past continuous

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo, mavo, havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 1-4

the past continuous

When do you use it?

The rule(s)

Practice exercises

the past continuous

The rule(s)

• form of to be in the past tense (was/were) + verb-ing
• 
  

• They were kissing when the phone rang.

the past continuous

When do we use it?

• to say that something was going on at some point in the past

• The band was playing a song.
• It was raining all day!

the past continuous

When do we use it?

• in combination with the past simple: for something that was going on when something else was happening.

• I was playing a game when my brother rushed in.
• I was watching the news when Dad came home.

there is one word in this sentence by which you can recognize that it belongs to the past simple

When do you use was and where ?

I was walking

you were walking

he, she, it was walking

we were walking

you were walking

they were walking

I was dancing	I wasn't dancing	Was I dancing?
You were laughing	You weren't lauging	Were you laughing?
He / she / is was travelling	He / she / it wasn't travelling	Was he / she / it travelling?
We were eating	We weren't eating	Were we eating?
You were cycling	You weren't cycling	Were you cycling?
They were swimming	They weren't swimming	Were they swimming?

We _______________ (write) a letter when I received a text.

1. were writing
2. was writing
3. did write
4. are going to write

Last Friday, between 8 and 10 AM, we _____ (work).

1. was working
2. worked
3. were working

My friends ... the match on TV.

1. have been watching
2. watched
3. were watching
4. are watching

the past continuous

The teacher ____ (talk) about Queen Victoria when the lesson finished.

My sister ____ (play) tennis yesterday from 5PM till 6PM.

The children ......... (play) in the park when it started to rain.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how well do you understand the grammar of lesson 4.4 (past continuous)?

110