Welcome to the Past Continuous Tense!
Have you ever tried to describe what you were doing at an exact moment yesterday? Maybe at 8:00 p.m. last night, you were eating dinner, or your brother was playing video games. In English, when we want to talk about an action that was already happening and still going on at a specific time in the past, we use the Past Continuous Tense.
Think of the past continuous tense like pressing "PLAY" on a video clip from yesterday. It shows an action in progress, not just a quick photo snapshot!
Don't worry if this seems tricky at first. By following a few easy steps, you will master it in no time!
Key Takeaway: The past continuous tense shows an action that was in progress (happening over time) in the past.
1. The Golden Formula: How to Build It
Every past continuous sentence is made of two main building blocks:
Helping Verb (was / were) + Main Verb ending in -ing
Step 1: Choose the Right Helping Verb (was or were)
Look carefully at your subject:
• Use was for singular subjects: I, He, She, It, or any single person or thing (e.g., Peter, my teacher, the cat).
• Use were for plural subjects and you: We, You, They, or two or more people/things (e.g., Peter and Mary, the students, the dogs).
Memory Trick: Just remember that words for one person (except "you") take the shorter word with an 's' — was! More than one person takes were!
Step 2: Add -ing to the Main Verb
Be careful with your spelling when adding -ing to the action word:
• Most verbs: Just add -ing.
play → playing | read → reading | sleep → sleeping
• Verbs ending in a silent 'e': Drop the 'e' and add -ing.
make → making | write → writing | dance → dancing
• Short one-syllable verbs with one vowel + one consonant (CVC pattern): Double the last consonant and add -ing.
run → running | swim → swimming | sit → sitting
Let's look at some examples:
• I was doing my homework at five o'clock yesterday afternoon.
• She was drawing a picture in the art room.
• They were playing basketball in the playground.
• We were watching a television show last night.
Key Takeaway: Formula = Subject + was/were + verb-ing. Always match was with one person and were with two or more!
2. Making Negatives and Asking Questions
Changing these sentences into negatives or questions is very straightforward!
Negative Sentences: Add "not"
Put not directly after was or were:
• was not → short form: wasn't
• were not → short form: weren't
Examples:
• Ken was not listening to music. (or: Ken wasn't listening...)
• The boys were not sleeping when Grandma arrived. (or: The boys weren't sleeping...)
Yes/No Questions: Flip the Order
To ask a question, simply move Was or Were to the very front of your sentence:
• Was Mary studying in the library? → Yes, she was. / No, she wasn't.
• Were you waiting for the school bus? → Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.
Questions with Wh- Words
If you want to know more details, put the question word (What, Where, Why, Who) before was or were:
• What were you doing at seven o'clock this morning?
• Where was he going during recess?
Key Takeaway: For negatives, add not after was/were. For questions, put Was or Were before the subject.
3. When Do We Use the Past Continuous Tense?
In Primary 6, you will usually see the past continuous tense used in three special situations:
Use 1: An Action Happening at an Exact Time in the Past
Use this tense when you want to show that something was already in progress at a specific moment.
• At 3:30 p.m. yesterday, Mr. Wong was marking our English worksheets.
• What were you doing at nine o'clock last Sunday morning? I was tidying my bedroom.
Use 2: A Long Action Interrupted by a Short Action (When / While)
Imagine you are watching a movie (a long action that takes time), and suddenly your phone rings (a quick, short action that interrupts it).
• Long, ongoing action → use Past Continuous Tense (was/were + verb-ing)
• Short, interrupting action → use Simple Past Tense (-ed or irregular past verb)
We use the connectives when and while to link these two actions together!
• I was walking home when it began to rain heavily.
(Walking home = long action; began to rain = quick interruption)
• While May was reading a storybook, the doorbell rang.
(Reading = long action; doorbell rang = quick interruption)
Use 3: Two Long Actions Happening at the Very Same Time
Sometimes, two actions were happening at the exact same time in the past. We use while to join them, and both verbs take the past continuous tense!
• Dad was cooking dinner while Mum was setting the table.
• While my sister was doing her revision, I was practicing the piano.
Key Takeaway: Use past continuous for a specific past time, for a long action interrupted by a quick past action, or for two long actions happening side by side.
4. Super Clues: Using "When" and "While"
The words when and while are your best friends in reading and writing tasks! Here is how to tell them apart easily:
The "While" Rule
The word while means "during the time that". It is almost always followed by the long action in the past continuous tense.
• Rule: while + was / were + verb-ing
• Example: While the teacher was writing on the blackboard, someone dropped a pencil.
The "When" Rule
The word when usually introduces the short interrupting action in the simple past tense.
• Rule: when + simple past verb
• Example: The children were singing happily when the lights went out.
Punctuation Tip: Don't Forget the Comma!
Notice where the connective sits in your sentence:
• If While or When is at the beginning of the sentence, place a comma (,) in the middle:
While we were having lunch, Uncle David called.
• If while or when is in the middle, you do not need a comma:
Uncle David called while we were having lunch.
Key Takeaway: Remember the golden pairing: While + continuous action; When + simple past action. Put a comma in the middle if the connective begins the sentence!
5. Common Mistakes: Spot the Traps!
Check these common errors so you never lose marks in your tests:
Trap 1: Forgetting the Helping Verb (was / were)
• Incorrect: Yesterday at noon, I eating noodles.
• Correct: Yesterday at noon, I was eating noodles.
Helpful Reminder: A verb with -ing cannot stand alone as a past continuous verb! It always needs its partner was or were.
Trap 2: Choosing the Wrong Helping Verb
• Incorrect: The students was cleaning the classroom.
• Correct: The students were cleaning the classroom.
Helpful Reminder: Always look at the subject. Students is plural, so use were!
Trap 3: Mixing Up the Long and Short Actions
• Incorrect: While the telephone was ringing, I answered it.
• Correct: When the telephone rang, I was doing my homework. / The telephone rang while I was doing my homework.
Helpful Reminder: Ask yourself: Which action was going on for a longer time? That is the one that gets was/were + -ing.
Trap 4: Forgetting the Base Form Before Adding -ing
• Incorrect: He was wenting to the park.
• Correct: He was going to the park.
Helpful Reminder: Always start with the original base verb (go → going), never add -ing to a past form.
Key Takeaway: Never forget was/were, double-check singular vs. plural, and make sure -ing is added to the base verb!
6. Quick Review Challenge
Test yourself with these three quick questions. Read the sentences and think of the missing words!
1. At five o'clock yesterday, Jenny (wash) __________ her school shoes.
Answer: was washing (Jenny is singular → was + washing)
2. The boys were playing football in the park when it suddenly (start) __________ to rain.
Answer: started (After "when", use the simple past for the short interrupting action!)
3. While Dad (read) __________ the newspaper, Mum was preparing breakfast.
Answer: was reading (Two continuous past actions happening at the same time!)
(Note: For combining the past continuous tense with other tenses across longer stories and recounts, please refer to the chapter "Mixed Tenses".)