English tenses › Past Continuous
Past Continuous
Past Continuous is for an action that was in progress at a moment in the past, often interrupted by a shorter action.
Form
When to use it
In progress at a past moment
What was happening at a certain time.
At 8 pm I was having dinner.
Interrupted action
The longer action, with a short one in Past Simple.
I was walking home when it started to rain.
Background of a story
Setting the scene.
The sun was shining and people were laughing.
Time words
when, while, at that moment, at 5 o’clock yesterday, all evening
Examples
- What were you doing at midnight?
- She was reading while he was cooking.
- I wasn’t listening, sorry.
- They were waiting for the bus.
- It was snowing when we arrived.
- He was driving too fast.
Common mistake
When I was arriving, she was cooking.
When I arrived, she was cooking.
The short action that interrupts is in Past Simple.
Past Continuous or Past Simple?
Past Continuous is the longer background, Past Simple the short event: I was watching TV when the phone rang. More about Past Simple.
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