Past Continuous
Actions in progress at a moment in the past.
The Past Continuous (also called the Past Progressive) describes an action that was in progress at a specific moment in the past. We form it with was or were + the main verb + -ing: I was reading a book. They were playing football. Use was with I, he, she, and it — the same singular subjects as the past of 'to be' — and were with you, we, and they. To make a negative sentence, add not after was/were: She wasn't sleeping. We weren't listening. For yes/no questions, move was or were to the front of the sentence, before the subject: Was he cooking dinner? Were you studying English? Short answers repeat only the auxiliary: Yes, he was. / No, he wasn't. Yes, we were. / No, we weren't. For Wh- questions, the question word comes first, followed by was/were and the subject: What were you doing at 8 p.m.? Where were they going? When adding -ing to the main verb, remember three spelling changes: short verbs ending in one vowel and one consonant double the final consonant (run → running, sit → sitting); verbs ending in a silent -e drop the e before adding -ing (make → making, write → writing); and verbs ending in a consonant plus y simply add -ing without changing the y (study → studying, carry → carrying). Typical time expressions that signal the past continuous include at 7 o'clock last night, at that moment, all morning, and while, as in 'While my mother was cooking, my father was reading the newspaper.'
Key terms
| Subject | Auxiliary | Affirmative example | Negative (contraction) | Question form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | was | I was reading. | I wasn't sleeping. | Was I working? |
| he / she / it | was | She was cooking. It was raining. | He wasn't listening. | Was it snowing? |
| you | were | You were studying. | You weren't listening. | Were you working? |
| we | were | We were playing. | We weren't watching TV. | Were we winning? |
| they | were | They were talking. | They weren't waiting. | Were they coming? |
Use 'was' for I / he / she / it. Use 'were' for you / we / they — the main verb always keeps its -ing form.
| Rule | Base verb → -ing form | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Most verbs: just add -ing | play → playing | She was playing the piano. |
| Short verbs ending in one vowel + one consonant: double the consonant | run → running, sit → sitting | The children were running in the park. |
| Verbs ending in a silent -e: drop the -e and add -ing | make → making, write → writing | He was making breakfast. |
| Verbs ending in a consonant + y: keep the y and add -ing | study → studying, carry → carrying | They were studying for the test. |
Always check the verb ending before adding -ing — the three spelling rules cover almost every verb in the Grade 6 program.
| Time expression | Example sentence |
|---|---|
| at 7 o'clock last night | I was reading at 7 o'clock last night. |
| at that moment | We were listening to music at that moment. |
| all morning | It was raining all morning. |
| while | While my mother was cooking, my father was reading. |
These expressions signal that an action was happening at (or around) a specific past moment.
- 1Start: Statement: 'He was cooking dinner at 6 p.m.'
- 2Step 1: Move 'was' to the front: Was he cooking dinner at 6 p.m.?
- 3Step 2: Answer positively: Yes, he was. (Do NOT repeat the -ing verb in the short answer — repeat only was/were.)
- 4Step 3: Answer negatively: No, he wasn't. (Short form of 'was not'.)
- 1Identify the verb ending: 'Run' ends in one vowel + one consonant (u + n), so it is a short CVC verb.
- 2Apply the doubling rule: Double the final consonant before adding -ing: run → running.
- 3Compare with a silent -e verb: 'Write' ends in a silent 'e', so we drop the 'e' instead of doubling: write → writing.
- 1Start with the statement: Statement: 'They were going to the market at 5 p.m.'
- 2Step 1: Choose the Wh- word: 'Where' asks about a place, so it replaces 'to the market'.
- 3Step 2: Move 'were' before the subject: Where were they going at 5 p.m.?
Do NOT say 'She were sleeping.' — 'she' is singular, so always use 'was': 'She was sleeping.' The same rule applies to 'he' and 'it'.
Do NOT say 'They was talking.' — 'they' is plural, so use 'were': 'They were talking.' The same rule applies to 'we' and 'you'.
Do not use 'Did' to make questions in the past continuous. 'Did' pairs with a base verb (Did you study?), while the past continuous uses was/were + -ing: 'Were you studying?' NOT 'Did you were studying?'
Remember the three -ing spelling changes: double a short final consonant (run → running), drop a silent -e (make → making), but keep the 'y' in verbs like study → studying.
Rules
- 1Form the past continuous with was/were + verb-ing: I was reading. They were playing.
- 2Use 'was' with I, he, she, it and 'were' with you, we, they — the same pattern as the past of 'be'.
- 3For negatives, add 'not' after was/were: She wasn't sleeping. We weren't listening.
- 4For yes/no questions, put was/were before the subject: Was he cooking? Were you studying? Short answers repeat only was/were: Yes, he was. / No, they weren't.
- 5For Wh- questions, put the question word first, then was/were + subject: What were you doing at 8 p.m.? Where were they going?
- 6Spelling of -ing: double a short final consonant (run → running), drop a silent -e (make → making), but keep the 'y' (study → studying).
Practice
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