📖 Quick Grammar Reference: Past Continuous
| Form | Subject | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative (+) | I / He / She / It | I was reading at 9 pm. |
| Affirmative (+) | You / We / They | They were watching a film. |
| Negative (−) | I / He / She / It | She wasn’t listening to the radio. |
| Negative (−) | You / We / They | We weren’t sleeping at midnight. |
| Question (?) | I / He / She / It | Was he working late? |
| Question (?) | You / We / They | Were you waiting long? |
Exercise 1 — Fill in the Blank (Put the verb in brackets into the correct past continuous form.)
- She (read) a book when the phone rang.
- They (not / watch) TV at 8 pm — they were cooking.
- you (sleep) when I called?
- I (work) in the garden all morning.
- He (not / listen) to music; he was studying.
- she (wait) for the bus at 7 am?
- We (have) dinner when the lights went out.
- The children (not / play) outside because it was raining.
- they (drive) to London at this time yesterday?
- I (walk) home when I saw the accident.
Exercise 2 — True or False (Read each statement about past continuous rules and circle T (True) or F (False).)
-
We use was with I, he, she, it and were with you, we, they.
T F
-
The past continuous describes an action that is already finished, with no connection to the surroundings.
T F
-
We often use while to link two actions happening at the same time in the past continuous.
T F
-
The past continuous can describe a longer background action interrupted by a shorter past simple action.
T F
-
We form the past continuous with did + the -ing form of the verb.
T F
Print version: write T or F on the line next to each statement.
Exercise 3 — Write Your Own Sentences (Answer each question with a full sentence using the past continuous.)
- What were you doing at 8 o’clock this morning?
- What were you doing at this time yesterday?
- Were you sleeping at midnight last night?
- What was the weather doing when you woke up today?
- What was happening around you five minutes ago?
📋 Show Answer Key
Exercise 1
- was reading
- weren’t watching
- Were … sleeping
- was working
- wasn’t listening
- Was … waiting
- were having
- weren’t playing
- Were … driving
- was walking
Exercise 2
- True — was = I/he/she/it, were = you/we/they
- False — it describes an action in progress at a past moment, connected to a surrounding context
- True — e.g. “While I was cooking, she was setting the table.”
- True — e.g. “I was reading when the phone rang.”
- False — use was/were + -ing, not did + -ing
Exercise 3
Open answers. Check that students use the correct form of was/were + -ing, matched to the subject, and a plausible past-time context.
Past Continuous Worksheet — FAQ
What does this past continuous worksheet cover?
This worksheet covers the three main forms of the past continuous: affirmative (was/were + -ing), negative (wasn't/weren't + -ing), and question form (Was/Were + subject + -ing?). It includes fill-in-the-blank, true/false, and sentence-writing exercises.
What level is this past continuous worksheet?
This worksheet is designed for A2 (Elementary) and lower B1 (Pre-Intermediate) learners who are consolidating the past continuous tense.
How do I form the past continuous?
Use was with I/he/she/it and were with you/we/they, followed by the -ing form of the verb. Example: She was reading a book. They were watching TV.
When do we use the past continuous?
We use the past continuous to describe an action in progress at a specific past moment, a background action interrupted by a shorter action (usually in the past simple), or two actions happening at the same time (often with ‘while’).
What is the difference between past continuous and past simple?
The past simple describes a completed action (I ate breakfast), while the past continuous describes an action in progress around a point in time (I was eating breakfast when the phone rang). They are often combined: the continuous sets the scene, the simple interrupts it.
Can I save this worksheet as a PDF?
Yes. Click the orange ‘Print / Save as PDF’ button at the top of the page. In your browser’s print dialogue, select ‘Save as PDF’ as the destination. The worksheet is formatted for A4 paper.
Is the answer key included?
Yes. Scroll to the bottom of the worksheet to find the collapsible answer key. Click ‘Show Answer Key’ to reveal all answers. If you want to print the answers too, open the key before clicking Print.
What online exercise goes with this worksheet?
The related online exercise is Complete the Sentence at lexfizz.com/exercises/complete-the-sentence/ — it provides immediate feedback for the same type of past continuous gap-fill practice.
Why do we say 'weren't' and not 'wasn't' with 'they'?
‘Was’ pairs with singular subjects (I, he, she, it) and ‘were’ pairs with plural or second-person subjects (you, we, they). This is the same pairing used with the past simple ‘to be’ (I was / they were), so the negative forms follow the same pattern: wasn’t vs weren’t.
How long does this worksheet take to complete?
The three exercises take approximately 20–25 minutes for most A2–B1 learners. Allow extra time for the writing task in Exercise 3 if students need to think carefully about forming original sentences.