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English grammar

Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)

Updated 27 Oct 2026 4 min read LingoLadder Editorial Team
Cover: Past continuous — was and were plus -ing: I was working, they were playing, at 8 pm last night
Short answer

The past continuous is was / were + the -ing form of the verb: 'I was working', 'They were playing'. Use it for an action that was in progress at a moment in the past, not yet finished.

On this page11 sections · tap to jump
  1. 01The rule
  2. 02Forms and -ing spelling
  3. 03How to say it
  4. 04Example sentences
  5. 05Common mistakes
  6. 06A short conversation
  7. 07Usage notes
  8. 08Compared with…
  9. 09Practice
  10. 10Quiz
  11. 11Recap cheat-sheet

Level: A2. The past continuous (also called the past progressive) describes something that was in the middle of happening at a point in the past. It is two parts: was or were plus a main verb ending in -ing.

The rule

The past continuous shows an action in progress at a particular moment in the past. The action had already started and had not yet finished at that moment: “At 8 pm last night I was watching TV” — the watching was going on at 8 pm.

The form has two pieces:

  1. the past of be — was with I / he / she / it, were with you / we / they;
  2. the main verb with -ing (the present participle).
  • I was working. / She was working. / They were working.
  • At midnight it was raining.

You must keep was / were. The -ing word alone is not a sentence: “I working” is wrong; “I was working” is right. Make negatives by adding not to be (wasn’t, weren’t), and questions by moving be to the front (Were you working?). There is no did in the continuous.

The tense is often used to set a scene: it paints the background of a story — what was already happening — before a shorter, completed event (in the past simple) interrupts it. A full comparison of that when / while pattern has its own lesson; here, focus on forming the tense and seeing an action stretched across a past moment.

Forms and -ing spelling

Subject be (past) + verb-ing Example
I was working I was working.
he / she / it was working She was working.
you / we / they were working They were working.

Negatives and questions use the same was / were:

Form I / he / she / it you / we / they
Negative wasn’t working weren’t working
Question Was I working? Were you working?

The -ing spelling is exactly the same as in the present continuous:

Verb ends in… Rule Example
most verbs add -ing work → working, play → playing
silent -e drop the -e, add -ing make → making, write → writing
one vowel + one consonant (stressed) double the consonant run → running, sit → sitting
-ie change to -ying lie → lying, die → dying

How to say it

  • was sounds like “woz” (short, weak) in most sentences; were sounds like “wuh” before a consonant.
  • The negatives contract to wasn’t (“woz-nt”) and weren’t (“wernt”) — practise them until they feel natural.
  • -ing ends in a soft “ng” sound (as in sing); do not add a hard “g” at the end.

Example sentences

  1. I was reading when you called.
    Reading was in progress at the moment of the call.
  2. She was cooking dinner at 7 pm.
    'was' for she + the -ing verb.
  3. They were watching a film all evening.
    'were' for they; an action stretched over time.
  4. At midnight it was raining hard.
    A background situation at a past moment.
  5. We were waiting for the bus for ages.
    'were' for we; an ongoing past action.
  6. He was writing an email when the power went off.
    write → writing (drop the -e).
  7. The children were running around the garden.
    run → running (double the n).
  8. I wasn't sleeping; I heard everything.
    Negative: wasn't + the -ing verb.
  9. She wasn't listening to the teacher.
    Negative for she.
  10. Were you studying last night?
    Question: were comes first.
  11. Was he driving too fast?
    Question for he: was comes first.
  12. My phone was charging all night.
    A thing (it) + was + -ing.
  13. We were staying at a small hotel that week.
    A temporary past situation.
  14. The baby was lying on the sofa.
    lie → lying (-ie becomes -ying).
  15. What were you doing at 10 o'clock?
    A very common past-continuous question.
  16. They weren't playing football yesterday.
    Negative with weren't.
  17. It was getting dark when we left.
    A changing situation in the past.
  18. She was wearing a blue coat at the party.
    A temporary past state.
  19. The students were taking notes during the lecture.
    take → taking (drop the -e).
  20. I was thinking about you all day.
    'think' as an action here, not a state.

Common mistakes

  • ❌ I working when you called. → ✅ I was working when you called. You must include was / were.
  • ❌ They was playing. → ✅ They were playing. Match be to the subject: they → were.
  • ❌ She was write a letter. → ✅ She was writing a letter. The main verb needs the -ing ending.
  • ❌ Did you were watching TV? → ✅ Were you watching TV? Make questions with was / were, never with did.
  • ❌ I was knowing the answer. → ✅ I knew the answer. Stative verbs (know, want, like, believe) are not normally continuous.
  • ❌ We was runing. → ✅ We were running. Use were with we, and double the consonant: run → running.

A short conversation

A: I called you at eight but you didn’t answer. B: Sorry — I was having a shower. What were you doing? A: I was cooking. The others were watching a film. B: Nice. I wasn’t doing anything interesting, honestly.

Usage notes

  • In progress, not complete. The past continuous looks inside an action at one past moment; the past simple looks at the whole finished action. “I was reading at 9” (middle) vs “I read a book” (done).
  • Setting the scene. Stories often open in the past continuous to describe the background: “The sun was shining and birds were singing.” A past-simple event then moves the story on.
  • Temporary past situations. Use it for things that were true for a limited time: “We were living in Rome that year.”
  • Contractions are normal. In speech and informal writing use wasn’t and weren’t; the full was not / were not is more formal.

Compared with…

  • Past simple. The past simple is for completed past actions (“I cooked dinner”); the past continuous is for actions in progress (“I was cooking dinner”). The two work together: a long background action in the continuous is often interrupted by a short, finished action in the simple — “I was cooking when the phone rang.” For the full when / while rules and how the two tenses combine, see Past Continuous vs Past Simple. The past-simple was / were at the heart of this tense comes from Past Simple of ‘To Be’ (was / were), and the -ing form works just like the Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing).

Recap card for the English past-continuous lesson showing was and were plus the -ing verb

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

Past continuous practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Choose the correct form: 'At 8 pm I ___ dinner.'
Show answer

was cooking — An action in progress at a past moment = past continuous: was + cooking.

Hint: subject is 'they'

Show answer

were — 'They' takes 'were' in the past continuous.

3 Put the words in order to make a correct sentence.

Show answer

She was reading a book — Subject + was + -ing verb + object.

4 Match the subject to the correct form of be.

  • I
  • you
  • she
  • they
Show answer
  • I → was
  • you → were
  • she → was
  • they → were

was: I, he, she, it. were: you, we, they.

5 Which sentence is correct?
Show answer

I knew the answer. — Know is a stative verb — use the past simple, not the continuous.

Hint: short stressed vowel + consonant

Show answer

running — Double the final consonant: run → running.

Quiz

Check yourself

Past continuous quiz

12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/12 0 answered
  1. 1Complete: 'I ___ TV at nine o'clock.'
    Show answer

    was watching — 'I' takes 'was' in the past continuous: was watching.

  2. 2Complete: 'They ___ football all afternoon.'
    Show answer

    were playing — 'They' takes 'were': were playing.

  3. 3What is the -ing form of 'write'?
    Show answer

    writing — Drop the silent -e: write → writing.

  4. 4What is the -ing form of 'sit'?
    Show answer

    sitting — Short stressed vowel + consonant doubles: sit → sitting.

  5. 5Choose the correct negative.
    Show answer

    She wasn't working. — 'She' takes wasn't + the -ing verb.

  6. 6Make this a question: 'You were sleeping.'
    Show answer

    Were you sleeping? — Move 'were' to the front; 'you' takes were.

  7. 7Which sentence is WRONG?
    Show answer

    They was waiting. — 'They' takes were: 'They were waiting.'

  8. 8Which verb is NOT normally used in the continuous?
    Show answer

    believe — Believe is a stative verb; say 'I believed', not 'I was believing'.

  9. 9Complete: 'At midnight it ___ hard.'
    Show answer

    was raining — A background situation at a past moment = 'it was raining'.

  10. Show answer

    were — 'You' takes 'were' in the past continuous.

  11. 11Choose the best use of the past continuous.
    Show answer

    We were living in Rome that year. — A temporary past situation fits the past continuous.

  12. 12Complete: 'He ___ an email when the power went off.'
    Show answer

    was writing — A longer action in progress interrupted by a short event: was writing.

Recap cheat-sheet

Subject was/were + -ing Negative Question
I / he / she / it was working wasn’t working Was she working?
you / we / they were working weren’t working Were they working?
any subject -ing spelling make → making run → running

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All English grammar topics

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Grammar path

125 topics 125 ready now
A1 30 topics · 30 ready
  1. 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
  2. 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
  3. 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
  4. 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
  5. 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
  6. 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
  7. 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
  8. 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
  9. 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
  10. 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
  11. 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
  12. 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
  13. 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession
  14. 14 Can and Can't for Ability
  15. 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
  16. 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
  17. 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
  18. 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
  19. 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
  20. 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
  21. 21 How Much vs How Many
  22. 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
  23. 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
  24. 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
  25. 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
  26. 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)
  27. 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
  28. 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
  29. 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
  30. 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
  2. 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
  3. 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
  4. 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
  5. 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
  6. 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
  7. 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
  8. 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
  9. 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)
  10. 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
  11. 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
  12. 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
  13. 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice
  14. 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
  15. 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
  16. 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
  17. 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
  18. 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
  19. 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
  20. 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
  21. 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
  22. 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers
  23. 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing) You are here
  24. 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
  25. 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
  1. 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
  2. 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
  3. 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
  4. 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
  5. 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
  6. 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
  7. 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
  8. 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
  9. 64 Reported Questions
  10. 65 Reported Commands and Requests
  11. 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
  12. 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
  13. 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
  14. 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
  15. 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
  16. 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
  17. 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
  18. 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
  19. 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
  20. 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
  21. 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
  22. 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
  23. 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
  24. 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
  25. 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
  26. 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
  27. 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
  2. 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
  3. 85 Mixed Conditionals
  4. 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
  5. 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
  6. 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
  7. 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
  8. 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
  9. 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
  10. 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
  11. 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
  12. 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
  13. 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
  14. 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
  15. 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
  16. 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
  17. 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
  18. 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
  19. 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
  20. 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
  21. 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition
  22. 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
  23. 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
  24. 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
  25. 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
  1. 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
  2. 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
  3. 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
  4. 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
  5. 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
  6. 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
  7. 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
  8. 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
  9. 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
  10. 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
  11. 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
  12. 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would)
  13. 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
  14. 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
  15. 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
  16. 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
  17. 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
  18. 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)