7

English Classes
Intermediate Level
 PAST CONTINUOUS
● The past continuous is used
to refer to an ongoing action
that was happening at some
point in the past.
Ex: What were you doing in the
afternoon? I was watching TV.
● It can also be used to describe
something that was
happening in the past when
another action interrupted it.
Ex: I was brushing my teeth when
my mom called me.
PAST CONTINUOUS
● The past continuous can
also be used to say what was
happening at a precise time
in the past.
Ex: I was having lunch at 2 o’clock.
● It can also be used to talk
about simultaneous actions
that were happening at the
same time in the past.
Ex: I was taking a shower while my
husband was cooking dinner.
PAST CONTINUOUS GRAMMATICAL
STRUCTURE

+
S + WAS/WERE + (VERB + ING) + OBJECT
I was cleaning the house earlier - They were cleaning the house earlier

-
S + WASN’T/WEREN’T + (VERB + ING) + OBJECT
She wasn’t having classes in the morning - We weren’t having classes in the morning

WAS/WERE + S + (VERB + ING) + OBJECT

Were you listening to music when I called you? - Was he listening to music when I called him? ?
WAS USAGE
I was in the school yesterday.
He was happy last night.
She was angry last week.
It was cold yesterday.
WERE USAGE
You were with your friends yesterday.
We were doing exercise in the afternoon.
They were having breakfast in the morning.
DON’T FORGET DON’T FORGET

PAST CONTINUOUS

The present continuous has two important

key words. They are “while” and “when”.

● While is usually used with the past

continuous.

Ex: While I was cleaning the house, my sister

was walking the dogs in the park.

● When is usually used with the past

simple.

Ex: I was studying when she opened the door

and distracted me.