Past Continuous

We use the Past Continuous to talk about:

 actions that were happening at a specific time in the past:

1. He was buying his coursebooks for school at three

o’clock yesterday afternoon.

2. They were talking about their trip to the shopping

centre at dinner time.

 actions in progress at the same time in the past:

1. While she was playing tennis, her father was sleeping.

2. I was baking cupcakes while my parents were making

dinner.
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Affirmative sentences in the Past Continuous.

I, He, She, It was sleeping all afternoon.

We, You They were playing online games.

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Build sentences in the affirmative using the Past Continuous.

1.They / have lunch / one o’clock

yesterday.
They were having lunch at one o’clock
yesterday.

2. He / get ready / to go / school / eight

o’clock / morning.
He was getting ready to go to school at
eight o’clock in the morning .

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Negative sentences in the Past Continuous.

I, He, She, It wasn’t watching TV.

We, You, They weren’t jogging in the park.

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Build sentences in the negative using the Past Continuous.

1. I / not ride / bike / last Sunday afternoon.

I wasn’t riding my bike las Sunday
afternoon.

2. We / not study.

We weren’t studying.

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Interrogative sentences in the Past Continuous.

What was I / she / he / it doing?

Were we / you / they working at home?

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Build sentences in the interrogative using the Past Continuous.

1. you / skateboard / yesterday / three /

o’clock / ?
Were you skateboarding yesterday at
three o’clock?

2. your father / wait / you / ?

Was your father waiting for you?

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Put the verbs in brackets in the Past Continuous.

was your brother ________

1. What ______ doing (do) when you got home?

was hanging out (hang out) with his friends in the garden.
He ________________

Were you __________

2. ______ sleeping (sleep) when I called?

was
Yes, I _____.

3. They weren’t
______________
making (not make) dinner.

were watching (watch) a film on TV.

4. We ______________

was driving (drive) her daughter to

5. Sonia _____________

school when the car broke down.

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Put the verbs in brackets in the Past Continuous.

was having
1. While I _______________ (have) lunch at the shopping centre
were doing (do) the shopping.
with my classmates my parents ____________

were listening
2. Last night you ________________ (listen) to music while I
was studying
_______________ (study)

was trying (try) to call her friend on the phone but

3. She _____________
she couldn’t reach her .
were watching (watch) the football match on TV .
4. The children ______________
wasn’t having (not have) fun at his neighbour’s
5. Mr Bayley _______________
party.
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