Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor

The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense, refers to a continuing action or state that was happening at some point in the past. ... It can also be used to describe something that was happening continuously in the past when another action interrupted it.
Here's the positive form:

The past continuous is made from the past tense of the verb be and the –ing form of a verb:

I was
You were
He was
She was
It was
We were
You were
They were

working
playing
living
talking

etc.

We use the past continuous to talk about the past:

for something which happened before and after another action:

The children were doing their homework when I got home.

Compare: The children did their homework when (= after) I got home.

This use of the past continuous is very common at the beginning of a story:

The other day I was waiting for a bus when …
Last week, as I was driving to work, …

for something that happened before and after a specific time:
It was eight o'clock. I was writing a letter.

Compare: At eight o'clock I wrote (= started writing) some letters.

to show that something continued for some time:
My head was aching.
Everyone was shouting.

for something that happened again and again:
I was practising every day, three times a day.
They were meeting secretly after school.
They were always quarrelling.

with verbs which show change or growth:
The children were growing up quickly.
Her English was improving.
My hair was going grey.
The town was changing quickly.


I was sleeping
you were working
he was coming
she was reading 'War and Peace'
it was raining
we were shopping
they were watching a film
Next, here's the negative - it's very easy, just add 'not':

I was not (wasn't) sleeping
you were not (weren't) working
he was not (wasn't) coming
she was not (wasn't) reading 'War and Peace'
it was not (wasn't) raining
we were not (weren't) shopping
they were not (weren't) watching a film
Here's an exercise about the positive and negative verb forms

And, just like the past simple with 'be', to make a 'yes / no' question, put 'was / were' in front of the subject:

Was I listening?
Were you working?
Was she working?
Was he living in Paris at the time?
Was it snowing when you arrived?
Were we eating?
Were they studying?
To make a 'wh' question (of course) put the question word at the beginning:

Why was I working?
Where were you living?
How was she travelling?
Where was he going?
Why was it snowing in the summer?
What were we eating?
Why were they studying?

Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor
Past continuous English grammar Aprende con Victor

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