Past Continuous
Build your vocabulary with practical examples
Level B1
Interrupted Actions (when / while)
was reading
/wəz ˈriːdɪŋ/
I was reading when she called.
were sleeping
/wər ˈsliːpɪŋ/
We were sleeping when the alarm went off.
while I was cooking
/waɪl aɪ wəz ˈkʊkɪŋ/
While I was cooking, the dog ran outside.
was waiting
/wəz ˈweɪtɪŋ/
He was waiting at the station when it started raining.
Background Description
was shining
/wəz ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/
The sun was shining and birds were singing.
were laughing
/wər ˈlɑːfɪŋ/
Everyone was laughing and enjoying the meal.
was wearing
/wəz ˈweərɪŋ/
She was wearing a long red dress.
Parallel Actions
was watching
/wəz ˈwɒtʃɪŋ/
I was watching TV while my brother was studying.
were talking
/wər ˈtɔːkɪŋ/
They were talking while she was driving.
Negatives & Questions
wasn't listening
/ˈwɒzənt ˈlɪsənɪŋ/
Sorry, I wasn't listening.
weren't paying
/wɜːnt ˈpeɪɪŋ/
They weren't paying attention.
What were you
/wɒt wər juː/
What were you doing at 8 pm?
Was he working
/wəz hiː ˈwɜːkɪŋ/
Was he working when you arrived?