Past continuous: an action in progress

Approximate A2 · editorial content label, not a certified rating.

Use was/were plus an ing form for an action in progress at a past reference time. A past-simple event can occur during that activity. The continuous gives a background view; it does not say that the activity continued forever or was never completed.

Try the three exercise formats

Examples to compare

  • At eight, I was cooking.
  • She called while I was reading.
  • They were waiting when the bus arrived.

Watch the meaning and the limits

When and while help connect events, but they do not mechanically choose a tense. Ask what was in progress and what event occurred. Two continuous clauses can describe overlapping activities. Keep the past reference time visible.

Read each example aloud, then change one detail to make a sentence you could use. Continue with focused practice when you want a different set.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Mistake: We was waiting.

Use: We were waiting.

We takes were, followed by an ing form in the past continuous.

Try the pattern

3 choose questions · 2 sentence completions · 2 word gaps. Read the reason after every answer. No timer.

Typed answers stay on this page. This guided set checks the requested construction; it does not judge general writing. Read the accepted answers and reasons.

Use it in your own sentence

Write one sentence about your own routine or situation. Check the subject, verb form and intended meaning against the rule above. A different sentence may need a different form: these exercises accept the reviewed answers for their stated context.

Try the next practice set, or choose another grammar point.

All drill answers and reasons

  1. At eight last night, I ___ cooking dinner.

    Choices: was / am / have

    Accepted: was

    I takes was for an activity in progress at a past time.

  2. They were ___ when the bus arrived.

    Choices: waiting / wait / waited

    Accepted: waiting

    Were needs the ing form for the continuous.

  3. I was reading when she ___.

    Choices: called / calling / call

    Accepted: called

    The completed interrupting event uses past-simple called.

  4. Complete the past continuous of read: I ___ at eight last night.

    Accepted: was reading

    I takes was plus reading for an activity in progress then.

  5. Complete the past-continuous negative of sleep: They ___ when I called.

    Accepted: were not sleeping / weren’t sleeping

    They takes were not plus sleeping.

  6. She ___ cooking when I arrived. Use past be.

    Accepted: was

    She takes was in the past continuous.

  7. We were ___ at six. Use the ing form of wait.

    Accepted: waiting

    Were combines with waiting to show the activity in progress.

Practice questions

How do the three exercise formats work?

Choose asks you to pick an answer. Complete the sentence asks you to type the missing phrase. Fill in the word asks for one word, or no article where stated. Every checked answer includes a reason.

Which typed answers are accepted?

Use the form and meaning requested in the prompt. Reviewed alternatives and contractions are accepted where they fit. Capital letters, surrounding spaces, straight or curly apostrophes and a final full stop, question mark or exclamation mark do not affect marking. The answer reference lists the accepted forms.

Are my typed answers sent or saved?

Typed answers stay on this page in your browser. They are not sent to the server or saved. If device progress is available, completing a set records only the activity and study points on this device.

Can this check my own writing or certify my level?

No. This is a small guided set with reviewed answers, not a general grammar checker or a level certificate. An unlisted answer does not mean it is always wrong in English. Read the prompt and the explanation for this construction.

Further reference: Cambridge English Grammar Today. The explanations, examples and exercises here are original; each lesson covers a useful pattern rather than every exception.