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Past continuous: I was walking
A2 A2 grammar · lesson 3 of 25
The past continuous describes an action that was in progress at a moment in the past. It helps you tell stories and set the scene.
Form
Use was / were + verb-ing. You know was and were from A1.
| Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|
| I / he / she / it was working | I / he / she / it wasn’t working | Was she working? |
| you / we / they were working | you / we / they weren’t working | Were they working? |
When do we use it?
1. An action in progress at a time in the past
At eight o’clock last night I was watching TV.
What were you doing at 10 a.m. yesterday?
It was raining all morning.
2. A long action and a short action
The long action (in progress) is in the past continuous. The short action that happens in the middle is in the past simple. We often use when before the short action and while before the long action.
I was walking home when I saw Ali.
While Anna was cooking, the phone rang.
We were having lunch when it started to rain.
3. Two long actions at the same time
While Tom was reading, Mia was listening to music.
Common mistakes
✗ I was watch TV when you called.
✓ I was watching TV when you called.
✗ They was playing in the garden.
✓ They were playing in the garden.
✗ While I walked home, I was seeing an accident.
✓ While I was walking home, I saw an accident.
✗ I was knowing the answer.
✓ I knew the answer.