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Master English Grammar

Past Continuous – Was/Were + Verb-ing

Learn how to use the past continuous tense to describe actions that were happening at a specific moment in the past.

What Is the Past Continuous Tense?

The past continuous tense describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. It is formed using was/were + verb-ing.

Why Is This Important?

The past continuous tense helps provide context for past events, describe background actions, and show interruptions in the past.

Key Points

  • Use 'was' with singular subjects and 'were' with plural subjects
    • I was studying at 8 PM.
    • They were watching TV.
  • Use past continuous for actions in progress in the past
    • She was reading when I arrived.
    • We were playing football at noon.

Rules for Using the Past Continuous Tense

  • Use 'was/were + verb-ing' to describe ongoing actions in the past.

    • I was watching TV when she called.
    • They were eating dinner at 7 PM.

  • Use the past continuous to show an action in progress that was interrupted by another event.

    • She was sleeping when the alarm rang.
    • We were walking when it started to rain.

  • Special Cases & Exceptions:

    Some stative verbs (like 'know', 'believe', 'love') are not used in the past continuous tense.

  • Avoid using stative verbs in the past continuous.

    • Incorrect: I was knowing the answer.
    • Correct: I knew the answer.
ExampleTenseUse
I was watching TV at 8 PM.Past ContinuousAction in progress at a specific time
They were playing football when it started to rain.Past ContinuousInterrupted action

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the creators of these videos. These are publicly available resources used to provide additional information on the topic.