Past Continuous Tense – English Grammar Exercises for A2
Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1 What ______ exactly when you last saw your wallet?
(a) did you do
(b) you were doing
(c) were you doing
2 ______ holding your wallet when you paid for the coffee at the counter?
(a) Were you
(b) Was you
(c) Did you
3 Where ______ sitting when you realized your bag was open?
(a) you were
(b) were you
(c) did you
4 I remember you ______ a lot of shopping bags. Maybe it fell out then?
(a) was carrying
(b) carried
(c) were carrying
5 ______ it raining when you walked from the bus station to the office?
(a) Did
(b) Was
(c) Were
6 Who ______ to on the phone while you were walking through the park?
(a) did you talk
(b) were you talking
(c) was you talking
7 You probably didn’t notice the thief because you ______ to loud music.
(a) were listening
(b) was listen
(c) listened
8 ______ wearing your jacket with the deep pockets yesterday morning?
(a) Are you
(b) Did you
(c) Were you
9 While we ______ for the train, did anyone stand really close to you?
(a) waited
(b) was waiting
(c) were waiting
10 What ______ about when you left the restaurant? You seemed very distracted.
(a) were you thinking
(b) did you think
(c) you were thinking
11 The street was very crowded. ______ walking slowly or running?
(a) Was you
(b) Were you
(c) Did you
12 You ______ attention to your open bag while you were looking at the menu.
(a) didn’t pay
(b) wasn’t paying
(c) weren’t paying
13 While the cashier ______ your items, did you put the wallet back into your pocket?
(a) was scanning
(b) scanned
(c) was scaning
14 I think it dropped while you ______ for your house keys in your bag.
(a) was searching
(b) searched
(c) were searching
15 Which pocket ______ the wallet in while you were riding the bus?
(a) did you keep
(b) were you keeping
(c) you were keeping
16 Everyone ______ to get on the train, so maybe someone bumped into you at that moment.
(a) were rushing
(b) was rushing
(c) rushed
17 While the store manager ______ the security camera footage, what did you see?
(a) checked
(b) were checking
(c) was checking
18 You ______ your things carefully enough while we were in that busy market!
(a) weren’t watching
(b) didn’t watch
(c) wasn’t watching
19 It probably fell out while you ______ to catch the taxi in the rain.
(a) were running
(b) was runing
(c) ran
20 Do you remember who ______ right behind you while you were ordering the food?
(a) stood
(b) were standing
(c) was standing
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “were you doing” is the correct question format to ask about an action in progress at a specific past moment.
- Incorrect (a): “did you do” is a common mistake (asks about a completed action instead of the background scene).
- Incorrect (b): “you were doing” is a basic grammar error (statement word order instead of question inversion).
2 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “Were you” correctly forms a Past Continuous Yes/No question for the pronoun “you”.
- Incorrect (c): “Did you” is a common mistake (cannot be used with the V-ing form “holding”).
- Incorrect (b): “Was you” is a basic grammar error (wrong auxiliary for “you”).
3 (b)
Explanation: * Correct (b): “were you” uses the correct question inversion.
- Incorrect (c): “did you” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (a): “you were” is a basic grammar error (no inversion).
4 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “were carrying” correctly matches the subject “you” to set the background scene.
- Incorrect (b): “carried” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (a): “was carrying” is a basic grammar error (wrong auxiliary).
5 (b)
Explanation: * Correct (b): “Was” is the correct auxiliary for the singular subject “it” (the weather).
- Incorrect (a): “Did” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (c): “Were” is a basic grammar error.
6 (b)
Explanation: * Correct (b): “were you talking” correctly asks about the ongoing action during the walk.
- Incorrect (a): “did you talk” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (c): “was you talking” is a basic grammar error.
7 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “were listening” explains the continuous state of distraction that caused the person not to notice the thief.
- Incorrect (c): “listened” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (b): “was listen” is a basic grammar error (missing -ing and wrong auxiliary).
8 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “Were you” correctly asks about the continuous state of wearing clothes at that time.
- Incorrect (b): “Did you” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (a): “Are you” is a basic grammar error (Present tense for a past event).
9 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “were waiting” correctly uses the plural auxiliary for “we”.
- Incorrect (a): “waited” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (b): “was waiting” is a basic grammar error.
10 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “were you thinking” asks about the ongoing mental state.
- Incorrect (b): “did you think” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (c): “you were thinking” is a basic grammar error.
11 (b)
Explanation: * Correct (b): “Were you” correctly completes the continuous question for “walking or running”.
- Incorrect (a): “Was you” is a basic grammar error.
- Incorrect (c): “Did you” is a common mistake.
12 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “weren’t paying” is the correct negative continuous form for “You”.
- Incorrect (a): “didn’t pay” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (b): “wasn’t paying” is a basic grammar error.
13 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “was scanning” correctly doubles the final ‘n’ (scan is a CVC word) and uses the singular auxiliary for “the cashier”.
- Incorrect (b): “scanned” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (c): “was scaning” is a basic spelling error.
14 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “were searching” correctly uses “were” for the subject “you”.
- Incorrect (b): “searched” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (a): “was searching” is a basic grammar error.
15 (b)
Explanation: * Correct (b): “were you keeping” sets up the background state of where the wallet was during the ride.
- Incorrect (a): “did you keep” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (c): “you were keeping” is a basic grammar error (lacks question word order).
16 (b)
Explanation: * Correct (b): “was rushing” is correct. The pronoun “Everyone” takes a singular verb in English.
- Incorrect (c): “rushed” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (a): “were rushing” is a basic grammar error.
17 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “was checking” is correct for the singular subject “the store manager”.
- Incorrect (a): “checked” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (b): “were checking” is a basic grammar error.
18 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “weren’t watching” gives advice by pointing out the ongoing negative action (not paying attention).
- Incorrect (b): “didn’t watch” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (c): “wasn’t watching” is a basic grammar error.
19 (a)
Explanation: * Correct (a): “were running” correctly doubles the consonant ‘n’ (run -> running).
- Incorrect (c): “ran” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (b): “was runing” is a basic spelling/grammar error.
20 (c)
Explanation: * Correct (c): “was standing” is correct. When “Who” is the subject asking about an unknown person, we use the singular auxiliary “was”.
- Incorrect (a): “stood” is a common mistake.
- Incorrect (b): “were standing” is a basic grammar error.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Reconstructing the Scene: When you lose something and need to retrace your steps, use the Past Continuous tense to ask questions about the background scene or what was happening at that specific moment.
- Example: “What were you doing when you lost it?”
- Question Forms:
- Yes/No Questions: Was/Were + Subject + V-ing? (Example: Were you holding it?)
- Wh- Questions: Wh-word + was/were + Subject + V-ing? (Example: Where were you sitting?)
- Tricky Pronouns:
- Indefinite pronouns like everyone, everybody, someone, nobody are grammatically singular. Always use was with them.
- Example: Everyone was rushing.
- When the question word “Who” functions as the subject (when asking about an unknown person doing the action), it also takes a singular verb (was).
- Example: Who was standing behind you?
- Spelling Rules for V-ing:
- Short CVC Words (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant): Double the final consonant before adding -ing (scan → scanning, run → running).