Past
Continuous
I was working, they were waiting — actions in progress in the past. Learn the rules, then practise.
Show rules
Form — was / were + -ing
| example | |
|---|---|
| positive | I was waiting for you. · They were living at home. |
| negative | I wasn't waiting long. · We weren't living there. |
| question | Were you waiting long? · Where was she travelling? |
- was — I, he, she, it
- were — you, we, they
-ing spelling
| rule | example |
|---|---|
| most verbs: + -ing | work → working |
| ending in -e: drop e, + -ing | write → writing, live → living |
| short vowel + consonant: double the consonant | run → running, swim → swimming |
| ending in -ie: -ie → -ying | die → dying, lie → lying |
When to use the past continuous
- an action in progress at a time in the past: At eight o'clock, I was having dinner.
- a temporary past situation: We were living in Berlin at the time.
- two actions at the same time: While she was cooking, I was setting the table.
- background — to set the scene: The sun was shining when we left the hotel.
Interrupted actions — past continuous + past simple
Use past continuous for the longer background action and past simple for the shorter action that interrupts it.
I was reading in bed when the phone rang.
While we were having dinner, the lights went out.
when + sudden event (past simple) — while + ongoing action (past continuous).
Plans that didn't happen
The past continuous of plan, hope, intend, mean, think shows the plan did not happen:
We were planning to come, but Mike was ill. · I was hoping to study medicine, but my grades weren't high enough.
Annoying repeated actions — was always + -ing
Past continuous + always describes an annoying or repeated past behaviour:
She was always asking stupid questions. · He was always complaining about the weather.
State verbs
State verbs (know, like, want, believe, understand, see, hear, seem) are normally not used in the continuous:
✅ I knew what to do. — ❌ I was knowing what to do.
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| We was waiting for you. | We were waiting for you. |
| I was knowing the answer. | I knew the answer. |
| It was rainning all day. | It was raining all day. |
| She was dieing of laughter. | She was dying of laughter. |
| When the phone rang, I had a shower. | When the phone rang, I was having a shower. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you form the past continuous?
Use was/were + the -ing form of the main verb. 'Was' goes with I, he, she, it; 'were' goes with you, we, they. For example: 'I was waiting', 'They were living'. Negatives use wasn't/weren't, questions invert: 'Were you waiting?'
When do you use past continuous vs past simple?
Past continuous describes a longer action in progress: 'I was reading'. Past simple describes a completed shorter action: 'the phone rang'. Together they show interruption: 'I was reading when the phone rang.' Use 'when' before the short interrupting event and 'while' before the ongoing action.
Why is 'I was knowing' wrong?
'Know' is a state verb, and state verbs (know, like, want, believe, understand, see, hear, seem) are not normally used in continuous forms. Use the past simple: 'I knew the answer.' The same applies to most other state verbs.
What does 'was always complaining' mean?
Past continuous + always describes an annoying or repeated past behaviour, often with negative feeling: 'He was always complaining about the weather' = he complained too often and it was irritating. Compare with past simple ('he complained every day'), which is just a neutral statement of fact.