Past Continuous
- Describe actions in progress at a past moment and interrupted actions (when/while).
- TR: Geçmişte süregelen eylemleri ve bölünen eylemleri anlatmak.
- Success check: describe what you were doing at 9 p.m. yesterday.
- Pair skill: combine with past simple — I was cooking when he arrived.
Start the 8-question quizAdapts to your answers · every miss links back to the rule
Rule in 60 secondsThe one pattern to memorise.
- Form: was/were + verb-ing: I was sleeping, they were playing.
- Use it for: (a) action in progress at a past time, (b) a longer action cut by a short one.
- Interrupted action pattern: *I was cooking when he arrived.* / *While I was cooking, he arrived.*
- TR: was/were + -ing. when kısa eylemden önce, while uzun eylemle kullanılır.
- Two uses: an action in progress + an interrupted action.
- when + short: I was cooking when he arrived.
- while + long: While I was cooking, he arrived.
FormsHow it looks in sentences.
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + was/were + V-ing | She was reading. |
| Negative | S + wasn't/weren't + V-ing | She wasn't reading. |
| Question | Was/Were + S + V-ing? | Was she reading? |
| Short answer | Yes, S + was / No, S + wasn't | Yes, she was. |
- was: I / he / she / it. were: you / we / they.
- Time anchors: at 8 p.m. yesterday, all day, this time last week, when…, while….
- Spelling of -ing: take → taking, run → running, study → studying.
- TR: I/he/she/it ile was, diğerleriyle were. -ing yazım kuralları present continuous ile aynı.
- Short answers: Yes, she was. / No, she wasn't.
- Word order: the time phrase can open or close — At 8 p.m. I was cooking.
- Short forms: wasn't = was not; weren't = were not.
3 classic trapsWhere Turkish speakers slip.
- was/were mix: ❌ *We was watching TV.* → ✅ *We were watching TV.* (TR: we/you/they ile were.)
- when vs while: ❌ *While he arrived, I was cooking.* → ✅ *When he arrived, I was cooking.* (TR: Kısa bitmiş eylem when ile; while uzun süren eylemle.)
- Two long actions both continuous: ❌ *I cooked while he watched.* (meaning both long) → ✅ *I was cooking while he was watching TV.* (TR: İki uzun eşzamanlı eylemde ikisi de continuous olur.)
10 example sentencesRead aloud, twice.
- I was sleeping at 10 p.m. — Akşam 10'da uyuyordum.
- They were playing football all afternoon. — Bütün öğleden sonra futbol oynuyorlardı.
- She was cooking when I arrived. — Ben vardığımda yemek yapıyordu.
- While he was driving, it started to rain. — O araba sürerken yağmur başladı.
- We weren't listening. — Dinlemiyorduk.
- Was it raining this morning? — Bu sabah yağmur yağıyor muydu?
- I was doing my homework at 8 p.m. — Akşam 8'de ödevimi yapıyordum.
- The baby was crying loudly. — Bebek yüksek sesle ağlıyordu.
- While I was waiting, I read a magazine. — Beklerken bir dergi okudum.
- They were laughing during the film. — Film boyunca gülüyorlardı.
Quick checkCover the answers, say yours first.
- Q1: Fill in: At 9 p.m. we ___ (watch) a match.
- Q2: Correct the error: *You was sleeping.*
- Q3: Join with when: I / cook + the phone / ring.
- Q4: Choose: ___ (When / While) I was studying, my sister was playing.
- Q5: True or false: "She was go to school." is correct.
- Q6: Choose: They ___ (was / were) playing.
<summary>Answers</summary> - A1: were watching - A2: You were sleeping. - A3: I was cooking when the phone rang. - A4: While - A5: False — "She was going to school." - A6: were.