The Past Progressive Tense, also known as the Past Continuous Tense, is used in English grammar to describe actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past. This tense is formed by combining the past form of the verb “to be” (was/were) with the present participle of the main verb (ending in -ing). The Past Progressive Tense is often used to emphasize that an action was in progress when another event occurred or to express two actions happening simultaneously in the past. In this set of exercises, you will practice using the Past Progressive Tense in various contexts. Good luck!
Past Progressive Exercise 1
1. She *was cooking* (cook) dinner when the guests arrived.
2. While I *was studying* (study), my brother was watching TV.
3. They *were playing* (play) soccer when it started to rain.
4. He *was listening* (listen) to music while he was doing his homework.
5. We *were waiting* (wait) for the bus when it began to snow.
6. The children *were laughing* (laugh) as they were playing in the park.
7. She *was talking* (talk) on the phone while she was driving.
8. They *were sitting* (sit) on the bench when the dog approached them.
9. I *was reading* (read) a book when my friend called me.
10. She *was crying* (cry) while she was watching the sad movie.
11. The sun *was setting* (set) as they were walking on the beach.
12. He *was working* (work) on his computer when the power went out.
13. They *were eating* (eat) dinner when the doorbell rang.
14. She *was watering* (water) the plants when it started to rain.
15. They *were shopping* (shop) in the mall when they heard the announcement.
Past Progressive Exercise 2
1. He *was writing* (write) an email when his computer crashed.
2. They *were arguing* (argue) when their teacher walked in.
3. I *was watching* (watch) a movie when I fell asleep.
4. She *was cleaning* (clean) the house while her husband was cooking.
5. The birds *were singing* (sing) as the sun was rising.
6. He *was fixing* (fix) his car when his friend arrived to help.
7. They *were traveling* (travel) in Europe when they decided to extend their trip.
8. She *was painting* (paint) her room when she spilled the paint.
9. I *was walking* (walk) my dog when I found a lost wallet.
10. They *were dancing* (dance) at the party when the music stopped.
11. He *was running* (run) in the park when he twisted his ankle.
12. She *was taking* (take) a shower when the phone rang.
13. They *were studying* (study) together when they decided to take a break.
14. I *was making* (make) breakfast when I ran out of eggs.
15. She *was trying* (try) to catch the bus when she dropped her bag.