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The Past Progressive Tense

Talking about dynamic ongoing activities that continued for a limited stretch of time in the past

The Past Progressive tense (or Past Continuous) is a verb tense in English that describes on-going actions that continued for a specific stretch of time in the past and ended. It stresses that the doer was in the middle of a dynamic activity while other activities may have been happening at the same time. To know more, read these sections of our review on the Past Progressive in English. For other related topics, you are welcome to browse our English lessons portal.


1. Slogan
2. Usages
3. Form
4. Common time expressions
5. Negative statements and questions
6. Summary

1. Slogan: “I was in the middle of doing something, and something else may have been happened in the same time”

The slogan encapsulates the basic meaning of the Past Progressive, so use it when hesitating about what verb form to choose in your English writing. Remembering one short slogan can help you navigate through all the grammar rules it relates to.

2. Usage:

Read through the table and try to understand the connection between the usages and the slogan.

Use	Examples	Explanations
1. an ongoing incomplete action which continued for a stretch of time in the past and ended	• Donna was doing her homework for hours yesterday. • Last weekend, the guys were shopping all night long. • The Prime Minister was still talking at 09:00 yesterday morning.	• Donna, the guys, and the Prime Minister were all busy doing an activity, which lasted for some time before it finished. • The emphasis is on the duration of the action and the fact that the doer invested time and effort in the activity. • The doers were in the middle of the action, so they could not do anything else, while other doers could have.
2. a few ongoing actions that were happening at the same time	• While you were riding the train to the airport, I was trying to call you. • Michelle was working in London the same month her boyfriend was spending his vacation there. • Ron was making dinner while his roommates were cleaning the apartment.	• During his ride to the airport, I was continuously trying to call him, but since the train was making a noise, he didn’t hear his cell phone. It was all happening at the same time. • It turned out that Michelle’s boyfriend was spending his vacation in parallel to her working in London. The two got to be together during that time after all. • The roommates were all busy doing something concurrently and therefore could not be interrupted.
3. an ongoing past activity with a shorter past action that occurred and was completed in the middle of the longer one	• I was jogging in the park when you called. • Don was writing an email when the computer suddenly shut down. • As Sherry was walking home, she unexpectedly met an old friend.	• He called at some point during the jog. Because I was running, (longer activity) I couldn’t answer my cell phone as I was busy in the middle of the activity. He only made one call (short action) and didn’t continue trying. • Don was in the process of writing an email on the computer when the malfunction caught him by surprise. He was already in the middle of the activity when something new happened, in this case interrupting his work. • Sherry was minding her own business getting home (extended activity), when she suddenly bumped into a friend (short sudden activity).

Watch out !
• If the second action was new and not already in process parallel to the first action; or took place after or before the first action, rather than at the same time, you need the Past Simple tense (marked in red).
While we were having the staff meeting, the electricity went off.
[ were having is in the Past Progressive because it was already in progress, went off is in the Past Simple because it refers to a new instantaneous occurrence, which took place during the longer activity]

After the electricity went off, my boss brought some flash lights and candles and continued the meeting, which ended an hour later.
[All the verbs in red are in the Past Simple as all the actions happened one after the other, and not simultaneously, during one another]

• If you are just mentioning the mere fact that something happened and finished in the past, use the Past Simple tense. If you want to emphasize the progression of the activity and the time and effort that was invested around a certain point of time in the past, use the Past Progressive.
Yesterday I baked a cake.
[mere mentioning of a completed past action, “it simply happened, nothing special” -- use the Past Simple]

At 6 p.m. yesterday, I was making a cake for Tom’s birthday.
[I devoted a considerable amount of time and effort baking, instead of doing something else, like going to the gym, so “appreciate it !” -- use the Past Progressive]

• Stative verbs ( appear, realize, love, sound) are more commonly used with simple tenses rather than with progressive tenses.

Advanced Usage of the Past Progressive:

Use	Examples	Explanation
4. descriptions and background information in narrative (the events are in Past Simple)	• Little Red Riding Hood went out of the house to visit grandma. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the wind was whispering in the trees. She entered the forest and suddenly saw something which was moving in the trees…	• In narrative (telling a story), the actual events marking the progression of the plot are in the Past Simple, whereas the description and background are often in the Past Progressive. This provides your writing with a dramatic effect (the events) which occur out of the ongoing background.
5. reporting about plans and arrangements for a near future point within a past period	• Susan was updated that she was meeting new investors the following week. (but this was last month) • Tom said he was watching a movie on TV that evening. (and that’s why he couldn’t join us.)	• For reporting about prearranged plans related to a near future point, in a past period which has already finished (“future in the past”) • Instead of the Present Progressive, when the sentence begins in the past (sequence of tenses).

3. Form

The Past Progressive verb is a compound verb, composed of the auxiliary to be, which agrees with the subject in form, and the present participle (Ving). Make sure you do not forget the auxiliary verb.

Subject	Auxiliary Verb be	Main Verb	Rest of sentence
I, he, she, it	was	Ving
You, we, they	were	Ving
I	was	working	on a new project all month.
Donna	was	staying	with her aunt with her aunt until she found an apartment.
My brothers	were	playing	chess for hours.

Remember: V1=base form, V2=Past Simple, V3=Past Participle, Ving=Present Participle

Watch out !
Remember to use the 2-part Past Progressive verb with the correct form of to be to agree with the subject.

• Spelling Rules in the Past Progressive:
Click here for the spelling rules for creating the present participle form (adding ing to a verb), needed to form the Past Progressive verb.

4. Common Time Expressions

The Past Progressive is used with time expressions (in blue) informing that the action was taking place over a stretch of time, which was of temporary nature. It is common for the Past Progressive to appear in a dependent clause that constitutes the time modifier of the main clause.

	Subject	Verb		Time
	I	was listening	to my new CDs	for hours \ days.
	You	were not making	any sense	all day \ night.
	Dan \ He	was swimming	at the pool	the whole afternoon.
While \ As	Dr. Smith	was visiting her uncle,	she was suddenly called back to the hospital.
	We	were still studying	at the library	when you called.
	You	were working	too hard	last year, so take a holiday.
While	my parents \ they	were shopping	in town	yesterday, we were cooking them dinner.

dependent clause=time modifer	independent clause=main clause
While Dr. Smith was visiting her uncle,	she was suddenly called back to the hospital.

5. Negative Sentences and Question Types in the Past Progressive

For detailed rules for forming negative statements and questions in English, click here.

Negative Statements:

Subject	Auxiliary Verb+not	Main Verb	Rest of sentence
I	was not wasn't	working	on a new project all month.
Dr. Smith	was not wasn't	visiting	her uncle when she was suddenly called back to the hospital.
My brothers	were not weren't	playing	chess for hours.

The 3 Question Types:

1. Yes/No Questions:

Auxiliary Verb	Subject	Main Verb	Rest of sentence
Was	I	working	on a new project all month ?
Was	Dr. Smith	visiting	her uncle when she was suddenly called back to the hospital ?
Were	my brothers	playing	chess for hours ?

2. Wh Questions:

Wh question word	Auxiliary Verb	Subject	Main Verb	Rest of sentence
What	was	I	working	on all month ?
Who	was	Dr. Smith	visiting	when she was suddenly called back to the hospital ?
For how long	were	my brothers	playing	chess ?

3. Wh-Subject Questions:

Subject	Verb	Rest of sentence
Who	was playing	chess all night ?
What	was happening	here ?

Watch out !
• In Wh subject-questions in the Past Progressive, the verb is always in the third person singular form, with is as an auxiliary verb.

6. Summary

This has been a review about the usage and formation of the Past Progressive tense in English grammar. It is mostly used to refer to live dynamic actions that were going on in the past within a framework of a limited time period. Reviewing the rules is not enough to make you use it properly. The more you pick it up in your reading, and more importantly, use it in your English writing, the better you will use it. The WhiteSmoke English grammar and writing software is an excellent solution to check up on your grammar, using a highly advanced contextually-based grammar engine.