Past Continuous Tense with Examples and definition details

Past continuous tense is used to indicate a continuing action of the past. It expresses past actions having an on-going nature. An action, that continued for some time in the past, is expressed in the past continuous tense. It is also called Past Progressive Tense.

Definition of Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous Tense is used when the action was continued for some time in the past.

Example: He was playing football.

I was reading a novel.

To recognize the past continuous tense we should follow the structure below

Structure: Subject + was/ were + (main verb + ing) + Extension.

Examples of Past Continuous Tense

I was reading a novel.

We were traveling in Japan.

He was watching TV.

She was writing a letter.

They were playing cricket.

You were looking for his letter.

The weather was getting hotter.

She was singing a song.

If two works continued in the past at the same time then these two works there will be past continuous tense.

For example, I was writing a letter while my brother was playing football.

He was traveling to her when she was cooking food.

The structure of past continuous tense in other section like an affirmative, negative and interrogative sentence

Negative Sentence structure

past continunous tense with examples — past continuous tense with examples Negative form

Sentence type	Structure	Examples
affirmative	Subject + (auxiliary verb) was/ were + present participle of main verb + ing + extension.	Example: He was driving a zip. She was writing a letter. They were eating their lunch.
Negative	Subject + (auxiliary verb) was/ were + not + present participle of main verb + ing + extension	Example: They were not studying their lessons. I was not riding alone. We were taking our lunch in the garden.
Interrogative	Was/were +subject + present participle of main verb + ing + extension.	Example: were they going to school. Was I telling you about the story? Were they meeting with you?