We use the past continuous tense to talk about actions or events that happened or continued for a certain amount of time in the past. Look at three examples.
- I was walking in the park when a ball hit my head.
- She was studying while her brother was sleeping.
- It was raining all day yesterday.
We can make simple yes/no questions by putting a past tense “be verb” first in the sentence.
Was/Were + subject + verb(-ing)…?
- Were you studying at the library last night?
- Was he crying earlier?
- Were they fighting this morning?
Like other yes/no questions, there are long and short answers. Look at the pattern below.
Were you working from 3 to 5 yesterday?
- Yes, I was working yesterday from 3 to 5.
- Yes, I was working.
- Yes, I was.
- Yes.
Was he working with you last year?
- No, he wasn’t working with me last year.
- No, he was not working with me.
- No, he wasn’t.
- No.
Here are some example sentences and conversations along with some extra practice to help you master this English verb tense.
Example Questions
- Was he watching TV at 1 am?
- Was Mark talking on the phone to his wife earlier?
- Was it raining earlier?
- Was the boy studying when you saw him?
- Was she walking with somebody when you met her?
- Was he talking on the phone as he was driving?
- Was the girl crying when you saw her?
- Was the chef preparing the dinner when he burned his hand?
- Were you cooking at 3 am?
- Were the people yelling during the meeting?
- Were the children laughing when you saw them?
- Were the workers crying after they heard the company will close?
- Were the machines working yesterday?
- Were the computers operating well last week?
- Were the men watching the football game when you were there?
- Were the people crying while they were watching the movie?
English Conversation 1
A) Were you crying?
B) No, why?
A) It looks like you were crying. Your eyes look red.
B) That is strange. I wasn’t crying.
English Conversation 2
A) Were the children studying when you saw them?
B) No, they weren’t.
A) Were they playing?
B) When I saw them, they were watching TV.
A) Really? I told them they couldn’t watch TV!
Practice a lot and you will speak better English, and you will remember this English grammar point better. Finish these questions and then practice making your own questions.
Tip: Say the questions aloud. This will help you practice speaking English and improve your pronunciation and fluency.
Were you _______________ last night?
Were you _______________ while he was _______________?
Was he _______________ when you saw him?
Was it raining when _______________?
Were the roads icy when _______________?
Were you happy when you were _______________?
Was she _______________ when you _______________?
Were you _______________ while he was _______________?
