The core idea — taking a snapshot of the past
Imagine you have a time machine. You travel back to a specific moment — 7pm last Tuesday, the moment an earthquake struck, midnight on New Year's Eve. You press pause. You look around. What is everyone doing? What is happening right now, at this frozen moment?
This is exactly the situation the Past Continuous describes. It is like taking a photograph of a moment in the past. The photograph captures an action that was already in progress — it had started before that moment, it was happening at that exact moment, and it continued after that moment (until something interrupted it or it finished naturally).
The action was already in progress at the specific moment:
At 7pm, she was cooking dinner. (She started before 7pm, was still cooking at 7pm, and finished later.)
How is it formed?
was → I, he, she, it · were → you, we, they
At 7pm, she was cooking dinner.
When I arrived, they were playing cards.
This time last year, we were traveling through Japan.
Affirmative sentences
With a clock time
The most direct use — you name an exact time and say what was in progress at that moment.
- At 7pm last night, she was cooking dinner for her family.
- At 3am on Saturday, they were driving back from the airport.
- At midnight on New Year's Eve, my grandfather was sleeping in his armchair.
- At 6am this morning, she was running through the park.
- At the time of the announcement, hundreds of journalists were waiting outside.
With "when" — describing the background at the moment of another event
The most common pattern — you describe what was in progress at the exact moment something else happened.
- When I walked past, the children were playing football in the park.
- When the earthquake struck, most people were having breakfast.
- When her parents arrived home, Maria was studying at her desk.
- When the teacher entered, two students were arguing loudly.
- When the final whistle blew, all the fans were celebrating.
Negative sentences
At 7pm, she wasn't cooking — she was ordering a pizza.
When I arrived, they weren't playing — they were watching TV.
- At 10pm, he wasn't reading — he had already fallen asleep.
- The children weren't playing in the park — they were inside.
- When we left the restaurant, the sun wasn't shining — it was raining.
- This time yesterday, he wasn't working — he was at the gym.
- The away fans weren't celebrating at the final whistle — they were devastated.
Interrogative sentences
Was she cooking at 7pm? · Were they playing when you arrived?
Wh- questions: Question word + was / were + subject + verb-ing + ?
What was she cooking at 7pm? · Where were they driving at 3am?
What were people doing when the earthquake struck?
- What was she cooking at 7pm?
- What were the children doing when you walked past?
- Where were they driving at 3am?
- Was your grandfather sleeping at midnight?
- What were you doing this time last week?
Key time expressions for this use
Common mistakes to watch out for
✗ At 7pm last night, she cooked dinner.
✓ At 7pm last night, she was cooking dinner.
The Past Simple she cooked dinner describes a completed action — she cooked dinner and finished it. The Past Continuous she was cooking dinner describes an action in progress at 7pm — she was in the middle of it. When a time expression points to a specific moment and asks "what was happening then?", you almost always need the Past Continuous.
✗ At that moment, I was knowing the answer.
✗ When she arrived, he was wanting to leave.
✓ At that moment, I knew the answer.
✓ When she arrived, he wanted to leave.
Stative verbs (know, believe, want, love, hate, own, understand, remember, seem) describe states — not actions in progress. They cannot be used in the continuous form at any time. Even when describing what was true at a specific past moment, always use the Past Simple for these verbs.
✗ At 7pm, she was cook dinner.
✗ When I arrived, they were play cards.
✓ At 7pm, she was cooking dinner.
✓ When I arrived, they were playing cards.
The Past Continuous always requires both parts: was/were AND the -ing form. Neither part alone is enough. Think of it as a two-part formula that must always be complete.
✗ The children was playing in the garden.
✗ We was watching a film when it happened.
✓ The children were playing in the garden.
✓ We were watching a film when it happened.
Was is only used with singular subjects: I, he, she, it. For all plural subjects (we, you, they) and for plural nouns (the children, the students, my friends), always use were. This is the same rule as for the verb to be in the present: I am / we are.