Past Continuous Tense: Rules, Examples & Exercises

Updated: • Level: A1–B1 • Length: ~10 min

Quick idea: Past action in progress at a time in the past: was/were + V-ing.

الفكرة سريعًا: فعل مستمر في الماضي عند لحظة محددة: was/were + الفعل-ing.

Past Continuous timeline and form
Timeline + form + common uses • المخطط الزمني والصيغة والاستخدامات

When to Use

  • Action in progress at a past time: At 6 pm, I was cooking.
  • فعل مستمر عند وقت ماضٍ محدد: في السادسة مساءً كنت أطبخ.
  • Interrupted action: I was reading when he arrived.
  • فعل قُوطِع بفعل آخر: كنت أقرأ عندما وصل.
  • Two parallel actions: She was studying while I was cooking.
  • فعلان متوازيان: كانت تذاكر بينما كنت أطبخ.
  • Background description in stories: The sun was setting, and people were chatting.
  • وصف الخلفية في السرد: كانت الشمس تغرب والناس يتحدثون.

How to Form

Rule: subject + was/were + V-ing

القاعدة: الفاعل + was/were + الفعل-ing

FormPatternExamples
Affirmative I/he/she/it was + V-ing • you/we/they were + V-ing I was watching TV. • They were playing football.
Negative was/were + not + V-ing (wasn’t / weren’t) He wasn’t studying. • We weren’t sleeping.
Question Was/Were + subject + V-ing? Were you working at 9? • Was she crying?

Spelling Rules (-ing)

  • Most verbs: play → playing, cook → cooking
  • الأكثر شيوعًا: play → playing، cook → cooking
  • Drop silent e: make → making, write → writing
  • احذف e الصامتة: make → making
  • ie → y: lie → lying
  • ie → y: lie → lying
  • Double final consonant in one-syllable C-V-C: stop → stopping, sit → sitting
  • ضاعف الحرف الأخير في الكلمات القصيرة (ساكن-حرف علّة-ساكن): stop → stopping

Stative verbs (know, like, love, believe…) are not usually used in continuous.

الأفعال الحالّية (know, like, love…) لا تُستخدم عادة بصيغة المستمر.

Signal Words & Time Phrases

While, when, at 5 pm, at that moment, all evening, from 6 to 7, yesterday at…

بينما، عندما، الساعة الخامسة، في تلك اللحظة، طوال المساء، من 6 إلى 7، أمس عند…

Past Continuous vs Past Simple

UsePast ContinuousPast Simple
Action type Long / in progress Short / finished
Form was/were + V-ing V2 (played, went) / irregular
Interrupted action PC for background: I was sleeping PS for interrupting: when the phone rang
Typical markers while, at 5 pm, all evening then, suddenly, at 5 pm (as a point)
Example She was walking home when it started to rain

Tip: Use while with Past Continuous, when often introduces Past Simple.

معلومة: غالبًا نستخدم while مع الماضي المستمر، وwhen مع الماضي البسيط.

Examples (EN ⇄ AR)

  • I was reading when he arrived.
  • كنت أقرأ عندما وصل.
  • They were playing football at 5 pm.
  • كانوا يلعبون كرة القدم في الساعة الخامسة.
  • While we were having dinner, the lights went out.
  • بينما كنا نتناول العشاء، انطفأت الأنوار.
  • It was raining all night.
  • كان يهطل المطر طوال الليل.

Common Mistakes

  1. Using “was” with plural. ❌ They was playing. → ✅ They were playing.

    استخدام was مع الجمع. ❌ They was playing. → ✅ They were playing.

  2. Wrong interrupter tense. ❌ I was cooking when he was coming. → ✅ when he came.

    زمن خاطئ للفعل القاطع. ❌ كنت أطبخ عندما كان يأتي. → ✅ عندما جاء.

  3. Stative verbs in continuous. ❌ I was knowing the answer. → ✅ I knew the answer.

    الأفعال الحالة بصيغة المستمر. ❌ كنت أعرف الإجابة. → ✅ عرفت الإجابة.

Exercises

1) Complete with Past Continuous or Past Simple

  1. He ___ (sleep) when the phone ___ (ring).
  2. They ___ (not/watch) TV at 8; they ___ (study).
  3. While I ___ (walk) home, I ___ (meet) Ali.
  4. We ___ (have) dinner when the guest ___ (arrive).

2) Make sentences (use the cues)

  1. (she / read / at 7 pm)
  2. (the children / play / when / it / start / rain)
  3. (I / not / listen / while / he / talk)

3) Error correction

  1. They was dancing when the music stopped.
  2. While I was drive, it started to snow.
  3. He was knowing the answer.
Answers

1) Complete

  1. was sleeping, rang
  2. weren’t watching; were studying
  3. was walking, met
  4. were having, arrived

2) Make sentences

  1. She was reading at 7 pm.
  2. The children were playing when it started to rain.
  3. I wasn’t listening while he was talking.

3) Error correction

  1. They were dancing when the music stopped.
  2. While I was driving, it started to snow.
  3. He knew the answer.

FAQ

Do we use “was” with “they”?

No. Use were with you/we/they.

لا. نستخدم were مع you/we/they.

Past Continuous passive?

Yes: was/were + being + V3 — The car was being repaired.

نعم: was/were + being + التصريف الثالث — كانت السيارة يتم إصلاحها.

While vs when?

While + Past Continuous (long action). When often introduces Past Simple (short action).

while + الماضي المستمر (فعل طويل). غالبًا when تُدخل الماضي البسيط (فعل قصير).