Past Continuous

ESL Worksheet: Past Progressive Tense

Introduction to the Past Progressive Tense

The past progressive tense describes actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past. It is

also used to show an interrupted action in the past. For example: 'I was reading when the phone

rang.'

Examples of the Past Progressive Tense

Examples of the past progressive tense:

- Positive: 'She was cooking dinner at 7 PM.'

- Negative: 'They were not playing soccer yesterday.'

- Question: 'Was he sleeping at that time?'

How to Form the Past Progressive

To form the past progressive:

- Use the past tense of the verb 'to be' (was/were) + the base verb with '-ing'.

- Examples:

* 'I was walking to the store.'

* 'We were studying for the test.'

- For negative sentences, add 'not' after 'was/were'.

- For questions, invert 'was/were' and the subject.

Examples:

- Negative: 'She was not crying.'

- Question: 'Were they watching TV?'

When to Use the Past Progressive

Use the past progressive:

- To describe an action happening at a specific time in the past.

Example: 'At 8 PM, I was eating dinner.'

- To describe two actions happening at the same time in the past.

Example: 'While I was studying, he was cooking.'

- To describe an interrupted action in the past.

Example: 'I was watching TV when the power went out.'

Practice Exercise

Complete the sentences using the past progressive tense:

1. He _______ (read) a book when I called.

2. They _______ (not/play) outside because it was raining.

3. _______ (you/watch) the movie at 9 PM?

4. While I _______ (clean) the house, my sister _______ (cook).

5. The children _______ (run) in the park when it started to snow.

Answers to Exercise

Answers:

1. He was reading a book when I called.

2. They were not playing outside because it was raining.

3. Were you watching the movie at 9 PM?

4. While I was cleaning the house, my sister was cooking.

5. The children were running in the park when it started to snow.