Past continuous tense exercise

The past continuous tense is used to talk about actions or events that were in progress around a particular past time. Test your knowledge of past continuous tense with this grammar exercise.

Fill in the blanks with appropriate past continuous form of the verb given in the brackets.

1. I …………………….. TV at eight o’clock yesterday evening.

2. I …………………… all day yesterday.

3. They ………………………… the whole time they were together.

4. As I …………………….. down the road, I saw Philip.

5. The phone rang while I …………………………. dinner.

6. It happened while I ……………………….. in Southampton last year.

7. When I entered her room, she ………………………. the piano.

8. When I got up this morning, the sun ………………………….

9. At the time when it happened, I ……………………… to the opera a lot.

Answers

1. I was watching TV at eight o’clock yesterday evening.

2. I was painting all day yesterday.

3. They were quarreling the whole time they were together.

4. As I was walking down the road, I saw Philip.

5. The phone rang while I was having dinner.

6. It happened while I was living in Southampton last year.

7. When I entered her room, she was playing the piano.

8. When I got up this morning, the sun was shining.

9. At the time when it happened, I was going to the opera a lot.