Past Continuous
Lesson 4 of 7 · ~5 minutes

Lesson 4 · Past Continuous

Was she working?

Questions

A question is made by changing the order. Was or were moves before the person, and the -ing verb stays where it is: She was working → Was she working?

was / were moves to the front

  • yes / noWas she working? — was before the person
  • question wordWhat were you doing? — first the question word, then were
  • answerYes, she was. No, they weren’t. — repeat was / were

Statement

She was working
They were waiting
You were reading

Question

Was she working?
Were they waiting?
What were you reading?
Statement
Question
She was working
Was she working?
They were waiting
Were they waiting?
You were reading
What were you reading?

Was Tom working at nine?

What were you doing at eight?

Where people usually slip

Did isn't needed here. It makes a different question and needs the base form: Did she work yesterday? — about the whole day.

To ask about a moment, use be: Was she working at nine? Not Did she working and not Was she work.

Where people usually slip

A short answer repeats the same was / were, not the main verb and not did: Was she reading? — Yes, she was. Not Yes, she did and not Yes, she reading.

In short

  • yes / noWas / Were + who + verb-ing?
  • with a questionWhat / Where / Why + was / were + who + verb-ing?
  • answerYes, I was. No, we weren’t.
  • diddoesn't appear
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