Past Continuous Tense
Use the past continuous for an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past, often interrupted by another action. Form it with was/were + verb-ing.
The rule
was/were + verb-ing
Right and wrong
I was reading when you called.
I reading when you called.
Don't forget "was" before the -ing verb.
She was cooking dinner at 8 pm.
She were cooking dinner at 8 pm.
Use "was" with I/he/she/it, not "were".
They were playing outside when it started to rain.
They was playing outside when it started to rain.
Use "were" with they/we/you.
We were watching TV all evening.
We were watch TV all evening.
The main verb must end in -ing.
Practice
1. I ___ (sleep) when the phone rang.
2. They ___ (talk) when the teacher walked in.
3. She ___ (drive) to work when she saw the accident.
4. What ___ you (do) at 9 pm last night?
5. We ___ (have) dinner when the lights went out.
Practise in the app
Day to Day English lets you practise grammar inside real situations, with audio and a story to follow.