Lesson 18 of 46

Past continuous

Describe actions in progress in the past.

The rules

1.Form: was/were + verb-ing. Use it for an action in progress at a past moment: "At 9 pm I was working."
2.Use it with the past simple for an interrupted action: "I was cooking when the phone rang."
3.Use while with the continuous for the longer action: "While I was cooking, the phone rang."
4.Stative verbs (know, want, like) still avoid the continuous.

Incorrect: ~~I was sleep when you called.~~

Correct: I was sleeping when you called.

was + verb-ing.

Incorrect: ~~While I cooked, the phone rang.~~

Correct: While I was cooking, the phone rang.

The longer action uses the continuous.

Incorrect: ~~What you were doing yesterday at 5?~~

Correct: What were you doing yesterday at 5?

Correct question order.

Watch out: The longer background action = continuous; the shorter interrupting action = simple past.

1. We ___ dinner when he arrived.

2. While she ___, the lights went out.

3. Which is correct?

Paste any text and see exactly what to fix, with the rule explained.