Past Continuous (affirmative)

General rule first (quick reminder)

Past Continuous

 was / were + verb-ing

Used for:

• An action happening at a specific time in the past
• An action happening when another action interrupted it

Present Continuous

 am / is / are + verb-ing

Used for:

• An action happening now
• A temporary action happening around now

Tips for doing this exercise

 1. Look for time words

• Past time words → yesterday, last night, at 8 p.m., when, while
  →Use was / were + verb-ing
• Present time words → now, right now, today, listen!, look!
  →Use am / is / are + verb-ing

 2. Check if the action is happening now

If the sentence shows something happening at this moment, use present continuous.

 3. Check if the action was in progress in the past

If the action was happening at a specific time in the past, use past continuous.

Example:

• At 8 p.m. last night, they were watching a movie.

 4. Look for when / while

• When → one action interrupts another
• While → two actions happen at the same time