Past Continuous Tense Worksheets

What is the Past Continuous Tense?

The Past Continuous Tense is used to talk about actions that were happening in the past at a specific time or over a period of time. It is formed by using the past tense of the verb “to be” (was/were) and adding the present participle of the main verb (+ing).

Examples of Past Continuous Tense

1. I was working on my project yesterday.
2. They were playing soccer in the park when it started raining.
3. She was cooking dinner while her husband was watching TV.

Worksheet Activities

Activity 1: Fill in the Blanks

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

1. I _______ (study) for my exam when the power went out.
2. They _______ (dance) at the party when their favorite song came on.
3. She _______ (read) a book while waiting for the bus.

Activity 2: Sentence Transformation

Instructions: Rewrite the sentences using the given words in brackets.

1. Tom was watching TV. (while)

Tom _______ TV when the phone rang.

2. They were playing basketball. (when)

They _______ basketball when it started raining.

3. She was cooking dinner. (at that time)

She _______ dinner at that time.

Activity 3: Writing Exercise

Instructions: Write a short paragraph using the past continuous tense to describe what you were doing at a specific time yesterday.

Example: Yesterday at 5 PM, I was studying for my English exam. The rain was pouring outside, and I could hear the sound of thunder. Despite the distractions, I was focused on my notes and trying to understand the grammar rules.

Conclusion

Practicing past continuous tense worksheets can help you improve your understanding and usage of this tense. By using simple sentences and everyday words, you can effectively communicate actions that were happening in the past. Keep practicing and soon you’ll master the past continuous tense!