Past Continuous Tense in English: Rules, Uses, and 30 Examples

The past continuous tense (also called past progressive) is one of the most useful tenses in English, but it trips up learners because it looks so similar to past simple. This guide gives you the rule in plain English, 30 example sentences across every use case, and 20 exercises with answers so you can practise until it clicks.

If you are learning English from scratch, we recommend reviewing past simple exercises first, then coming back here.

What is the past continuous tense?

The past continuous describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. It answers questions like "what was happening at 3 PM yesterday?" or "what were you doing when the phone rang?"

The formula is simple:

Subject + was/were + verb-ing

• I / He / She / It + was + verb-ing
• You / We / They + were + verb-ing

Examples:

• I was reading a book at 8 PM last night.
• She was cooking dinner when the doorbell rang.
• They were driving to Sharjah at that moment.

The 4 main uses of the past continuous

1. Action in progress at a specific past moment

The single most common use. You are answering "what was happening at that time?"

• At 7 AM this morning, I was drinking coffee at Costa.
• Last Tuesday at 3 PM, my colleague was presenting to the board.
• When the sandstorm hit Dubai, we were sitting on the beach.

2. Two actions happening at the same time in the past

Both actions were ongoing. Use "while" to connect them.

• While I was working in the office, my wife was studying for her IELTS exam.
• The students were writing their exam while the teacher was watching them.
• I was reading a book while my brother was playing video games.

3. A background action interrupted by a shorter action

The past continuous describes the longer background action; the past simple describes the shorter interrupting action.

• I was watching TV when the electricity went out.
• She was driving on Sheikh Zayed Road when her tyre burst.
• We were having dinner when my friend from London called.

4. Descriptive background for a story

Writers use past continuous to set the scene, then switch to past simple for the main action.

• The sun was setting over the Marina. Waves were crashing on the beach. Suddenly, a helicopter appeared overhead.

Spelling rules for the -ing form

Most verbs simply add -ing:

• work → working
• talk → talking
• read → reading

Verbs ending in a silent "e" drop the e before -ing:

• write → writing
• take → taking
• come → coming

Short verbs ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel double the consonant:

• run → running
• swim → swimming
• stop → stopping

Verbs ending in "ie" change ie to y before -ing:

• lie → lying
• die → dying
• tie → tying

Negative form of past continuous

Add "not" after was / were:

• I was not (wasn't) listening to music.
• They were not (weren't) paying attention.

Question form of past continuous

Move was / were to the beginning:

• Was she working late yesterday?
• Were you eating lunch when I called?
• What were you doing at 10 PM last night?
• Why was he waiting outside the office?

Past continuous vs past simple

This is the number one source of confusion for English learners. Use this rule:

• Past simple = a completed past action (finished, we know when).
• Past continuous = a past action that was ongoing at the time we are focusing on.

Compare:

• I worked in Dubai for 5 years. (finished, past simple)
• I was working in Dubai when I met my wife. (ongoing background, past continuous)

• She ate dinner at 8 PM. (completed action, past simple)
• She was eating dinner at 8 PM when the guests arrived. (in progress at 8 PM, past continuous)

• We watched the football match. (finished the whole match, past simple)
• We were watching the football match when the power cut off. (in the middle of it, past continuous)

30 example sentences

Progress at a specific time

1. At midnight, I was sleeping in my apartment in JLT.
2. Last summer, my sister was living in London.
3. At 4 PM yesterday, the manager was interviewing candidates.
4. My son was playing cricket in the park at that moment.
5. The bakery was preparing fresh bread when I walked past.
6. My grandmother was telling stories to the children.
7. The taxi driver was listening to the news.
8. Two students were studying silently in the library.

Two simultaneous ongoing actions

1. While I was cooking dinner, my husband was reading the news.
2. The children were playing upstairs while I was cleaning downstairs.
3. My colleague was typing a report while I was answering emails.
4. The rain was falling while we were driving to Abu Dhabi.
5. He was watching the football while she was cooking dinner.

Background interrupted by an event

1. I was walking home when I saw my old teacher.
2. We were having coffee when the earthquake struck.
3. She was writing an email when her boss called her.
4. They were driving to the airport when the car broke down.
5. My father was reading the newspaper when the phone rang.
6. I was showering when someone knocked on the door.
7. The teacher was explaining the lesson when the fire alarm went off.

Setting the scene for stories

1. The wind was blowing softly through the palm trees.
2. Children were laughing in the courtyard.
3. Music was playing in the background.
4. The sun was rising over the desert.
5. Camels were grazing peacefully near the wadi.

Questions

1. Was the manager working late last night?
2. Were you studying for your exam yesterday afternoon?
3. What were the students doing when the teacher arrived?
4. Why was he running so fast at 6 AM?
5. Where were you working before you joined this company?

20 exercises

Fill in the blank with the correct past continuous form of the verb in brackets.

1. At 9 PM last night, I ______ (watch) a film with my family.
2. She ______ (study) for her IELTS exam when I called her yesterday.
3. The children ______ (play) in the garden while their mother ______ (cook) lunch.
4. I ______ (drive) to work when the traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road ______ (stop) completely.
5. What ______ you ______ (do) at 3 PM yesterday?
6. My friend ______ (wait) for the bus when I saw her.
7. They ______ (not / listen) to the teacher when she asked the question.
8. We ______ (have) dinner at Zuma when the waiter ______ (bring) the wrong dish.
9. The dog ______ (bark) all night. I couldn't sleep.
10. Where ______ he ______ (work) before he moved to Dubai?
11. It ______ (rain) heavily when we ______ (arrive) at the airport.
12. She ______ (not / feel) well, so she went home early.
13. The team ______ (celebrate) their victory when the news broke.
14. I ______ (read) a book while my sister ______ (paint) her nails.
15. My mother ______ (cook) my favourite dish when I ______ (walk) into the kitchen.
16. What ______ your parents ______ (do) when you were a child?
17. The manager ______ (present) his ideas when the projector ______ (stop) working.
18. We ______ (talk) about you when you called.
19. She ______ (sleep) peacefully when the fire alarm ______ (go off).
20. They ______ (work) in the office late last night.

Answer key

1. was watching
2. was studying
3. were playing / was cooking
4. was driving / stopped
5. were / doing
6. was waiting
7. were not listening (weren't listening)
8. were having / brought
9. was barking
10. was / working
11. was raining / arrived
12. was not feeling (wasn't feeling)
13. was celebrating
14. was reading / was painting
15. was cooking / walked
16. were / doing
17. was presenting / stopped
18. were talking
19. was sleeping / went off
20. were working

Common mistakes UAE learners make

1. Forgetting to add "-ing"

Wrong: I was work in Dubai when I met her. Right: I was working in Dubai when I met her.

The verb after was / were must always have -ing.

2. Using past continuous for a completed action

Wrong: I was living in Dubai for 5 years. Right: I lived in Dubai for 5 years.

If the action is finished (with a specific duration), use past simple.

3. Mixing was and were incorrectly

Wrong: You was working late yesterday. Right: You were working late yesterday.

Remember: I / He / She / It → was. You / We / They → were.

4. Confusing "used to" with past continuous

• "Used to" describes past habits that no longer happen: I used to live in Sharjah.
• Past continuous describes actions in progress at a specific past moment: I was living in Sharjah when the pandemic started.

When you should NOT use past continuous

Some verbs (called stative verbs) describe states, not actions, and are rarely used in continuous form. These include:

• Mental states: know, understand, believe, remember
• Emotions: love, hate, like, want
• Senses: see, hear, smell, taste
• Possession: have (owning), own, belong

Wrong: I was knowing the answer. Right: I knew the answer.

Wrong: She was loving the party. Right: She loved the party.

Wrap-up: quick summary

• Past continuous = was / were + verb-ing
• Use it for actions in progress at a specific past moment, two simultaneous ongoing actions, background interrupted by an event, or storytelling scene-setting
• Do not use it with stative verbs (know, love, own)
• The most common mistake is confusing it with past simple: past simple = finished action; past continuous = in-progress action

Practice past continuous with a real teacher

Grammar rules make sense on paper but click into place when you use them in real conversations. Wall Street English UAE runs English classes near you in Jumeirah Lakes Towers and online across the UAE. Every lesson mixes structured grammar work with real speaking practice, so you leave using the tenses you have just learned.

Book a free level test and see exactly where past continuous fits into your English journey.

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