Past Continuous

When you can use Past Continuous

• You use Past Continuous for action in progress at a specific time in the past.
  • They were having a test yesterday at 1 pm /specific time — 1 pm/
  • He was driving home at 4 pm yesterday. /specific time — 4 pm/
• You use Past Continuous for two or more simultaneous actions in the past.
  • While I was washing the dishes, my husband was watching football. /two simultaneous actions — washing the dishes and watching football/
  • While children were playing outside, their mother was cooking dinner. /two simultaneous actions — playing outside and cooking dinner/
• You use Past Continuous to emphasize the length of action in the past.
  • They were arguing the whole evening. /emphasis on the length — the whole day/
  • She was relaxing from 6 pm to 9 pm yesterday. /emphasis on the length — from 6 pm to 9 pm/
• You use Past Continuous for background description in a story.
  • It was a lovely, sunny day at the beach. People were relaxing, swimming and sunbathing. Suddenly a huge, grey cloud appeared and it started to rain. /people were relaxing, swimming and sunbathing — is the background description of the main event in the story. The main event is — suddenly a huge, grey cloud appeared and it started to rain/
• You use Past Continuous for past action in progress which was interrupted.
  Interrupt — to stop something from happening for a period of time
  • I was listening to music when somebody called my name. /I was listening to the music — past action in progress which was interrupted/
  • Emma was having a bath when the doorbell rang. /Emma was having a bath — past action in progress which was interrupted/
• You use Past Continuous for repeated action in the past with always to show annoyance.
  Annoyance is the feeling that you get when someone makes you feel fairly angry or impatient.
  • She was always taking my phone without my permission. /taking my phone without my permission made me angry/
  • They were always interrupting me. /interrupting made me angry/

Time markers in Past Continuous

How to build Past Continuous

Spelling of the verbs with ending -ing