Past Progressive (Continuous)
The past progressive tense, also known as the past continuous tense, describes actions or events that were ongoing at a specific time in the past.
Table of Contents
1.Structure
1.1Structures of Sentences
To form the past progressive tense, follow these basic rules:
S = Subject
QW = question word
Ving = main verb + ing
| Structure | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| + | S + be (was/were) + Ving + ... | I was listening to you carefully at 2 PM yesterday. He was reading an interesting book at that moment. |
| - | S + be (was/were) + not + Ving + ... | We were not talking to him from 5 till 6 PM. She was’t meeting him at that moment. |
| ? | (QW) + be (was/were) + S + Ving + ...? | What were you doing at 6 AM on Saturday? Were you meeting him when she arrived? |
Practice Examples
It was a fine day and the roads were crowded because a lot of people (rush) _____ to the seaside.
The house was in great disorder because he (redecorate) _____ it.
The car had nobody in it but the engine (run) _____ .
1.2Rules for Adding -ing in Past Progressive
| Rule | Examples |
|---|---|
| Regular Verbs | play → playing, read → reading |
| Verbs Ending in Silent "e" | make → making, write → writing |
| Single Vowel + Single Consonant | run → running, begin → beginning |
| Do not double if stress is elsewhere | visit → visiting, develop -> developing |
| Verbs Ending in "ie" | lie → lying, die → dying |
| Verbs Ending in "y" | enjoy → enjoying, play → playing |
| Verbs Ending in "w", "x", or "y" | fix → fixing, show → showing |
2.Use
2.1Actions In Progress In The Past
We use the past progressive to describe past situations or actions that were in progress at some time in the past.
| Example |
|---|
| I was talking to her at 3 PM yesterday. |
| She was reading a book from 4 till 6 PM. |
| What were you doing all day long yesterday? (emphasizes continuity) |
Practice Examples
I (work) _____ on the project at 4 PM yesterday.
I (wait) _____ for you all evening last night.
They (have) _____ a meeting from 10 AM till noon yesterday.
2.2Actions Which Began Before Something Else Happened
The past progressive and the simple past are often used together in a sentence. The past progressive describes a situation or action in progress in the past, and the simple past describes a shorter action or event.
The action or situation in progress is often introduced by conjunctions like when and just as.
| Example |
|---|
| Just as I was leaving the house the phone rang. |
| She was applying for the job when I met her. |
| We were having dinner when he called me. |
Practice Examples
We (wait) _____ for the bus when we heard the news.
I (talk) _____ to my friend when the teacher called me to the front.
She (study) _____ for her exam when her friends arrived.
2.3Parallel Actions
We can emphasize the fact that two or more actions were in progress at the same time by using e.g. while or at the time (that).
| Example |
|---|
| While she was painting the walls, he was assembling the furniture. |
| The children were playing in the yard while their parents were making lunch. |
| The neighbors were having a party at the time that we were cleaning our house. |
Practice Examples
I (talk) _____ to her while she (clean) _____ the kitchen.
I (write) _____ my report while my colleague (make) _____ a presentation.
He (listen) _____ to a podcast while I (clean) _____ the house.
2.4Repeated Actions
The past progressive tense can also be used to describe repeated or habitual actions in the past, often with an annoying or bothersome tone. Words like always, continuously, and all the time are used to emphasize the repetitive nature of the action.
| Example |
|---|
| When he worked here, Roger was always making mistakes. |
| The dog was always barking in the middle of the night. |
| He was constantly interrupting me during meetings. |
| She was all the time borrowing my clothes without asking. |
Practice Examples
She (all the time/criticize) _____ my work when we were collaborating on the project.
When I was a child, I (always/lose) _____ my keys.
When I was a teenager, I (always/sneak) _____ out to meet my friends.
2.5Providing Background / Start a Story
The past progressive tense is often used to set the scene and provide background information at the beginning of a story. It describes what was happening in the past, creating a vivid picture of the situation or atmosphere.
| Example |
|---|
| The sun was setting behind the mountains, and the birds were chirping softly in the trees. |
| The rain was pouring down heavily, and the wind was howling through the empty streets. |
| She was sitting by the fireplace, lost in thought, when she suddenly heard a knock on the door. |
Practice Examples
I (lazily/browse) _____ through some ads when I saw an interesting article.
The lights (flicker) _____ in the hallway, and the shadows (dance) _____ on the walls.
The car (speed) _____ down the highway, and the tires (screech) _____ on the asphalt.
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