What is Past Continuous Tense?
The continuous tense or past progressive tense refers to ongoing actions or events that were happening at a particular time in the past. For example, Liam was going to meet with his friend. In the sentence, was going indicates an action that Liam was doing at a specific time in the past.
How do we form the Past Continuous Tense?
The formula of past continuous tense is very simple. It includes the auxiliary verbs (was/were) and the past participle form of the main verb (-ing).
Subject + was/were + verb + -ing
Examples:
- I was reading a book at 8 PM last night.
- They were playing soccer when it started to rain.
- She was cooking dinner for her family.
- We were watching a movie after a long time.
So, whenever you want to describe something that was happening at a particular moment in the past, you can use the past continuous tense.
100 Sentences of Past Continuous Tense
Here are the 100 daily used sentences using the Past Continuous Tense:
- I was watching TV when you called.
- They were playing soccer in the park yesterday.
- The kids were swimming in the pool.
- We were studying together last night.
- He was driving home when the storm started.
- The kids were playing in the yard all afternoon.
- I was reading a book when the lights went out.
- They were building a sandcastle.
- We were having lunch when the news broke.
- They were discussing the project during the meeting.
- She was sewing buttons on a shirt.
- He was fixing the car when I arrived.
- The students were doing their homework.
- She was writing a letter to her friend.
- The teacher was explaining the lesson.
- They were taking notes in the class.
- I was shopping for groceries when I saw her.
- He was planting flowers in the garden.
- The cat was sleeping on the couch.
- The birds were singing in the trees.
- She was knitting a sweater for her grandson.
- They were working on their homework together.
- I was painting the walls in the afternoon.
- The waves were crashing on the shore.
- The children were laughing at the funny clown.
- We were visiting our grandparents last weekend.
- He was picking apples in the orchard.
- They were building a sandcastle at the beach.
- I was eating breakfast when the doorbell rang.
- The leaves were falling from the trees.
- The dog was barking loudly at the strangers.
- We were discussing the movie after it ended.
- She was cleaning the house when I called her.
- We were learning new vocabulary words.
- I was writing my essay when the computer crashed.
- He was gardening in the backyard all morning.
- The birds were singing in the trees.
- We were arranging a picnic for our school.
- She was taking a nap when the phone rang.
- They were playing cards when the power went out.
- I was washing the dishes when I broke a glass.
- He was fixing his bike when it started to snow.
- The children were coloring in their books.
- We were making plans for the weekend.
- She was brushing her teeth when I knocked on the door.
- They were driving to the airport when they got a flat tire.
- I was listening to music when the power went out.
- He was studying for his exams all night.
- The cat was chasing a mouse around the house.
- We were watching a movie when the popcorn ran out.
- She was baking a cake for her friend’s birthday.
- They were packing their bags for the trip.
- I was daydreaming during the meeting.
- He was polishing his shoes when the doorbell rang.
- The kids were riding their bikes in the neighborhood.
- We were practicing for the school play.
- She was ironing her clothes when the iron broke.
- They were hiking in the mountains last weekend.
- I was watering the plants when it started to rain.
- He was repairing the roof when it began to leak.
- The dog was digging a hole in the yard.
- We were planning a surprise party for our friend.
- She was playing the piano beautifully.
- They were shopping for clothes at the mall.
- I was talking to my neighbor when you called.
- He was designing a new website for his business.
- The children were decorating the Christmas tree.
- We were discussing our favorite books.
- She was practicing her speech for the wedding.
- They were drawing pictures in art class.
- I was catching up on work when the phone rang.
- He was folding the laundry when he found a missing sock.
- The baby was sleeping peacefully in the crib.
- We were setting up the tent when it started to rain.
- She was sewing a dress for the party.
- They were exploring the city when they got lost.
- I was playing chess with my brother.
- He was preparing dinner when the guests arrived.
- The cat was napping in the sun.
- We were learning about history in class.
- She was feeding the birds in the park.
- They were jogging along the river.
- I was sketching a portrait when you walked in.
- He was fixing the leaky faucet in the kitchen.
- The kids were making a mess in the living room.
- We were browsing the internet for recipes.
- She was packing lunch for her kids.
- They were practicing their dance routine.
- I was cleaning out the garage when I found an old photo.
- He was building a model airplane.
- The birds were flying south for the winter.
- We were painting the fence when it started to rain.
- She was writing in her diary before bed.
- They were rehearsing for the school play.
- I was planning my weekend when you texted me.
- He was carving a pumpkin for Halloween.
- We were jogging in the morning.
- We were enjoying a barbecue with friends.
- She was brushing her hair in front of the mirror.
- They were exploring a cave during their trip.
Azizul Hakim is the founder & CEO of englishfinders.com. He is a passionate writer, English instructor, and content creator. He has completed his graduation and post-graduation in English language and literature.