Definition / Explanation
The past continuous is made with was/were + verb-ing. We use it for an action that was in progress at a particular time in the past. It often gives background information in a story instead of showing the main event. For example, it can answer the question, "What was happening at 7 o'clock?" It is often used with time phrases like at 6, all evening, or when I called.
Key Rules
- Use was with I/he/she/it and were with you/we/they.
- Form: was/were + verb-ing.
- Use it for an action in progress at a past time: At 7:00, I was cooking.
- It often answers “What was happening?”
- Common time expressions are at 6 o'clock, at that time, all evening, when...
Examples
- I was cooking at 7.
- They were talking in the kitchen.
- She was sleeping when I arrived.
- We were watching TV at that time.
- The rain was falling all night.
Common Mistakes
- ❌ I was cook at 7. -> ✅ I was cooking at 7.
- ❌ They was talking in the kitchen. -> ✅ They were talking in the kitchen.
- ❌ She were sleeping. -> ✅ She was sleeping.