Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous (also called past progressive) describes actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past. It focuses on duration, background activity, and interrupted actions. Unlike the simple past, which shows a finished action, the past continuous highlights that something was happening for a period of time, not just a single moment.

1. Structure

Subject	Auxiliary Verb (Past of “to be”)	Main Verb	Example
I / He / She / It	was	verb + ing	She was reading.
You / We / They	were	verb + ing	They were playing.

2. Negative Form

was not (wasn’t) + verb-ing
were not (weren’t) + verb-ing

Examples:

He wasn’t sleeping at midnight.
They weren’t working yesterday evening.

3. Interrogative Form

Was I/he/she/it + verb-ing?
Were you/we/they + verb-ing?

Examples:

Was she studying last night?
Were the children playing outside?

With question words:

What were you doing at 10 PM?
Where was he going?

4. Main Uses of the Past Continuous

a) Action in progress at a specific time in the past

Shows something was happening at a particular past moment:

At 9 PM, I was watching the news.
Yesterday at noon, they were having lunch.

The action continued for some time, not just a single point.

b) Two or more actions happening simultaneously

She was cooking while he was cleaning.
The students were discussing their project, and the teacher was listening.

This is common in storytelling and scene description.

c) Interrupted action

A longer past action (past continuous) is interrupted by a shorter action (simple past):

I was walking home when it started to rain.
They were sleeping when the alarm rang.

This structure shows background vs. interruption.

d) Background description in storytelling

Helps create atmosphere and context:

The sun was shining, birds were singing, and people were sitting in the park.
Used frequently in narratives, novels, and descriptive writing.

e) Temporary or unfinished past actions

She was working in Islamabad for a few months.
We were preparing a report last week.

The focus is on activity, not completion.

5. Signal Words and Time Expressions

while
when
at that moment
at 9 PM / at lunchtime
yesterday evening
all day / all night
during

Example:

While I was studying, my friend was calling me.

6. Past Continuous in Academic or Professional Writing

Used to set background in case studies, history, or reports:
- The patient was experiencing severe symptoms when he arrived.
Used in research observations:
- Participants were responding well before the medication was changed.
Used in historical narration:
- People were facing economic difficulties during that period.

It helps describe processes and conditions occurring over time.

7. Spellings of “-ing” Form (same rules as present continuous)

run → running
write → writing
sit → sitting
lie → lying
make → making

8. Common Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct	Why
He was play.	He was playing.	Needs “-ing”
They were work.	They were working.	Needs “-ing”
Was you working?	Were you working?	“You” takes “were”
She was cooking when came he.	She was cooking when he came.	Proper clause order

9. Difference Between Past Simple and Past Continuous

Past Simple	Past Continuous
Finished action	Action in progress
Focus on result	Focus on duration
“He cooked dinner.”	“He was cooking dinner at 8 PM.”
Short/completed act	Longer, developing activity

The past continuous adds detail and context that past simple alone cannot express.

Short Summary

The past continuous uses was/were + verb-ing to describe actions in progress at a particular time in the past, simultaneous activities, interrupted actions, and background scenes. It is useful in storytelling, academic writing, case descriptions, and historical narration.