1. Tense System • Level 2

Past Continuous

10 Questions • 3 Minutes

📖 Lesson: Past Continuous

Definition

The Past Continuous describes a "long" action that was interrupted by a "short" action, or two actions happening at the same time in the past.

Rule / Formula

Subject + WAS/WERE + VERB-ING

The "Interruption" Pattern

Long Action (Past Continuous) -> *I was sleeping...*
Interruption (Past Simple) -> *...when the phone rang.*

Comparison

"I read a book yesterday." (Finished the whole book)
"I was reading a book yesterday." (I was in the middle of it, maybe didn't finish)
"While I was cooking, he arrived." (Background action)

📋 Practice Questions

10 questions from this quiz — preview them here, then take the interactive quiz above. Your full answer review with explanations unlocks when you finish the test.

1. I _____ when you called.

Aslept
Bwas sleeping
Cam sleeping
Dsleep

2. She was cooking when he _____.

Aarrived
Bwas arriving
Carrive
Darrives

3. While I _____ reading, it rained.

Awas
Bam
Cwere
Ddid

4. He broke his leg while he _____.

Askied
Bwas skiing
Cis skiing
Dskies

5. They _____ when the lights went out.

Alistened
Bwere listening
Care listening
Dlisten

6. I saw him while I _____.

Awaited
Bwas waiting
Cwait
Dwaiting

7. It _____ when I left.

Arained
Bwas raining
Crains
Drain

8. She _____ her finger while chopping.

Acut
Bwas cutting
Ccuts
Dcutting

9. We were eating when the phone _____.

Arang
Bwas ringing
Crings
Drung

10. What _____ at 8pm?

Adid you do
Bwere you doing
Care you doing
Ddo you do