15 September 2025
In the world of English conjugation, you’ll find the past continuous tense. You’ve probably heard about it in your English course, or maybe read about it in a dusty grammar book, and we know this too well: grammar rules aren’t always the most exciting thing in the world.
But fear not! Here is a fun, brief crash course to help you understand everything there is to know — or almost — about this tense, along with past continuous tense examples.
In a nutshell, the past continuous tense is about actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past. Keep reading to go deeper into this super useful tense.
Spoiler alert: By the end of this article, you’ll want to use it everywhere!
First things first: What is this mysterious past continuous tense we’re talking about? Well, it’s not the simple past, but it’s actually pretty simple. Basically, the past continuous tense is used for actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past. So, if you were doing something, and then something else happened, the past continuous is your tense.
Think of it as the background music in the fascinating movie of your life: the action that was happening, when something else happened. For example, “I was reading a book when the phone rang.” (fascinating, we said). The book reading didn’t just start and end instantly; it was in progress when the interruption occurred. Maybe it was a very intriguing phone call? What was it about? You can tell the story using all the past tenses: past simple, past perfect and past continuous.
Forming the past continuous is a piece of delicious cake!
The structure is: Subject + was/were + verb + ing
That’s it! Whether you’re talking about yourself, your bunny, or your sister, this structure is your key to mastering the past continuous.
In the affirmative form — which is very straightforward — you’re simply stating that something was happening at a certain time.
The structure is: Subject + was/were + present participle (verb+ing)
Example: My bunny was eating my computer cable when I found her.
If this isn’t clear, keep reading for concrete examples!
Past continuous tense examples in its affirmative form
Having a positive attitude is great, but sometimes, you need the negative form! So, if you want to negate that action, no worries. It’s just a tweak:
The structure is: Subject + was/were not (wasn’t/weren’t) + present participle
Example: My bunny acted like she wasn’t doing anything wrong when I found her chewing on the cables.
Past continuous tense examples in its negative form
If you have a curious mind like mine, this form will come in handy! But remember: curious doesn’t mean nosy! So, let’s turn it into a question.
The structure is: Was/Were + subject + present participle?
Example: Was my bunny eating the cables today?
Past continuous tense examples in its interrogative form
Now, let’s spice things up: we’ll mix and match! For negative interrogation, you’ve got two options:
Structure 1: Was/Were + subject + not + present participle?
Exammple 1: Was your bunny not eating hay instead of cables?
Structure 2: Wasn’t/Weren’t + subject + present participle?
Example 2: Wasn’t your bunny eating hay instead of cables?
Past continuous tense examples in its interrogative form
Now that you know how to form it — or at least, we hope so — let’s chat about when to use the past continuous. It’s not just pretty — it’s useful too!
Keep reading for specific examples according to each situation.
Describing an action that was happening at a specific moment in the past.
Talking about two simultaneous past actions.
Setting the scene in a story.
Describing interruptions in the past.
To all language learners out there, we’ve all been there — enthusiastically throwing around tenses like we’re grammar experts, only to realize later that was absolutely wrong.
Let’s see how to avoid that in the future — wait, weren’t we talking about the past?
We’ve all seen or heard sentences like “I was ran to the store.” Ouch! The past continuous needs that little “-ing” verb action. So instead of “I was ran,” it should be “I was running.” Past continuous is for things that were happening, not things that happened.
How to avoid it: Think about whether the action you’re describing was still going on at a specific time. If yes, use the past continuous. If no, opt for past simple.
The past continuous is usually paired with a past simple action to show that something interrupted the flow. For example, “I was watching TV when the phone rang.” The phone ringing interrupts your epic binge session — how dare they? If you forget that second part, you lose the whole drama of the story!
How to avoid it: Ask yourself, “What interrupted my action?” If there’s a second event, you’ll probably need a past continuous + past simple pair.
We get it. Once you’ve got a handle on the past continuous — bravo! — it’s tempting to use it all the time. But not every past action needs to be stretched out like that. Sometimes, a good old past simple is all you need.
How to avoid it: Remember, the past continuous is for stressing that an action was in progress. If you don’t need to emphasize, just go with the past simple.
At 9 PM last night, I was watching my favorite show.
They were playing basketball when it started to rain.
She was not (wasn’t) listening to music while she was studying.
Were you working (you/work) on that project when I called?
We were eating (eat) pizza when the lights went out.
He was cooking dinner when the guests arrived.
I was reading a book when I heard a loud bang outside.
We were playing soccer when it started snowing.
She was walking the dog when the storm hit.
They were studying in the library when the fire alarm went off.
At 8 o’clock last night, I was watching the latest episode of my favorite show.
While I was driving to work, it was raining so heavily I could barely see the road.
When the phone rang, I was just about to fall asleep—talk about bad timing!
She wasn’t paying attention because she was texting during the meeting.
I was doing my homework when my dog jumped onto the table and spilled my coffee all over my notes!
Ok, all of this is awesome, but how do you go from “I kind of understand it” to “I was totally mastering the past continuous before I even had breakfast”? Well, we can’t learn it for you, but below are a few of our teste and proven tips!
One of the coolest things about the past continuous is its use in stories. Think about the last time you were telling a friend — or your bunny, no judging — about your day. Did you say something like, “I was walking on the street when a pigeon fell from the sky right at my feet” — true story? That's the past continuous in action! Practice by telling stories about your day or narrating a book or movie, focusing on using the past continuous when describing actions that were ongoing.
Remember, the past continuous is about what was taking place at a specific time or what got interrupted. So, when you’re talking about past events, think about what actions were in progress and which actions happened and interrupted them.
Sure, it might not sound natural at the beginning. But the more you use the past continuous in casual conversations, the better. For example, next time an English speaking friend asks, “What were you doing Saturday night?” give them the full story: “Oh, I was watching TV when my friend called and invited me to this crazy party!” You know, practice makes perfect — and we kind of want to know about that wild party, actually!
If you enjoy English-language podcasts, TV shows, movies or YouTube videos, keep an ear out for when native speakers use the past continuous. You’ll start to notice how often it’s used in casual conversations. Even better, if you know English speakers, practice with them! And if you don’t, you’ll find grammar buddies online — try social media groups and language forums.
Writing is a fantastic way to remember things — and it’s also therapeutic! Try journaling about your day, and make a point to use the past continuous whenever it’s appropriate. “This morning, I was writing an article for the Berlitz blog when my bunny decided to eat the cable of my laptop.”
One of the biggest challenges with the past continuous is knowing when to use it in combination with other tenses. So, practice switching between tenses! Start with a simple sentence… in the past simple, then throw in a past continuous sentence to describe what else was happening at the same time. “I was working on my article when my bunny chewed on the cable.”
As you probably know by now — and if you don’t, read again — the past continuous tense is your key to describing ongoing actions and lovely interruptions, like when you were trying to write an article about the past continuous, and suddenly your bunny ate the cables.
With these examples, tips, and exercises, you’re ready to explain the most amazing stories! And if you want to take your storytelling to the next level, make sure to check out our other articles on the past perfect and past simple. Happy learning!
