Past continuous tense
By Angel David Aroquipa Velasquez
Past continuous tense
The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense,
is used to describe actions or events that were ongoing or in
progress at a specific point in the past. It's formed by using the past
tense of the auxiliary verb "to be" (was/were) and adding the
present participle (-ing form) of the main verb.
Past continuous tense : Structure
The formula for forming the past continuous tense is:
Subject + past tense of "to be" + present participle
Structure: affirmative
Subject + past tense of "to be" + present participle
I doing
He watching
was
She dancing
It working
We talking
You living
were playing
They
sleeping
You
Structure: affirmative
Subject + past tense of "to be" + present participle
I doing
He was not
watching
She wasn’t dancing
It working
We talking
You were not living
weren’t playing
They
sleeping
You
Structure: negative
Subject + past tense (-)"to be" + present participle
I doing
He watching
wasn’t
She dancing
It working
We talking
You living
weren’t playing
They
sleeping
You
Structure: interrogative
Past tense "to be" + Subject + present participle?
I doing ?
He watching ?
Was
She dancing ?
It working ?
We talking ?
You living?
Were playing?
They
sleeping?
You
Structure: interrogative with question words
Question words +Past tense "to be" + Subject + present participle?
What I doing ?
Where He
How was watching ?
Why She dancing ?
When It working ?
What We talking ?
Where You living?
How Were playing?
Why They
sleeping?
When You
Exercises
Past continuous tense
Structure: interrogative
Past tense "to be" + Subject + present participle?
I doing ?
He watching ?
Was
She dancing ?
It working ?
We talking ?
You living?
Were playing?
They
sleeping?
You
Examples
1.What was I doing yesterday?
2.What were you doing yesterday?
3.What was he doing yesterday?
4.What was she doing yesterday?
5.What were we doing yesterday?
6.What were they doing yesterday?
Complete:
"What ……. ……. doing yesterday?“ (I)
1.… ……. …….. the mountains yesterday. (climb)
2.… ……. …….. a picture yesterday. (paint)
3.… ……. …….. the piano yesterday. (practice)
Complete:
"What was I doing yesterday?“ (I)
1.I was climbing the mountains yesterday. (climb)
2.I was painting a picture yesterday. (paint)
3.I was practicing the piano yesterday. (practice)
Complete:
1.What ....... …… doing yesterday morning? (do)
1. Affirmative: You ....... …..… yesterday morning. (study)
2. Negative: You ....... …….… yesterday morning. (sleep)
Complete:
1.What was I doing yesterday morning? (do)
1. Affirmative: You were studying yesterday morning. (study)
2. Negative: You weren't sleeping yesterday morning. (sleep)
Complete:
1.What …….. you …….. yesterday morning? (do)
1. Affirmative: I ……… ………. out yesterday morning.(work)
2. Negative: You ……….. ……….. TV yesterday morning. (watch)
Complete:
1.What were you doing yesterday morning?
1. Affirmative: I was working out yesterday morning. (work)
2. Negative: You weren't watching TV yesterday morning. (watch
Complete:
1.What ………….. ……… ………..yesterday morning? (do)
1. Affirmative: He …………. ……….. his dog yesterday morning. (walk)
2. Negative: He ………… ………. breakfast yesterday morning. (cook)
Complete:
1.What was he doing yesterday morning?
1. Affirmative: He was walking his dog yesterday morning.
2. Negative: He wasn't cooking breakfast yesterday morning.
Complete:
1.What …… …………. ………. yesterday morning? (do)
1. Affirmative: She ………… ………. yesterday morning. (garden)
2. Negative: She ………… ………. a book yesterday morning. (read)
Complete:
1.What was she doing yesterday morning?
1. Affirmative: She was gardening yesterday morning.
2. Negative: She wasn't reading a book yesterday morning.
Complete:
1.What ……… …….… ………. yesterday morning? (do)
1. Affirmative: We ………… ………. breakfast together yesterday morning. (have)
2. Negative: We ………… ………. yesterday morning. (shop)
Complete:
1.What were we doing yesterday morning?
1. Affirmative: We were having breakfast together yesterday morning.
2. Negative: We weren't shopping yesterday morning.
Complete:
1.What ………… ………. ………… yesterday morning?
1. Affirmative: They ………… ………. in the park yesterday morning. (jog)
2. Negative: They ………… ………. a picnic yesterday morning. (have)
Complete:
1.What were they doing yesterday morning?
1. Affirmative: They ………… ………. in the park yesterday morning. (jog)
2. Negative: They ………… ………. a picnic yesterday morning. (have)
Complete:
1.What …..... …….. ……….. yesterday afternoon? (do)
1. Affirmative: You …..... ……….. on your project yesterday afternoon. (work)
2. Negative: You …..... ……….. yesterday afternoon. (nap)
Complete:
1.What was I doing yesterday afternoon? (do)
1. Affirmative: You were working on your project yesterday afternoon. (work)
2. Negative: You weren't napping yesterday afternoon. (nap)
Complete:
1.What …..... ……….. …….. yesterday afternoon? (do)
1. Affirmative: I …..... ……….. lunch with a friend yesterday afternoon. (have)
2. Negative: You …..... ……….. a movie yesterday afternoon. (watch)
Complete:
1.What were you doing yesterday afternoon? (do)
1. Affirmative: I was having lunch with a friend yesterday afternoon. (have)
2. Negative: You weren't watching a movie yesterday afternoon. (watch)
Complete:
1.What …..... ……….. ………….. yesterday afternoon? (do)
1. Affirmative: He …..... ……….. a meeting yesterday afternoon. (attend)
2. Negative: He …..... ……….. soccer yesterday afternoon. (play)
Complete:
1.What was he doing yesterday afternoon? (do)
1. Affirmative: He was attending a meeting yesterday afternoon. (attend)
2. Negative: He wasn't playing soccer yesterday afternoon. (play)
Complete:
1.What …..... ……….. ……….. yesterday afternoon? (do)
1. Affirmative: She …..... ……….. at the mall yesterday afternoon. (shop)
2. Negative: She …..... ……….. cookies yesterday afternoon. (bake)
Complete:
1.What was she doing yesterday afternoon? (do)
1. Affirmative: She was shopping at the mall yesterday afternoon. (shop)
2. Negative: She wasn't baking cookies yesterday afternoon. (bake)
Complete:
1.What …..... ……….. ………….yesterday afternoon? (do)
1. Affirmative: We …..... ……….. our relatives yesterday afternoon. (visit)
2. Negative: We …..... ……….. yesterday afternoon. (swim)
Complete:
1.What were we doing yesterday afternoon? (do)
1. Affirmative: We were visiting our relatives yesterday afternoon. (visit)
2. Negative: We weren't swimming yesterday afternoon. (swim)
Complete:
1.What …..... ……….. ………… doing yesterday afternoon? (do)
1. Affirmative: …..... ……….. music yesterday afternoon. (practice)
2. Negative: …..... ……….. hiking yesterday afternoon. (hike)
Complete:
1.What were they doing yesterday afternoon? (do)
1. Affirmative: They were practicing music yesterday afternoon. (practice)
2. Negative: They weren't hiking yesterday afternoon. (hike)
1.What …… …… …….. yesterday evening? (do)
1. Affirmative: You ……. ……… dinner with your family yesterday evening. (have)
2. Negative: You ……. ……… TV yesterday evening. (watch)
1.What was I doing yesterday evening? (do)
1. Affirmative: You were having dinner with your family yesterday evening.
(have)
2. Negative: You weren't watching TV yesterday evening. (watch)
1.What …… …… …….. yesterday evening? (do)
1. Affirmative: I ……. ……… a book yesterday evening. (read)
2. Negative: You ……. ……… video games yesterday evening. (play)
1.What were you doing yesterday evening? (do)
1. Affirmative: I was reading a book yesterday evening. (read)
2. Negative: You weren't playing video games yesterday evening. (play)
1.What …… …… …….. yesterday evening? (do)
1. Affirmative: He ……. ……… a movie yesterday evening. (watch)
2. Negative: He ……. ……… yesterday evening. (study)
1.What was he doing yesterday evening? (do)
1. Affirmative: He was watching a movie yesterday evening. (watch)
2. Negative: He wasn't studying yesterday evening. (study)
1.What …… …… …….. yesterday evening? (do)
1. Affirmative: She ……. ……… a party yesterday evening. (attend)
2. Negative: She ……. ……… dinner yesterday evening. (cook)
1.What was she doing yesterday evening? (do)
1. Affirmative: She was attending a party yesterday evening. (attend)
2. Negative: She wasn't cooking dinner yesterday evening. (cook)
1.What …… …… …….. yesterday evening? (do)
1. Affirmative: We ……. ……… board games yesterday evening. (play)
2. Negative: We ……. ……… yesterday evening. (dance)
1.What were we doing yesterday evening? (do)
1. Affirmative: We were playing board games yesterday evening. (play)
2. Negative: We weren't dancing yesterday evening. (dance)
1.What …… …… …….. yesterday evening? (do)
1. Affirmative: They ……. ……… with friends yesterday evening. (chat)
2. Negative: They ……. ……… karaoke yesterday evening. (sing)
1.What were they doing yesterday evening? (do)
1. Affirmative: They were chatting with friends yesterday evening. (chat)
2. Negative: They weren't singing karaoke yesterday evening. (sing)
