English grammar: Past continuous

What this grammar point covers

The past continuous is a tense in English used to talk about actions that were happening at a specific moment in the past.

When to use it

Use the past continuous to describe actions that were in progress at a certain time in the past, or to show that one action was happening when another action interrupted it.

Key forms

• was/were + verb-ing
• I was eating.
• They were playing.

Examples

Tips

• Remember to use 'was' with I/he/she/it and 'were' with you/we/they.
• Don't forget to add '-ing' to the main verb.
• Use the past simple for the action that interrupts the past continuous action.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some verbs (like 'know', 'believe', 'love') are not usually used in continuous forms.