In the past continuous tense, questions are formed by using the past tense of the verb “to be” (was/were) before the subject, followed by the present participle (base form + –ing) of the main verb.
Here’s how to construct past continuous questions:
Structure:
Was/Were + \[ Subject + Present participle of the main verb (base form + –ing) + Complements or additional information
Examples:
Was I studying when the phone rang?
Was she cooking dinner?
Were they playing basketball in the park?
Were we watching a movie at that time?
Was it raining heavily?
Table: Past continuous – question
| Subject | Past iontinuous interrogative | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| I | Was I + present participle | Was I studying when the phone rang? |
| You | Were you + present participle | Were you playing soccer in the park? |
| He/She/It | Was he/she/it + present participle | Was he having dinner at 9 PM? |
| We | Were we + present participle | Were we watching a movie when it started raining? |
| You (plural) | Were you + present participle | Were you working on the project together? |
| They | Were they + present participle | Were they talking about their vacation plans? |
Usage of past continuous – question:
Asking about ongoing actions:
Used to inquire about actions that were happening at a specific time in the past.
Example:
Were you working at that time?
Inquiring about simultaneous actions:
Used to ask about two or more actions happening simultaneously in the past.
Example:
What were you doing while she was studying?
Asking about background actions:
Used to inquire about background actions or events during a specific period in the past.
Example:
What were the children playing when the guests arrived?
Seeking context in past narration:
Used to ask about context or background information in past narratives.
Example:
What were you watching on TV when the doorbell rang?
Understanding how to form and use past continuous questions allows you to inquire about ongoing actions or events that occurred at a specific time in the past. Practice constructing questions in the past continuous tense to enhance your language skills. Happy learning!
