Form the past continuous with was or were plus the -ing form of the verb, matching was with I, he, she, and it, and were with you, we, and they. It describes an action that was already in progress at a specific past moment, such as I was cooking dinner at 8 pm yesterday.
Grammar Rule
Was/were + verb-ing; never combine was with you/we/they, or were with I/he/she/it.
Past Continuous: Rules and Examples
| Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I / he / she / it | was + -ing | I was cooking dinner at 8 pm yesterday. She wasn’t listening to the radio. |
| you / we / they | were + -ing | They were playing football when it started to rain. Were you sleeping when I called? |
Remember: identify the subject first and choose correctly between was or were before completing the sentence.
Practice Test
Instructions
Answer each question in the test below forming the correct past continuous sentence. You will get a new random set of questions every time you retake the test, plus a downloadable results summary with your name and score at the end.
Past Continuous – Affirmative, Negative and Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you form the past continuous?
Use was or were plus the -ing form of the main verb, choosing was for I, he, she, and it, and were for you, we, and they.
When do you use the past continuous?
Use it to describe an action that was already happening at a specific moment in the past, such as I was cooking dinner at 8 pm yesterday.
What is a common mistake with was and were?
Mixing them up with the wrong subject, such as saying I were or they was; remember was goes with singular subjects and were with plural ones.
How do you make the negative form?
Add not after was or were, as in she wasn’t listening to the radio, and it can also be contracted to wasn’t or weren’t.