• At school

• What were you doing last night?

• What were you eating 5 minutes ago?
• Shrimps
 Use Past Continuous to talk about actions in progress at a
specific time in the past.

I was watching TV at 7 pm last night. (before and after 7 pm) (for example from 6:30 to
8:00)
I watched TV at 7 pm last night. (completed action)

They were playing soccer yesterday morning. (From 8:00 to 9:00 am)
They played soccer at 9 am yesterday morning. (completed action)

It was eight o'clock. I was writing a letter. (before 8 and after 8)

At eight o'clock I wrote some letters. (Completed action)

She wasn’t cooking last night. She was taking a shower.

Negative form wasn’t = was not/ weren’t = were not
• I wasn’t talking with my mom yesterday.
• She wasn’t …………………………………………
• He wasn’t…………………………………………
• It wasn’t………………………………………….
• We weren’t ……………………………………..
• They weren’t………………………………………..
• You weren’t

• chit-chatting
• Politics
• I talk with/to
Questions ?
• Were +we/you/they +ing?

• Were you watching tv last night?

• Were you driving your car to work yesterday?
• Were they having a party last night?

• Was +she/he/it +ing?

• Was she taking a shower yesterday morning?

• Was he running in the park yesterday afternoon?
• Was she cooking dinner yesterday evening?
• Was she meeting her friends last week?
• Duck
 Wh questions ?
• What were you watching last night ? I was watching an action movie.

• Where was Mohammad driving the car? He was driving the car in the street.
• Where were you studying in the morning ? I was studying in the library.

• When was he playing the guitar? He was playing the guitar in the morning.
• when were you having a party? We were having a party last night.

• Who was swimming in the pool? Ali was swimming in the pool.
• who was walking in the street?/ who were you talking to yesterday ?

• Why was he leaving early? Why were they watching t.v.?/ why was she crying last night?
• Why was your friend switching off the light?
Advanced Level: Past Continuous Tense

• You were reading when I walked in.

Were you studying when I called you?
• I was studying when you called me.
You were not working when I called you.
• while (as) I was walking down the street, I saw my friend.
Use 1 – an interrupted action in the past
Past Continuous is used to indicate a long action that was interrupted. Usually the action that interrupts the long action is the
Past Simple.

I was studying when Danny called me.

When Danny called me, I was studying.

She was answering an important e-mail when I interrupted her.

While I was jogging, it started raining.

It started raining, while I was jogging.

Simple past
Went off/ my shoes torn apart/ring/ rang /arrived

What was he doing when you walked into the room?

Use 1 – an interrupted action in the past

John was waiting for us when we got off the train.

I broke my leg while I was skiing.

She was cooking dinner when the power went out.

I was reading a book when he called.

Use 1 – an interrupted action in the past
 Use 2 – parallel actions
The Past Continuous is used to indicate that two actions were happening at the same
time; hence parallel actions.

I was watching TV while the children were playing outside.

While Sarah was speaking to Fred, Peter was trying to get her attention.

We were discussing the new project and having a good time as well.

What were they doing while you were working?

• What were you doing when the manager came?
• Who was Mohammad helping when he had an accident?
Use 3 – describing a mood/atmosphere

We can use the Past Continuous to describe several actions happening at the same
time to describe the atmosphere or situation before or as a main action occurs.

• When I walked into the bar, Danny and Fred were arguing
again. Chris was chatting to the barman with his usual pint.
Peter and Sarah were flirting with each other and Liz was
telling the rest of the gang one of her outrageous stories
about when she was an actress in the West End. The pub
was already smelling of pub food and beer and I just felt
that it was so good to be home.
• His father hugged him.
• His father was hugging him.
Use 4 – repetition and irritation with 'always'

The Past Continuous with words such as 'always' or 'constantly' indicates

something repeated or irritating. Words like 'always' should be placed
between the auxiliary 'be' and the present participle. Irritating ‫مزعج‬

was+ always/constantly+ ing from

She was always coming late for meetings.

I was constantly misplacing my glasses.
She was always lying.
He was always nagging.
‫کانوا یشکون دائما ‪Complaining‬‬
Past
• Fatima was always nagging.
• I was always having accidents.
• She was always driving fast.
• He was always sleeping late.
 While or when
With the Past Continuous sentences have clauses that start with ‘while’
or ‘when’. ‘While’ usually starts the clause with the Past Continuous,
‘when’ usually starts the clause with the Past Simple.

It started raining while I was jogging. / While I was jogging, it started

raining.

When it started raining, I was jogging. / I was jogging when it started

raining.

• Notice that although the meaning of each pair of sentences is the same,
'while' or 'when' shift emphasis.
• I was studying when she called.
• While I was studying, she called.
• While I was cooking, my children were playing video games.
• I was walking in the park when a ball hit my head.
• She was studying while her brother was sleeping.
• It was raining all day yesterday.
• What was she doing last night?
• What was he cooking yesterday?
• Where were you going yesterday afternoon?
• Where was she drinking coffee?
• Who was he talking to last night?
• Who were they spending time with yesterday?
• When was she studying English?
• When were they practicing yoga?
• Why was she crying yesterday morning ?
• Why was she shouting last night?
• Were you working from 3 to 5 yesterday? Yes, I was working yesterday
from 3 to 5.
• Yes, I was working.
• Yes, I was.
• Yes.
• Was he working with you last year? No, he wasn't working with me last
year.
• No, he was not working with me.
• No, he wasn't.
• No.
• Example Questions
• Was he watching TV at 1 am?
• Was Mark talking on the phone to his wife earlier?
• Was it raining earlier?
• Was the boy studying when you saw him?
• Was she walking with somebody when you met her?
• Was he talking on the phone as he was driving?
• Was the girl crying when you saw her?
• Was the chef preparing the dinner when he burned his hand?
•
Were you cooking at 3 am?
• Were the people yelling during the meeting?
• Were the children laughing when you saw them?
• Were the workers crying after they heard the company will close?
• Were the machines working yesterday?
• Were the computers operating well last week?
• Were the men watching the football game when you were there?
• Were the people crying while they were watching the movie?
• English Conversation 1
A) Were you crying?
B) No, why?
A) It looks like you were crying. Your eyes look red.
B) That is strange. I wasn't crying.
English Conversation 2
A) Were the children studying when you saw them?
B) No, they weren't.
A) Were they playing?
B) When I saw them, they were watching TV.
A) Really? I told them they couldn't watch TV!
• What were you doing last night from 8 to 10?
• What was she doing when she hurt her leg?
• When were you planning on telling me?
• Why were you crying last night?
• What time were you studying in the library yesterday?
• What food was he buying when you saw him?
• Which hotel was he going into when you saw him?
• How many cigarettes were you smoking per day when you were a smoker?
• How much time were you spending writing reports when you worked
there?
• What was he doing when he broke his leg?
• What was she doing when her baby got hurt?
• What were they doing when their dog ran away?
• Who was crying last night?
• What was making that noise last night?
• How many people were watching the movie at your house last night?
• English Conversation 1

A) What were you doing when I saw you last night?

B) I was taking a walk.
A) Who were you walking with? Was that your boyfriend?
B) Haha. No. That was my brother. He is visiting me for a week.
• English Conversation 2

A) I saw you last night.

B) Where?
A) At the restaurant.
B) Where were you sitting?
A) I was sitting near the door. I didn't say hello because it looked like
you were having a serious conversation and I didn't want to interrupt.
B) No. We were just talking about politics. You should've said hello.
• Discussion Questions:

1.What were you doing before this?

2.What were you eating at lunchtime yesterday?
3.What were you chatting about with your friends when you last talked to them?
4.What were you thinking about two minutes ago?
5.What were you wearing when you last went out at night?
6.Have you ever seen a celebrity in public? What were they doing?
7.Focus on a person that you can see. What were they doing before coming here?
Can you guess?
8.What were you studying when you last felt confused?
9.What were you watching at the last cinema that you went to?
10.What were you trying to make when you last tried to bake or cook?
While – when sentence
• Who was helping his father?
• Where was Mohammad sitting?
• What was the dog eating?
• How fast was he driving? He was driving 110 kilometers per hour.
• How far was the forest from downtown?
• While I was going to the airport, the plain took off.
• I was playing the guitar, when my mom called me.
• When he was driving fast, the cat jumped in front of the car.
• What was your father doing when he met your mother?
• What were you lying on when you went to sleep last night?
• How was the weather this morning?
• What were you doing when you most recently exercised?
• What was your mother doing when you saw her last?
• Think about the last dream that you remember. What were you dreaming
about?
• When you started studying English, what were you hoping to do with your
language skills?
• Think about the last time that you did housework. What were you doing?
• What were you doing at 8pm last night?
• What weren’t you doing at 8pm last night?