Past Continuous Tense । Sahil Hasan । LovHind
Past Continuous Tense । Sahil Hasan । LovHind

Past Continuous Tense । Sahil Hasan

Past Continuous Tense

What is past continuous tense? or what is the past progressive tense?

The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense, describes ongoing actions in the past, such as I was writing my practical notes all night. It uses the same construction as the present continuous tense except with the past tense of the verb to be.

Uses of the Past continuous tense

We use the past continuous tense to talk about the past:

>> for something which happened before and after another action:

  • The children were playing chess when I got home.
  • My mom was cooking food for me when I reached home.
  • The students were studying physics after they read math.
  • The other day I was waiting for a cab when she met me.
  • Last week, as I was going home when the teacher stopped me.

>> for something that happened before and after a specific time:

  • I was listening to songs at 9 pm.
  • It was 10 o’clock. She was writing Chemistry notes.
  • We were laughing at a joke at 11 pm.

>> to show that something continued for some time:

  • My head was aching.
  • Everyone was shouting.
  • They were laughing.
  • I was crying.
  • I was crying with my heart pain.

>> for something that happened again and again:

  • I was practicing every day, three times a day.
  • They were meeting secretly after school.
  • They were always quarreling. (Note: In American English, we write quarreling but in British, we write quarrelling)
  • We were always taking tea in that old shop.

>> with verbs which show change or growth:

  • Her English was improving.
  • The children were growing up quickly.
  • My hair was going grey.
  • The town was changing quickly.

>> Describe the atmosphere

  • When I reached the shopping mall, several people were busy buying clothes, children were playing in the gaming zone, and some were busy enjoying delicious food.

Rules for Affirmative Sentences in the Past Continuous Tense

Subject + was/were + verb (ing form) + rest of the sentence.

  • I was cooking food.
  • She was going there.
  • He was coming home.
  • They were dancing in the club.
  • Rahul was helping them.

Rules for Negative Sentences in the Past Continuous Tense

Subject + was/were + not + verb (ing form) + rest of the sentence.

  • I was not cooking food.
  • She was not going there.
  • He was not coming home.
  • They were not dancing in the club.
  • Rahul was not helping them.

Rules for Interrogative Sentences in the Past Continuous Tense

There are two types of Interrogative sentences:

Yes/No type of question

The sentences that start with helping verbs or auxiliary verbs are called the Yes/No type of question.

Structure of Yes/No Type: Was/Were + subject + verb (ing form) + rest of the sentence?

  • Was I cooking food?
  • Was she going there?
  • Was he coming home?
  • Were they dancing in the club?
  • Was Rahul helping them?

Wh-word type of question

The sentences which start with question words are called the Wh-word type of questions.

Structure for wh-word: Question word + was/were + subject + Verb (ing form) + rest of the sentence?

  • Why was I cooking food?
  • Why was she going there?
  • When was he coming home?
  • Where were they dancing?
  • How was Rahul helping them?

Rules for Interrogative negative sentences in the Past continuous Tense

Structure of Yes/No Type: Was/Were + subject + not + verb (ing form) + rest of the sentence?

  • Was I not cooking food?
  • Was she not going there?
  • Was he not coming home?
  • Were they not dancing in the club?
  • Was Rahul not helping them?

Structure for wh-word: Question word + was/were + subject + not + Verb (ing form) + rest of the sentence?

  • Why was I not cooking food?
  • Why was she not going there?
  • When was he not coming home?
  • Where were they not dancing?
  • How was Rahul not helping them?

Swajms Tip: We do not normally use the past continuous with stative verbs. We use the past simple instead: When I got home, I really needed (NOT was needing) a shower.

More examples of the Past Perfect Tense

Examples of Questions and Answers

  • Question: Were you not telling a lie?
  • Answer: No, I was not telling a lie.
  • Question: Were they not helping you?
  • Answer: No, they were not helping me.
  • Question: Were the boys playing cricket?
  • Answer: Yes, the boys were playing cricket.
  • Question: Was the fountain running?
  • Answer: Yes, the fountain was running.
  • Question: Were you playing cards most of the time?
  • Answer: No, I was not playing cards.
  • Question: Was she cheating on you?
  • Answer: Yes, she was cheating on me.
    Question: Was he going?
  • Answer: Yes, he was going.
  • Question: Was he beating you yesterday night?
  • Answer: Yes, he was beating me yesterday.
  • Question: Were you making noise the last week?
  • Answer: No, I was not making noise the last week.
  • Question: Were we plucking the flowers?
  • Answer: No, we were not plucking the flowers.
  • Question: Were the students praying?
  • Answer: Yes, the students were praying.
  • Question: Were they shivering with cold?
  • Answer: Yes, they were shivering with cold.
  • Question: Were the boys going to the playground?
  • Answer: Yes, the boys were going to the playground.
  • Question: Was he going home?
  • Answer: Yes, he was going home.
  • Question: Was he wasting his time?
  • Answer: Yes, he was wasting his time.
  • Question: Was I speaking the truth?
  • Answer: Yes, you were speaking the truth.
  • Question: Where was he staying in the Padrauna?
  • Answer: He was staying in the Padrauna near Baluchaha Road.
  • Question: How was he performing in the office?
  • Answer: He was performing well in the office.
  • Question: Where were you playing football?
  • Answer: I was playing football on the field near Khiriya Tola.
  • Question: Where were they sitting?
  • Answer: They were sitting on the bench.
  • Question: Where were you dancing in the club?
  • Answer: I was dancing in the left corner of the club.
  • Question: Were you taking care of the pets?
  • Answer: Yes, I was taking care of the pets.
  • Question: Was he enjoying his school time?
  • Answer: No, he was not enjoying his school time.
  • Question: What were you doing there?
  • Answer: I was waiting for my friend.
  • Question: Were you playing basketball?
  • Answer: No, I was not playing basketball.
  • Question: Was he working against us?
  • Answer: Yes, he was working against us.
  • Question: Was your nose blowing?
  • Answer: No, my nose was not blowing.
  • Question: Who was governing the company?
  • Answer: I was governing the company.
  • Question: Who was pulling the door?
  • Answer: I was pulling the door.
  • Question: Who was pushing the door?
  • Answer: He was pushing the door.
  • Question: Were you hearing my voice?
  • Answer: No, your voice was not clear.
  • Question: Who was writing the notice for the meeting?
  • Answer: Sameer was writing the notice for the meeting.
  • Question: Was he using his power wrongly?
  • Answer: Yes, he was using his power wrongly.

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Past Continuous Tense | Past Continuous Tense | Past Continuous Tense | Past Continuous Tense | Past Continuous Tense

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