Past Continuous (I was doing)
Secondary English Grammar · Present and Past Tenses · Lesson 6
Also known as: Past continuous · past progressive
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Lesson questions (14)
- What ___ you doing at 10 o'clock last night?
Answer: were - I saw Sue in town. She ___ a green dress.
Answer: was wearing - The phone rang while I ___ a bath.
Answer: was having - It ___ when we left the house.
Answer: was raining - When I arrived, they ___ dinner.
Answer: were having - Matt ___ his arm when he was playing football.
Answer: broke - I ___ to the radio when the lights went out.
Answer: was listening - She talked when the teacher came in.
Answer: False - While we were watching TV, the doorbell rang.
Answer: True - He fell asleep while he drove.
Answer: False - Choose the correct sentence.
Answer: When I saw them, they were walking to the bus stop. - Choose the correct sentence.
Answer: The sun was shining when we woke up. - At 7 a.m. yesterday, I ate breakfast.
الخطأ:ate· التصحيح: was eating - We played a game when the power went off.
الخطأ:played· التصحيح: were playing
About this lesson
“Past Continuous (I was doing)” is from Secondary English Grammar (Present and Past Tenses) and has 14 questions with answers. Sample questions: “What ___ you doing at 10 o'clock last night?” and “I saw Sue in town. She ___ a green dress.”. Every question can be played in any Hessa Play game or activity.
Lesson words: were · was wearing · was having · was raining · were having · broke · was listening · The sun was shining when we woke up. · was eating · were playing
How to use it in class
- Show the question on the board and let students think before the options appear.
- Split the class into two teams; every correct answer earns a point.
- Display it on the smart board, send it as homework by link, or play it solo or in two teams.
Related lessons
- Present Continuous (I am doing)
- Present Simple (I do)
- Present Continuous vs Present Simple
- Present Simple and Continuous with State Verbs
- Past Simple (I did)
- Present Perfect (I have done)
- Present Perfect: Ever, Never, Just, Already, Yet
- Present Perfect Continuous (I have been doing)
- Present Perfect Continuous vs Present Perfect Simple
- How Long Have You (Been)…?
Questions about this lesson
How do we form the past continuous?
Use was / were + the verb with -ing: I was watching TV at eight o'clock. It describes an action in progress at a moment in the past.
What is the difference between the past continuous and the past simple?
The past continuous is for the longer action in progress, and the past simple is for the shorter action that interrupted it: I was walking when I saw an accident.
When do we use when and when do we use while?
while goes with the continuous action: While I was cooking... when often goes with the short action: when the phone rang.
Do students need an account to play this lesson?
No. The teacher shares the lesson link; the student types a first name and plays on a phone or computer, and the score reaches the teacher.
Which games suit this lesson?
You can play it in Gameshow Quiz, Mixed questions, Find & fix, Complete the sentence and the other games and activities on Hessa Play.