How to use the past continuous tense: A fun guide with examples

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!

What is the past continuous tense?

First things first: What is this mysterious past continuous tense we’re talking about? Well, it’s not the past simple, 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.

How to form the past continuous tense

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.

Forms of the past continuous tense

Affirmative form of the past continuous tense

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 (true story) — more animals in English here.

If this isn’t clear, keep reading for concrete examples!

Past continuous tense examples in its affirmative form

• I was watching TV when you called.
• She was cooking dinner when the power went out.
• They were running in the park when it started raining.
• We were laughing at the joke when the teacher walked in.
• You were listening to music when I arrived.
• I was singing like crazy when the neighbor knocked at the door.
• The kids were playing outside when the storm hit.
• My rabbit was sleeping on the couch while I was working.
• The team was celebrating their victory when the fire alarm went off.
• We were eating pizza when we got the news.

Negative form of the past continuous tense

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 (welcome to my life).

Past continuous tense examples in its negative form

• I wasn’t sleeping when you called.
• She wasn’t paying attention during the meeting.
• We weren’t driving to the store; we were walking.
• They weren’t playing outside when it started raining.
• You weren’t studying when the fire alarm went off.
• He wasn’t watching the movie with us.
• I wasn’t texting while driving, I swear!
• The children weren’t playing soccer when it got dark.
• My dog wasn’t barking when the doorbell rang.
• We weren’t eating when the guests arrived.

Interrogative form of the past continuous tense

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? (of course she was)

Past continuous tense examples in its interrogative form

• Were you working late last night?
• Was she studying when you called?
• Were they playing basketball after school?
• Was he driving when it started snowing?
• Were we dancing at the party?
• Was your sister cooking dinner when you got home?
• Were they laughing at the joke?
• Was I singing too loudly?
• Were we waiting in line for the concert tickets?
• Was she reading when the lights went out?

Negative interrogative form of the past continuous tense

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?OrStructure 2: Wasn’t/Weren’t + subject + present participle?

Example: Wasn’t your bunny eating hay instead of cables? (no, unfortunately, she wasn’t)

Or

Was your bunny not eating hay instead of cables? (the answer is still no)

Past continuous tense examples in its negative interrogative form

• Was I not listening when you gave the instructions?
• Weren’t they playing outside when it started to rain?
• Wasn’t he driving too fast?
• Were you not studying for your exam last night?
• Wasn’t she cooking dinner when I called?
• Weren’t we dancing when the music stopped?
• Was your dog not barking when the delivery arrived?
• Weren’t we celebrating our victory?
• Wasn’t I singing during the car ride?
• Were they not playing cards when the lights went out?

When to use the past continuous tense

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.

• At 8 PM last night, I was watching Netflix.
• She was reading a book when I walked in.
• They were running when it started raining.
• He was playing video games all afternoon.
• We were eating dinner when the doorbell rang.
• The dog was barking while I was on the phone.
• At this time yesterday, I was studying for my test.
• The kids were swimming when the pool closed.
• I was sleeping when you texted me.
• We were working when the power went out.

Talking about two simultaneous past actions.

• I was cooking while she was cleaning.
• They were arguing while we were watching TV.
• The kids were playing while we were chatting.
• I was studying while he was playing video games.
• She was texting while walking down the street.
• They were laughing while the movie was playing.
• We were working while they were having fun.
• I was reading while he was writing.
• She was singing while cooking dinner.
• We were dancing while the band was playing.

Setting the scene in a story.

• The sun was setting as we arrived.
• The birds were chirping while the wind was blowing softly.
• People were laughing and music was playing in the background.
• It was raining when we entered the café.
• The city was buzzing with life as we walked down the street.
• The waves were crashing against the shore.
• The sky was turning pink as the day ended.
• Lights were flickering as we entered the room.
• Cars were honking while we tried to cross the street.
• The wind was howling outside as the storm began.

Describing interruptions in the past.

• I was reading a book when the phone rang.
• She was cooking dinner when the power went out.
• We were watching a movie when the fire alarm went off.
• He was driving to work when his car broke down.
• They were playing soccer when it suddenly started raining.
• I was texting my friend when my battery died.
• My bunny was chewing on the cables when I walked in.
• The kids were building a sandcastle when the tide came in.
• I was taking a shower when someone knocked on the door.
• We were dancing at the party when the music stopped.

Common expressions with the past continuous tense

Common past continuous mistakes to avoid

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?

Mixing it up with the past simple tense

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.

Forgetting to pair it with another past action.

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.

Over-using the past continuous

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.