{"id":3842,"date":"2021-05-20T11:25:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T18:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/ielts\/?p=3842"},"modified":"2021-05-20T14:03:58","modified_gmt":"2021-05-20T21:03:58","slug":"past-continuous-tense-how-and-when-to-use-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/ielts\/past-continuous-tense-how-and-when-to-use-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Past Continuous Tense: How and When to Use It"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"past<\/p>\n

The following article focuses on forming and using the past continuous tense<\/em><\/strong>. For resources on all verb tenses, visit our main verb tenses page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Forming the Past Continuous Tense (with Tables)<\/h2>\n

Quick Reference Table: The Past Continuous Tense in All Forms<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

KEY<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ving \u2192 Present Participle<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Forms<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\nVerbs<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
+<\/strong><\/td>\n(Past) To be [was\/were] + Ving<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was writing<\/em><\/strong> last week.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

?<\/strong><\/td>\n(Past) To be [was\/were] + subject + Ving<\/strong><\/p>\n

Were you writing<\/em><\/strong> last week?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

–<\/strong><\/td>\n(Past) To be [was\/were] + not + Ving<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was not writing<\/em><\/strong> last week.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The formula for writing in the past continuous is: past form of \u2018to be\u2019<\/a> [was, were] + present participle<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Examples:<\/p>\n