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4th Grade Worksheets: Past Continuous Tense

What is the past continuous tense? The past continuous tense describes actions that were happening at a specific time in the past. It uses was/were + verb-ing.

The past continuous tense helps you talk about what was going on at a certain moment in the past.

Structure

was/were + verb-ing
Examples: I was eating. They were playing.

Examples

  • She was reading a book when I called.
  • They were playing soccer at 5 PM.
  • I was doing my homework all evening.
  • We were watching TV when the lights went out.
  • He was eating dinner at 7 o'clock.
  • The birds were singing in the morning.
  • You were talking too loudly.
  • My friends were laughing at the joke.
  • She was drawing a picture during class.
  • The dog was barking all night.

Worksheet: Fill in the Blank

  1. I ___ (do) my homework when you called.
  2. They ___ (play) outside at 6 PM.
  3. She ___ (watch) TV when I arrived.
  4. We ___ (eat) dinner at 7 o'clock.
  5. The cat ___ (sleep) on the sofa.
Show Answers
  • Q1: was doing
  • Q2: were playing
  • Q3: was watching
  • Q4: were eating
  • Q5: was sleeping

Tips for Using the Past Continuous Tense

  • Use was with I/he/she/it; use were with you/we/they.
  • The action was happening at a specific time in the past.
  • Often used with another action in the simple past (e.g., I was reading when you called).

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