Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in

Past Progressive Tense

The past progressive tense (also sometimes called "past continuous") is formed by using was/were + main verb + ing, as in, "We were eating dinner when the phone rang."

We use the past progressive tense to talk about actions that were already in progress when another action took place in the past. (At the moment the phone rang, we were already in the process of eating dinner.)

It's also common to use this tense to talk about two on-going actions that were happening at the same time in the past, as in, "While Justin Timberlake was finishing his new album, his fans were waiting for the chance to hear it."

Finally, we can also use this tense to talk about actions in the past that took place over time, as in, "I couldn't sleep last night because dogs were barking the whole night."

Past Progressive Tense Grammar Quiz

  1. While you sweating in the hot sun, I was hanging out in the air conditioned shopping mall.

  2. I lost my watch while I was .

  3. The family at the table sharing cookies.

  4. Julie in the coffee shop when her friend texted her to come to the bar.

  5. While I was cleaning the apartment, were you ?

Go Super to see the answers! Go Super!

Past Progressive Tense Lessons:

Trains

Going to College

The Danger Of Drones

Ghosts

Hunting

Bright Eyes

Los Angeles

Proposals

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Comments

Log in to Reply

Miracleman

Miracleman

Azerbaijan

yeah It is very useful.such kind of grammar quiz should be improved

07:20 PM Feb 02 2012 |

Nicte ha

Nicte ha

Mexico

I couldn’t study last night because my daughter was watching TV Yell

06:30 PM Oct 12 2011 |

aram86

aram86

Iraq

hey every one


12:05 PM Sep 06 2011 |

rinuparida

India

i was having my dinner when somone came

08:36 AM Aug 01 2011 |

SUSHIYA

SUSHIYA

Thailand

Cry

02:28 PM Jul 17 2011 |

newgoldman

Cayman Islands

I hope this quiz is being freeFrown


08:47 AM Jul 17 2011 |

yoyomosta

yoyomosta

Egypt

great exercises

12:11 PM May 24 2011 |

buali

Saudi Arabia

thank you very much

05:48 AM Dec 24 2010 |

ABDULAZIZ ALSHOBALY

Yemen

gooooooood

08:52 PM Oct 21 2010 |

Holmes nash phil

Malawi

The past prefect tense is used when we refer to anction that took place before another past action
-it indicates that acertain action was completed before another took place.
Examples;
  • (the form is had+past participle).
    1. He had already left when i arrived.
  • Anction using the past perfect happened before anction in the past simple.
    Eg; when i arrived at the bus depot,my brother(hard)already gone.
    My sister left before i arrived. Thus all.

01:58 AM Jul 25 2010 |