Past Continuous
Used to express two or more actions that happened at the same time in the past:
● I was reading a book while he was watching TV.
● My father was washing the dishes while my mother was vacuuming the house.
● While the girls were playing basketball, the boys were playing volleyball.
Used to express a continuous action in the past that was interrupted:
● I was watching Brazil’s game when the phone rang.
● We were talking when the teacher arrived.
● They were studying when somebody called them.
Negative form:
● I wasn't (was not) reading a book yesterday evening; I was watching a film.
● My mother wasn't (was not) preparing dinner; she was working on the computer.
● We weren't (were not) playing cards.
Interrogative form:
● What were you thinking about when you won the race?
● Where were you going this morning at 7:30?
● Was it snowing when you arrived yesterday?
Exercises:
1. Complete the sentences:
a) When the phone ________________ (ring), she _________________ (write) a letter.
b) While we ________________ (have) a picnic, it __________________ (start) to rain.
c) I was ________________ (watch) a film while my sister was ________________ (draw).
d) When I _________________ (see) Barbra, she __________________ (work).
e) We were _________________ (listen) while he was _________________ (talk).
f) It ________________ (to get) dark when it ________________ (to start) to rain.