressive) is a verb tense which is used to show that an ongoing past action was happening at a specific moment of interruption, or that two ongoing actions were happening at the same time. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and past continuous exercises.

Nov 7, 2023 · The Past Continuous Tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past. This tense is essential for setting a scene, describing simultaneous actions, or highlighting interruptions. Examples: Ahmed was reading a book when the phone rang. They were playing football at 5 p.m. yesterday.

How can we make the past continuous? Firstly, check that you know how to make the past simple with 'be' (subject + was / were). Then just add verb-ing. Click here to download this explanation as a PDF. Click here for practice on how to USE the past continuous. Here's the positive form: Next, here's the negative - it's very easy, just add 'not':

Aug 7, 2024 · The past continuous tense helps describe actions that were happening over time in the past. It is often used to show interrupted actions, set the background, indicate parallel actions, and express actions in progress at a specific moment.

Jan 26, 2025 · Its structure is: subject + was/were + verb (-ing). The Past Continuous Tense is essential for conveying actions that occurred over a specific duration in the past. It allows speakers to describe situations, set the scene, and indicate interruptions by another event.

What Does Past Continuous Mean? In English grammar, the past continuous or past progressive tense is a verb tense that describes something that happened and continued for a short period of time after the action started. This is actually the tense I use most when I’m writing.

What Is Past Continuous Tense? The past continuous (also known as the past progressive) is a grammatical tense used in English that describes actions or events that were happening continuously in the past for a certain duration of time. The past continuous is made from the past tense of the verb ' be ' and the present participle form of a verb: