The Past Continuous is your personal camera for yesterday’s ongoing chaos.
While Past Simple tells the story of what happened, Past Continuous shows what was happening in the background.
Think of it as your “Yesterday’s Soap Opera”:
- ✅ I was running to catch the bus while my roommate was singing in the shower.
- ✅ The cat was chasing my sock while I was panicking.
- ✅ People were laughing at me, and I was waving like a confused tourist.
👉 Use Past Continuous for actions that were in progress at a certain time, simultaneous actions, or interrupted actions.
Story Snippet (Past Continuous)
Yesterday morning, I was brushing my teeth when the fire alarm was ringing loudly. My neighbour was shouting through the door because he was scared. Meanwhile, I was trying to pour coffee, but it was spilling everywhere. The cat was jumping on the table while my toast was burning in the toaster.
👉 Notice: all bold verbs are Past Continuous.
Quick & Funny Explanation
Form:
- I / he / she / it → was + verb-ing
- We / you / they → were + verb-ing
Uses:
- Background actions: “I was sleeping while chaos unfolded.”
- Two simultaneous actions: “I was cooking while they were arguing.”
- Interrupted actions: “I was reading when the dog stole my sandwich.”
Mnemonic:
“Past Continuous = was/were + action-ing… perfect for all messy, ongoing disasters 😎”
Negatives & Questions:
- Negative → was/were + not + verb-ing → “I was not watching the cat.”
- Question → was/were + subject + verb-ing? → “Were you sleeping while it rained?”
Mini Exercises
Chaos Prompt – Creative Writing
Write 3 sentences about your own Abroadien chaos yesterday using at least 2 Past Continuous verbs.
Example:
“I was cooking while my cat was dancing on the table, and my neighbour was shouting at the fire alarm.”
Tip for Memory – Emoji Associations (Past Continuous)
- 💥 = accidents in progress → was falling, was tripping, was breaking
- 😂 = reactions ongoing → was laughing, were shouting, was screaming
- 🐱 = pets / chaos → was chasing, were running, was biting
- ☕ = drinks/meals in progress → was drinking, were cooking, was eating
💡 Quick Trick: imagine these emojis popping up while the action is happening, not after. Past Continuous = the chaos is live!
Check out Graded Reading stories for the A2 level to see the grammar in context. Or check Past Simple to see learn more.