Mastering the Past Continuous Tense in English

Learning how to use the Past Continuous Tense correctly can make your English sound more natural and fluent. This tense helps describe actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past, often interrupted by another action or event.

🔹 What Is the Past Continuous Tense?

The Past Continuous Tense is formed using:
was/were + verb-ing

Examples:

• I was watching TV when you called.

• They were studying at 8 p.m. yesterday.

It’s often used with time expressions such as while, when, as, at that moment, yesterday evening, etc.

🔹 When to Use the Past Continuous Tense

1. To describe an action in progress in the past:

   She was cooking dinner when I arrived.

2. To show two actions happening at the same time:

   While I was reading, my brother was playing games.

3. To set the scene in a story:

   The sun was shining, and the birds were singing.

4. To express an interrupted action:

   I was sleeping when the phone rang.

🔹 Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ He was go to work when it rained.
✅ He was going to work when it rained.

❌ They were play football yesterday.
✅ They were playing football yesterday.

🔹 Why It Matters

Understanding and using the Past Continuous correctly helps you sound more descriptive and expressive, especially when telling stories or describing past situations in detail.

If you’d like to master all 12 English tenses with examples and clear explanations, visit 👉
Master English Tenses