Past Continuous Tense | ASSEB / AHSEC 2nd Year Grammar Guide – Tense-Wise Q&A from Previous Exams

Tips for Using the Past Continuous Tense:

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✔ If "when," "while," "then," "still," or "at that moment" is used, use the Past Continuous tense.

✔ Ongoing Past Action + Specific Time → Past Continuous [At 8 PM, they were watching a movie.]

✔ Two Simultaneous Actions → Past Continuous + Past Continuous [She was cooking while he was setting the table.]

✔ Ongoing Past Action + Interrupting Action → Past Continuous + Simple Past [I was sleeping when the phone rang.]

✔ Repeated Past Action (Often Annoying) → Past Continuous + Always [He was always losing his keys!]

✔ Non-Action (Stative) Verbs → Use Simple Past Instead [❌ I was knowing the answer. ✅ I knew the answer.]

EXERCISE:

When he started for office, it still (rain).

See Answer

When he started for office, it was still raining.

She (talk) to her neighbor when the baby began to cry.

See Answer

She was talking to her neighbor when the baby began to cry.

You (sleep) when I entered the room.

See Answer

You were sleeping when I entered the room.

He (sit) in the library when I saw him.

See Answer

He was sitting in the library when I saw him.

As he (cross) the road, a bus knocked him down.

See Answer

As he was crossing the road, a bus knocked him down.

We (do) our lessons when the lights went out.

See Answer

We were doing our lessons when the lights went out.

When I went to her house, she (sing) a song.

See Answer

When I went to her house, she was singing a song.

He (go) home when we met him.

See Answer

He was going home when we met him.

When I went to meet him, he (read) a book.

See Answer

When I went to meet him, he was reading a book.

When we went to him, he (teach) his students.

See Answer

When we went to him, he was teaching his students.

When I went there, she (cook) food.

See Answer

When I went there, she was cooking food.

She (read) a novel when I went to their home.

See Answer

She was reading a novel when I went to their home.

The light went out while I (read) a newspaper.

See Answer

The light went out while I was reading a newspaper.