I was reading a book.
- Language
- English
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Verb Tenses
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The past continuous is a tense in English used to talk about actions that were happening at a specific time in the past.
When to use it
Use the past continuous to describe an action that was in progress at a certain time in the past, or when another action interrupted it.
Key forms
- was/were + verb-ing
- I was eating.
- They were playing.
Examples
She was cooking dinner at 7 pm.
They were watching TV when I arrived.
We were walking to school.
Tips
- Remember to use 'was' with I/he/she/it and 'were' with you/we/they.
- Don't forget the '-ing' ending on the main verb.
- Use the past continuous for background actions, and the simple past for short or interrupting actions.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs (like 'know', 'believe', 'love') are not usually used in continuous forms.