Simple and Continuous: Form

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Let's continue by reviewing how to form the simple past tense and the past continuous tense in Standard English. Next, we will look at when to use each to correctly express our thoughts in a sentence.

Forming the Past Continuous Tense

Next, let's see how we form the past continuous tense. We are going to use subject pronouns again to learn how to conjugate verbs in the past continuous tense.

Past Continuous Tense - Affirmative

The helping verb "was/were" is needed to form the present continuous tense. This is different from the simple past where the helping verb "did" was needed only to form the negative and interrogative. Also different is that the main verb always ends in -ing. Therefore, it does not matter if the verb is regular or irregular. The basic pattern is Subject + was/were + verb-ing. Here are the rules with examples using the verb "sing".

Subject	Verb Conjugation/Form	Sentence Examples
I (first person singular)	helping verb (WAS) +verb-ing	I was singing alone when she called me.
you (second person singular)	helping verb (WERE) +verb-ing	You were singing in the shower when the water stopped.
he/she/it (third person singular)	helping verb (WAS) +verb-ing	He was singing sad songs when we met. She was singing in Spanish when I saw him.
we (first person plural)	helping verb (WERE) +verb-ing	We were singing together when they stopped us.
you (second person plural)	helping verb (WERE) +verb-ing	You were singing a duet when your mom got home.
they (third person plural)	helping verb (WERE) +verb-ing	They were singing at home when the boss asked about them.

Present Continuous Tense - Negative

The helping verb "was/were" is needed to form negative statements in the past continuous. It's very important to note that the verb still ends with -ing in the negative. Therefore, it does not matter if the verb is regular or irregular. The basic pattern is Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing. Here are the rules with examples using the verb "cook".

Subject	Verb Conjugation/Form	Sentence Examples
I (first person singular)	helping verb (WAS) + not + verb-ing	I was not cooking when they arrived.
you (second person singular)	helping verb (WERE) + not + verb-ing	You were not cooking outdoors when she called.
he/she/it (third person singular)	helping verb (WAS) + not + verb-ing	He was not cooking spaghetti when he asked. She was not cooking soup when they came home.
we (first person plural)	helping verb (WERE) + not + verb-ing	We were not cooking together when we asked.
you (second person plural)	helping verb (WERE) + not + verb-ing	You were not cooking in restaurants when they lived in the city.
they (third person plural)	helping verb (WERE) + not + verb-ing	They were not cooking an expensive meal when the game ended.

Present Continuous Tense - Interrogative

The helping verb "was/were" is needed to form questions in the past continuous. It's very important to note that the verb still ends with -ing in the interrogative. Therefore, it does not matter if the verb is regular or irregular. The basic pattern is Was/Were + Subject + verb-ing. Here are the rules with examples using the verb "read".

Helping Verb	Subject	Verb Conjugation/Form	Sentence Examples
WAS	I (first person singular)	verb-ing	Was I reading alone when you came home?
WERE	you (second person singular)	verb-ing	Were you reading a book when she called?
WAS	he/she/it (third person singular)	verb-ing	Was he reading at home when he called? Was she reading a novel when you asked?
WERE	we (first person plural)	verb-ing	Were we reading poems when she got back from work?
WERE	you (second person plural)	verb-ing	Were you reading when I called?
WERE	they (third person plural)	verb-ing	Were they reading the newspaper when you arrived home?

The video below provides an explanation of past continuous tense conjugation.

Now that we know how to form the past simple and continuous in the affirmative, negative, and interrogative, let's look at when to use them correctly in sentences.

Source: Saylor Academy; videos from ITTT International
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