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Teacher cue
A2 · English Grammar

Past
Progressive

I was cooking when the phone rang.

was / were verb + -ing
The idea

An action in progress in the past

Something was already happening at a point in the past. Structure: was/were + verb‑ing.

Examples

I was watching TV at eight o'clock.

They were playing outside all afternoon.

The structure

was/were + verb‑ing

Negative: wasn't / weren't + verb‑ing

Was or were?

Choose the right form

I / he / she / it
was
She was reading a magazine.
you / we / they
were
We were waiting for the bus.

Negative: I wasn't listening. · They weren't sleeping.

Key use

Background action + interruption

I was cooking dinner when the phone rang.

cooking = in progress · rang = shorter interruption

While we were watching the film, the power went out.

while = signals the longer background action

She was walking to school when it started to rain.

when = signals the interrupting action

Spelling

Making the -ing form

Most verbs → add -ing

watch → watching
play → playing
read → reading

Silent -e → drop e, add -ing

write → writing
make → making
drive → driving

Short vowel + consonant → double

run → running
sit → sitting
swim → swimming

⚠ Watch out

Common mistakes

The children was playing.

The children were playing.

I were walking home.

I was walking home.

She was writeing a letter.

She was writing a letter.

He was runing across the street.

He was running across the street.

Now it's your turn

Let's
practice.

Say the answer out loud — then tap to check.

Practice 1
tap the blank to reveal

Fill the gap

When I got home, the baby(sleep)upstairs.
I couldn't talk — I(cook)dinner when you called.
While we(watch)the film, the power went out.
She(write)a letter to her grandmother.
They(run)across the park when it started to rain.
Practice 2
tap a sentence to reveal the error

Spot the mistake

While I was cookingA dinner last night, my children were playB inC the garden withD their new football.

Bwere play → were playing

✓ was / were + verb-ing

My parents was watchingA television whenB the lights suddenlyC wentD out.

AMy parents was watching → My parents were watching

✓ plural subject → were

The children were sleepingA upstairs whileB their mother was talkC on the phone downstairsD.

Cwas talk → was talking

✓ was / were + verb-ing

Practice 3
tap to reveal a model answer

Complete the sentence

I was cooking dinner
While they were playing outside,
She was walking to school
We weren't watching TV —
Speak & write

Your turn

Answer using was/were + verb‑ing.

What were you doing at 9 o'clock last night?
Describe something you were doing when something unexpected happened.
What was your family doing while you were coming to class today?
Were you sleeping or studying at midnight last Friday?
Recap

Remember this

Structure
was/were + verb‑ing
Use
in progress at a past moment
+ interruption
while … / … when …
Common error
children was → were

While signals the background action; when signals the interruption.

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