Past Continuous Basics: At Eight O’Clock Last Night
By the end: I can describe an activity in progress at a past time.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Choose a short recording.
Look inside a past activity
Use was or were with an -ing verb. The activity was in progress at the time you name.
At eight, I was cooking.
At eight, they were watching a film.
Ask about the activity
Put was or were before the subject. Keep the -ing form.
Were you working at nine?
What was Maya doing at seven?
Say what was not happening
Use wasn’t or weren’t before the -ing form. The form does not tell us when the activity started or finished.
I wasn’t sleeping at ten.
We weren’t using the kitchen.
A negative answer denies the named activity
The question names driving at that past time.
The speaker denies driving and says walking was happening instead.
Guided practice
Say or write your answer first. Compare form and meaning with the model.
1. Complete: At six, I ___ reading.
Compare a model and explanation
was
I takes was.
2. Complete: They were ___ dinner. Use cook.
Compare a model and explanation
cooking
Were is followed by the -ing form.
3. Make a question: Sam was working.
Compare a model and explanation
Was Sam working?
Put was before Sam.
4. Make negative: We were watching television.
Compare a model and explanation
We weren’t watching television.
Keep watching after weren’t.
5. Correct: She were talking.
Compare a model and explanation
She was talking.
She takes was.
6. Correct: Were you sleep at midnight?
Compare a model and explanation
Were you sleeping at midnight?
The continuous needs sleeping.
7. Ask about the activity at five.
Compare a model and explanation
What were you doing at five?
Use what with were you doing.
8. Does I was reading at eight tell us I finished at eight?
Compare a model and explanation
No. It says reading was in progress then.
The past continuous does not itself give an endpoint.
A short conversation
Listen first, then open the transcript when useful.
Open the conversation transcript
A: What were you doing at eight last night?
B: I was making dinner. Were you working?
A: No, I wasn’t. I was watching a film.
B: Was your sister watching it too?
Listening checks
Listen to each extract or open its transcript. These three questions have a separate score.
Mastery quiz
Choose the best answer for each situation. The score is out of eight.
Use it in your own words
Speaking 1
Describe what you were doing at three times yesterday.
Reveal a possible response
At seven, I was eating. At ten, I was working. At eight, I was reading.
Success check: Use was/were and -ing.
Speaking 2
Ask a partner two past-time questions.
Reveal a possible response
Were you studying at nine? What were you doing at ten?
Success check: Use correct question order.
Put it all together
Reconstruct a household at eight last night. Describe three people and one activity that was not happening.
Reveal a possible response
I was cooking. My sister was studying. My mother was reading. We weren’t watching television.
Success check: Keep one clear past viewpoint.
Take it with you
I can describe an activity in progress at a past time.