How to Paint a Moving Picture of the Past — The Power of the Past Continuous
Imagine telling a friend:
“Yesterday at 6 PM, I was studying.”
You’re not just telling what happened — you’re painting a picture of an action in progress at a moment in the past.
The Past Continuous Tense helps you describe what was happening at a certain time, set the background for a story, or show that something was interrupted by another action.
By learning this tense, your storytelling becomes more vivid, natural, and expressive — you turn your English into a moving scene instead of just a list of past facts! 🌟
🧩 Detailed Explanation: What is the Past Continuous Tense?
The Past Continuous Tense describes:
Actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past:
At 8 PM, I was doing my homework.
Two actions happening at the same time in the past:
She was reading while he was cooking.
An action that was in progress when another action interrupted it:
I was walking home when it started to rain.
✅ How to form it:
Subject + was/were + verb-ing
Subject
I / He / She / It
You / We / They
Auxiliary verb
was
were
Verb-ing
reading
reading
Example
She was reading.
They were reading.
✏ Adding –ing:
Most verbs: add –ing → play → playing
Verbs ending in –e: drop the –e → make → making
One-syllable verbs ending in consonant-vowel-consonant: double the consonant → sit → sitting
❓ Negatives and Questions:
Type
Negative
Question
Structure
Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing
Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?
Example
She wasn’t sleeping. / They weren’t studying.
Was she sleeping? / Were they studying?
🕰 Time expressions often used:
while, when
at that moment, at 5 PM, all evening, all day
from … to …
🌟 Summary:
Past Continuous = was/were + verb-ing
Used for:
✅ Action in progress at a past moment
✅ Background action
✅ Interrupted action
✅ Two actions happening at the same time
📝 10 Multiple-choice Quiz (Past Tense)
