Past Continuous Tense

Usage of Past Continuous Tense
  1. Past Continuous Tense is used to say that somebody was in the middle of doing something at a certain time (I was studying at 8 o’clock last night)
  2. Simple Past and Past Continuous Tense are often used together to say that something happened in the middle of something else (I studied when you were sleeping)
More Examples of Past Continuous Tense

Form of Past Continuous Tense


Affirmative
Subject + was/were + verb-ing
I was studying English
You/ we/ they were studying English
He/ she/ my friend/ it was eating
Negative
Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing
I wasn’t studying English
You/ we/ they weren’t studying English
He/ she/ my friend/ it wasn’t eating
Interrogative
Was/were + subject + verb-ing
Was I studying English
Were you/ we/ they weren’t studying English
Was he/ she/ my friend/ it eating
Negative interrogative
Was/were + not + subject + verb-ing
Wasn’t I studying English
Weren’t you/ we/ they weren’t working
Wasn’t he/ she/ my friend/ it eating

Short Answer Question
Past
Continuous Tense
Question
Short Answer
Complete Answer
Were they working?
Yes they were
No, they weren’t
Yes they were working
No, they weren’t working
Was he working?
Yes he was
No, he wasn’t
Yes he was working
No, he was working