Past continuous tense - Rules - Examples

 Past continuous tense

Past continuous tense affirmative Sentence Structure:

subject + was / were + 1st form of verb - ing + object

Use of Was in past continuous tense:

It is used when the subject is "he, she, it, singular". Sometimes "was" is used when the subject is "i".

Examples: 

He was going to School.

She was reciting Holy Quran.

Ali was singing a song.

The cricket team was playing amazingly.

Use of were in past continuous tense:

It is used when the subject is "I, we, they, you, plural"

Examples:

I was teaching English.

They were learning a lesson.

We were driving a car.

You were singing a song.

Cats were sleeping.

Past continuous tense negative sentence structure:

Subject + was not / were not + 1st form of verb - ing + object

Examples:

They were not sleeping.

He was not dancing.

She was not singing a song.

I was not eating Apples🍎

They were not eating bananas.

The servant was not boiling eggs.

Servants were not boiling eggs.

Past continuous tense interrogative sentence structure:

Was / were + subject + 1st form of verb - ing + object + ?

Examples:

Were they eating Mangoes?

Were they not eating Mangoes?

Was he laughing? 

Were they laughing?

Were they not eating?

Was she not singing a song?

Was she singing a song?

Past continuous tense examples:

1.

• Birds were flying in the air.
• Birds were not flying in the air.
• Were birds flying in the air?
• Were birds not flying in the air?

2.

• They were starting the race.
• They were not starting the race.
• Were they starting the race?
• Were they not starting the race?

3.

• He was cutting trees.
• He was not cutting trees.
• Was he cutting trees?
• Was he not cutting trees?

4.

• She was dancing.
• She was not dancing.
• Was she dancing?
• Was she not dancing?

5.

• I was sleeping.
• I was not sleeping.
• Was I sleeping?
• Was I not sleeping?