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fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M14.234 10.162L22.977 0h-2.072l-7.591 8.824L7.251 0H.258l9.168 13.343L.258 24H2.33l8.016-9.318L16.749 24h6.993zm-2.837 3.299l-.929-1.329L3.076 1.56h3.182l5.965 8.532l.929 1.329l7.754 11.09h-3.182z\"\u002F>",{"id":47,"title":48,"author":49,"body":50,"cefrLevel":778,"date":49,"description":779,"exercises":780,"extension":877,"faqs":878,"gcseTier":49,"intro":49,"language":891,"lastUpdated":49,"meta":892,"navigation":893,"path":894,"seo":895,"stem":896,"verbSlugs":49,"__hash__":897},"pages\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fpast-continuous.md","Past continuous tense: was and were plus -ing, and when to use it instead of the past simple",null,{"type":51,"value":52,"toc":759},"minimark",[53,69,74,86,91,149,161,187,193,198,258,282,286,289,293,296,308,312,315,327,334,338,344,356,360,363,370,384,388,391,450,465,469,472,538,554,565,569,572,598,613,636,640,643,699,703,706,749],[54,55,56,57,61,62,61,65,68],"p",{},"The past continuous is the tense that sets the scene. Where the past simple\nhands you a finished event, the past continuous drops you into the middle of\nsomething: ",[58,59,60],"em",{},"I was walking home",", ",[58,63,64],{},"the rain was falling",[58,66,67],{},"they were still\narguing when I left",". Nothing is complete. That is the whole point of it, and\nonce you see the tense as background rather than event, choosing between it and\nthe past simple stops being guesswork.",[70,71,73],"h2",{"id":72},"how-to-form-the-past-continuous","How to form the past continuous",[54,75,76,77,80,81,85],{},"Two pieces: the past of ",[58,78,79],{},"be",", then the ",[82,83,84],"strong",{},"-ing"," form of the main verb.",[54,87,88],{},[82,89,90],{},"was \u002F were + verb-ing",[92,93,94,113],"table",{},[95,96,97],"thead",{},[98,99,100,104,107,110],"tr",{},[101,102,103],"th",{},"Subject",[101,105,106],{},"Auxiliary",[101,108,109],{},"-ing form",[101,111,112],{},"Example",[114,115,116,133],"tbody",{},[98,117,118,122,125,128],{},[119,120,121],"td",{},"I \u002F he \u002F she \u002F it",[119,123,124],{},"was",[119,126,127],{},"working",[119,129,130],{},[58,131,132],{},"I was working.",[98,134,135,138,141,144],{},[119,136,137],{},"you \u002F we \u002F they",[119,139,140],{},"were",[119,142,143],{},"waiting",[119,145,146],{},[58,147,148],{},"They were waiting.",[54,150,151,152,154,155,157,158,160],{},"The only thing that changes by person is ",[58,153,124],{}," or ",[58,156,140],{},", exactly as in the past\nsimple of ",[58,159,79],{},".",[162,163,164,178],"ul",{},[165,166,167,170,171,174,175],"li",{},[82,168,169],{},"Negative:"," put ",[58,172,173],{},"not"," after the auxiliary. ",[58,176,177],{},"I was not listening. They weren't\nwaiting.",[165,179,180,183,184],{},[82,181,182],{},"Question:"," put the auxiliary first. ",[58,185,186],{},"Were you sleeping? What was she doing?",[54,188,189,190,192],{},"Note that ",[58,191,79],{}," carries the past on its own, so the main verb never changes: it is\nalways the plain -ing form. There is no such thing as \"was worked\" here.",[194,195,197],"h3",{"id":196},"spelling-of-the-ing-form","Spelling of the -ing form",[92,199,200,212],{},[95,201,202],{},[98,203,204,207,210],{},[101,205,206],{},"Rule",[101,208,209],{},"Base verb",[101,211,109],{},[114,213,214,225,236,247],{},[98,215,216,219,222],{},[119,217,218],{},"Verb ends in -e: drop the e",[119,220,221],{},"write",[119,223,224],{},"writing",[98,226,227,230,233],{},[119,228,229],{},"Short stressed vowel + single consonant: double the consonant",[119,231,232],{},"sit",[119,234,235],{},"sitting",[98,237,238,241,244],{},[119,239,240],{},"Verb ends in -ie: change to -y",[119,242,243],{},"lie",[119,245,246],{},"lying",[98,248,249,252,255],{},[119,250,251],{},"British English doubles a final -l",[119,253,254],{},"travel",[119,256,257],{},"travelling",[54,259,260,263,264,267,268,270,271,274,275,278,279,160],{},[58,261,262],{},"Study"," keeps its y (",[58,265,266],{},"studying","), because the doubling rule is about consonants,\nnot vowels. And note the last row: British English writes ",[58,269,257],{}," and\n",[58,272,273],{},"cancelling"," where American English writes ",[58,276,277],{},"traveling"," and ",[58,280,281],{},"canceling",[70,283,285],{"id":284},"what-the-past-continuous-is-actually-for","What the past continuous is actually for",[54,287,288],{},"Four jobs, and almost every past continuous you meet is doing one of them.",[194,290,292],{"id":291},"_1-an-action-in-progress-at-a-past-moment","1. An action in progress at a past moment",[54,294,295],{},"You name a time, and the tense tells you the action was already under way and\nhad not finished.",[162,297,298,303],{},[165,299,300],{},[58,301,302],{},"At eight o'clock I was still working.",[165,304,305],{},[58,306,307],{},"This time last year we were living in another town.",[194,309,311],{"id":310},"_2-a-long-action-cut-across-by-a-short-one","2. A long action cut across by a short one",[54,313,314],{},"This is the classic pairing, and it is why the two past tenses are taught\ntogether. The longer action goes in the past continuous; the shorter one that\ninterrupts it goes in the past simple.",[162,316,317,322],{},[165,318,319],{},[58,320,321],{},"I was cooking dinner when the phone rang.",[165,323,324],{},[58,325,326],{},"She was crossing the road when the car stopped.",[54,328,329,330,333],{},"The order of the two halves does not matter, only which tense each half gets:\n",[58,331,332],{},"When the phone rang, I was cooking dinner"," means exactly the same thing.",[194,335,337],{"id":336},"_3-two-long-actions-at-the-same-time","3. Two long actions at the same time",[54,339,340,341,160],{},"Both are in progress, so both are continuous, usually joined by ",[58,342,343],{},"while",[162,345,346,351],{},[165,347,348],{},[58,349,350],{},"I was reading while she was cooking.",[165,352,353],{},[58,354,355],{},"The children were playing while their mother was working.",[194,357,359],{"id":358},"_4-background-in-a-story","4. Background in a story",[54,361,362],{},"Open a story and the first sentences are often continuous, because they are\nscenery rather than plot. Then the past simple arrives and things start\nhappening.",[162,364,365],{},[165,366,367],{},[58,368,369],{},"The sun was going down and the air was growing cold. Then a dog ran out of the\ntrees.",[54,371,372,373,154,376,379,380,383],{},"There is also a fifth, smaller use worth knowing: with ",[58,374,375],{},"always",[58,377,378],{},"forever",", the\npast continuous carries a note of complaint. ",[58,381,382],{},"He was always losing his keys"," says\nmore about your patience than about the keys.",[70,385,387],{"id":386},"while-when-and-as","While, when and as",[54,389,390],{},"These three words decide the shape of most past continuous sentences, and\nlearners tend to use them interchangeably. They are not.",[92,392,393,405],{},[95,394,395],{},[98,396,397,400,403],{},[101,398,399],{},"Word",[101,401,402],{},"Usually takes",[101,404,112],{},[114,406,407,421,436],{},[98,408,409,413,416],{},[119,410,411],{},[58,412,343],{},[119,414,415],{},"the long action",[119,417,418],{},[58,419,420],{},"While I was cooking, she arrived.",[98,422,423,428,431],{},[119,424,425],{},[58,426,427],{},"when",[119,429,430],{},"the short action",[119,432,433],{},[58,434,435],{},"I was cooking when she arrived.",[98,437,438,443,445],{},[119,439,440],{},[58,441,442],{},"as",[119,444,415],{},[119,446,447],{},[58,448,449],{},"As I was cooking, she arrived.",[54,451,452,453,278,455,457,458,460,461,464],{},"The rule of thumb: ",[58,454,343],{},[58,456,442],{}," want a continuous verb after them, ",[58,459,427],{},"\nwants a simple one. It is not an absolute law, but if you follow it you will be\nright nearly every time. ",[58,462,463],{},"While she arrived"," sounds wrong for exactly this\nreason: arriving takes a second, so there is nothing to be in the middle of.",[70,466,468],{"id":467},"past-continuous-vs-past-simple","Past continuous vs past simple",[54,470,471],{},"Put them side by side and the difference is length, not time.",[92,473,474,484],{},[95,475,476],{},[98,477,478,481],{},[101,479,480],{},"Past simple",[101,482,483],{},"Past continuous",[114,485,486,494,502,514,526],{},[98,487,488,491],{},[119,489,490],{},"Finished, complete",[119,492,493],{},"In progress, unfinished",[98,495,496,499],{},[119,497,498],{},"The event",[119,500,501],{},"The background",[98,503,504,509],{},[119,505,506],{},[58,507,508],{},"I read the letter.",[119,510,511],{},[58,512,513],{},"I was reading the letter.",[98,515,516,521],{},[119,517,518],{},[58,519,520],{},"She cooked dinner.",[119,522,523],{},[58,524,525],{},"She was cooking dinner.",[98,527,528,533],{},[119,529,530],{},[58,531,532],{},"We watched the film.",[119,534,535],{},[58,536,537],{},"We were watching the film.",[54,539,540,541,544,545,548,549,160],{},"The pairs above are not the same sentence in two styles. ",[58,542,543],{},"I read the letter","\nmeans I got to the end of it. ",[58,546,547],{},"I was reading the letter"," leaves open whether I\never finished, and usually implies something else came along. If you want the\nfull picture of the finished side, see the\n",[550,551,553],"a",{"href":552},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fpast-simple","past simple",[54,555,556,557,560,561,564],{},"One more thing the continuous cannot do: put events in order. A story told in the\npast continuous never moves forward, because nothing ever completes. ",[58,558,559],{},"I got up,\nmade coffee and read the news"," is a sequence. ",[58,562,563],{},"I was getting up, was making\ncoffee and was reading the news"," is a mess.",[70,566,568],{"id":567},"verbs-that-refuse-the-continuous","Verbs that refuse the continuous",[54,570,571],{},"Some verbs describe a state rather than an activity, and a state is not something\nyou can be in the middle of. These stay in the past simple even when the sentence\nis otherwise crying out for a continuous.",[162,573,574,580,586,592],{},[165,575,576,579],{},[82,577,578],{},"Thinking and knowing:"," know, believe, understand, remember, forget, mean",[165,581,582,585],{},[82,583,584],{},"Liking and wanting:"," like, love, hate, want, need, prefer",[165,587,588,591],{},[82,589,590],{},"Having and being:"," be, have (= own), belong, own, cost",[165,593,594,597],{},[82,595,596],{},"The senses:"," see, hear, smell, taste (when they are not deliberate acts)",[54,599,600,278,603,606,607,278,610,160],{},[58,601,602],{},"I was knowing the answer",[58,604,605],{},"she was wanting to leave"," are both wrong. Use ",[58,608,609],{},"I\nknew the answer",[58,611,612],{},"she wanted to leave",[54,614,615,616,619,620,623,624,627,628,631,632,635],{},"The catch is that several of these verbs have a second, active meaning, and in\nthat meaning the continuous is fine. ",[58,617,618],{},"I was thinking about you"," (an activity in\nyour head) is correct, while ",[58,621,622],{},"I was thinking it was Tuesday"," (an opinion) is not.\n",[58,625,626],{},"She was having lunch"," is fine because ",[58,629,630],{},"have"," there means eat, not own. ",[58,633,634],{},"He was\nseeing a doctor"," is fine because it means visiting, not looking.",[70,637,639],{"id":638},"common-mistakes","Common mistakes",[54,641,642],{},"Ranked by how often they actually turn up.",[644,645,646,659,671,682,693],"ol",{},[165,647,648,651,652,655,656],{},[82,649,650],{},"Continuous for a finished, single event."," ",[58,653,654],{},"I was breaking my leg last\nyear."," Wrong: breaking a leg takes a moment and it is over, so use the past\nsimple. ",[58,657,658],{},"I broke my leg last year.",[165,660,661,651,664,667,668],{},[82,662,663],{},"State verbs in the continuous.",[58,665,666],{},"I was wanting, she was knowing, they were\nliking."," Use the past simple: ",[58,669,670],{},"wanted, knew, liked.",[165,672,673,651,676,679,680],{},[82,674,675],{},"Dropping was or were.",[58,677,678],{},"I working when she called."," The auxiliary is not\noptional; it is where the tense lives. ",[58,681,132],{},[165,683,684,651,687,690,691],{},[82,685,686],{},"The wrong half in the continuous.",[58,688,689],{},"I was cooking when she was arriving.","\nOnly the long action gets the continuous: ",[58,692,435],{},[165,694,695,698],{},[82,696,697],{},"Using the continuous to list a sequence."," Events in order need the past\nsimple. Keep the continuous for the scenery around them.",[70,700,702],{"id":701},"practice","Practice",[54,704,705],{},"Choose the past simple or the past continuous. Answers are below.",[644,707,708,719,725,731,740],{},[165,709,710,711,715,716,718],{},"We ",[712,713,714],"code",{},"___"," (walk) home when it ",[712,717,714],{}," (start) to rain.",[165,720,721,722,724],{},"At ten last night I ",[712,723,714],{}," (sleep).",[165,726,727,728,730],{},"She ",[712,729,714],{}," (know) the answer straight away.",[165,732,733,734,736,737,739],{},"While he ",[712,735,714],{}," (cook), the children ",[712,738,714],{}," (play) outside.",[165,741,742,743,745,746,748],{},"I ",[712,744,714],{}," (drop) my keys and ",[712,747,714],{}," (not see) where they went.",[54,750,751,754,755,758],{},[82,752,753],{},"Answers:"," 1. were walking ... started (the long action is the walk) 2. was\nsleeping 3. knew (",[58,756,757],{},"know"," is a state verb, so no continuous) 4. was cooking ...\nwere playing (two long actions at once) 5. dropped ... did not see (both are\nshort finished events, so both are past simple)",{"title":760,"searchDepth":761,"depth":761,"links":762},"",2,[763,767,773,774,775,776,777],{"id":72,"depth":761,"text":73,"children":764},[765],{"id":196,"depth":766,"text":197},3,{"id":284,"depth":761,"text":285,"children":768},[769,770,771,772],{"id":291,"depth":766,"text":292},{"id":310,"depth":766,"text":311},{"id":336,"depth":766,"text":337},{"id":358,"depth":766,"text":359},{"id":386,"depth":761,"text":387},{"id":467,"depth":761,"text":468},{"id":567,"depth":761,"text":568},{"id":638,"depth":761,"text":639},{"id":701,"depth":761,"text":702},"A2-B1","How the English past continuous works: was or were plus the -ing form, the split with the past simple, while vs when, and the state verbs that never take it.",[781,825,858],{"type":782,"instructions":783,"items":784},"which-one","Choose the past simple or the past continuous for each sentence.",[785,790,795,800,805,810,815,820],{"prompt":786,"answer":787,"options":788},"I ___ dinner when the phone rang.","was cooking",[787,789],"cooked",{"prompt":791,"answer":792,"options":793},"She ___ the door and walked out.","opened",[792,794],"was opening",{"prompt":796,"answer":797,"options":798},"They ___ for the bus when it started to rain.","were waiting",[797,799],"waited",{"prompt":801,"answer":802,"options":803},"We ___ the news at eight o'clock last night.","were watching",[802,804],"watched",{"prompt":806,"answer":807,"options":808},"He ___ me the truth in the end.","told",[807,809],"was telling",{"prompt":811,"answer":812,"options":813},"I ___ what she meant.","knew",[812,814],"was knowing",{"prompt":816,"answer":817,"options":818},"While I ___ , somebody took my seat.","was reading",[817,819],"read",{"prompt":821,"answer":822,"options":823},"The children ___ upstairs all afternoon.","were playing",[822,824],"played",{"type":826,"instructions":827,"items":828},"fill-blank","Put the verb into the past continuous.",[829,833,837,840,844,847,851,854],{"prompt":830,"answer":831,"hint":832},"At six o'clock we ___ dinner.","were eating","eat",{"prompt":834,"answer":835,"hint":836},"She ___ to the radio when I came in.","was listening","listen",{"prompt":838,"answer":839,"hint":232},"The dog ___ at the door all night.","was sitting",{"prompt":841,"answer":842,"hint":843},"They ___ home when the car stopped.","were driving","drive",{"prompt":845,"answer":846,"hint":221},"I ___ a letter to my mother.","was writing",{"prompt":848,"answer":849,"hint":850},"It ___ hard, so we stayed inside.","was raining","rain",{"prompt":852,"answer":787,"hint":853},"He ___ in the kitchen when I found him.","cook",{"prompt":855,"answer":856,"hint":857},"We ___ about you this morning.","were talking","talk",{"type":859,"instructions":860,"pairs":861},"match","Match each verb to its -ing form.",[862,865,866,867,870,873,874,875],{"left":863,"right":864},"run","running",{"left":232,"right":235},{"left":221,"right":224},{"left":868,"right":869},"make","making",{"left":871,"right":872},"begin","beginning",{"left":243,"right":246},{"left":254,"right":257},{"left":876,"right":266},"study","md",[879,882,885,888],{"q":880,"a":881},"What is the past continuous tense?","The past continuous describes an action that was in progress at a moment in the past. It is formed with was or were plus the -ing form of the verb: I was working, they were waiting. It is the past version of the present continuous, and it is used far more for setting a scene than for reporting an event.",{"q":883,"a":884},"What is the difference between the past continuous and the past simple?","The past simple gives you a finished action: I read the letter. The past continuous gives you an action in the middle of happening: I was reading the letter. In a single sentence the continuous is usually the longer background action and the simple is the shorter thing that cut across it: I was reading when the phone rang.",{"q":886,"a":887},"When do I use while and when do I use when?","While normally takes the longer action, so it sits with the past continuous: while I was cooking. When normally takes the shorter action, so it sits with the past simple: when she arrived. Both orders are fine as long as the tenses match the length of the action: While I was cooking, she arrived. She arrived when I was cooking.",{"q":889,"a":890},"Why can I not say I was knowing or she was wanting?","Some verbs describe a state rather than an action, and states do not happen in the middle of anything. Know, want, like, need, believe, understand, own and belong are the common ones, and they stay in the past simple: I knew, she wanted. Saying I was knowing is one of the clearest markers of a learner.","english",{},true,"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fpast-continuous",{"title":48,"description":779},"english\u002Fgrammar\u002Fpast-continuous","bjo8PKlYFs4V5HITJpmifYb22u2iNRIxr17phiEHa6s",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":899},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M13 21h8M15 5l4 4m2.174-2.188a1 1 0 0 0-3.986-3.987L3.842 16.174a2 2 0 0 0-.5.83l-1.321 4.352a.5.5 0 0 0 .623.622l4.353-1.32a2 2 0 0 0 .83-.497z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":901},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M11 4.702a.705.705 0 0 0-1.203-.498L6.413 7.587A1.4 1.4 0 0 1 5.416 8H3a1 1 0 0 0-1 1v6a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h2.416a1.4 1.4 0 0 1 .997.413l3.383 3.384A.705.705 0 0 0 11 19.298zM16 9a5 5 0 0 1 0 6m3.364 3.364a9 9 0 0 0 0-12.728\"\u002F>"]