Past Continuous: Rules, Examples, and Tips to Master It

The past continuous (or progressive past) allows you to describe an action that was in progress at a specific moment in the past.

In the TOEIC®, it appears in Parts 5, 6, and 7, mainly for recounting interrupted actions or setting the scene in the past. For example:

"The team was preparing the presentation when the client called"

The main trap? Confusing the past continuous with the simple past when two actions appear in the same sentence.

Formation and Structure of the Past Continuous

Forming the past continuous is simple: auxiliary was/were + verb ending in -ing.

Form	Structure	Example
Affirmative	Subject + was/were + verb-ing	She was working on the report.
Negative	Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing	They weren't attending the meeting.
Interrogative	Was/Were + subject + verb-ing	Was he reviewing the documents?

--> Was is used with I, he, she, it.

--> Were is used with you, we, they.

"The manager was reviewing the budget yesterday at 3 PM."
"We were discussing the new policy when you arrived."

When to Use the Past Continuous in the TOEIC®

You will encounter the past continuous in three specific situations, and they come up regularly in questions.

Action in Progress at a Specific Point in the Past

You use the past continuous when you want to show that an action was ongoing at a specific time (Time T).

"At 9 AM yesterday, the staff was preparing for the conference."

Action Interrupted by Another Action

This is the classic TOEIC® scenario: a long action (past continuous) is cut short by a short action (simple past).

"I was writing an email when the phone rang."

Two Simultaneous Actions in the Past

When two actions are happening at the same time, both verbs take the past continuous.

"While the CEO was speaking, the assistants were taking notes."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

This is where many candidates get tripped up in Part 5. Here are the three most frequent confusions.

Mistake	Why it's wrong	Correction
I was work when he called.	No base verb form after was/were	I was working when he called.
The team were present yesterday.	State, not an ongoing action → simple past	The team was present yesterday.
While I worked, she called.	Ongoing action → past continuous	While I was working, she called.

Confusion with the Simple Past

The simple past expresses a completed action. The past continuous shows that the action was in progress.

"She prepared the report." (completed action -> simple past)
"She was preparing the report." (ongoing action -> past continuous)

Forgetting the was/were Auxiliary

Without was or were, the sentence structure is incorrect. In the TOEIC®, this trap appears in fill-in-the-blank questions in Part 5.

"The employees discussing the proposal." --> Incorrect
"The employees were discussing the proposal." -> Correct

Clues to Recognize the Past Continuous

Certain keywords in the sentence indicate that you should use the past continuous. Spotting them saves you time.

Specific Time Markers

at 9 AM yesterday
at that moment
at that time
last Monday at 2 PM

Example:

"At 10 AM, the director was meeting with investors."

Time Conjunctions

while (during the time that)
when (at the time that)
as (while/at the same time)

--> While generally introduces a long action (past continuous).

-->When often introduces a short action (simple past) that interrupts.

Examples:

"While they were reviewing the contract, the lawyer arrived."
"She was checking her emails when the meeting started."

Even among candidates who already have access to preparation platforms through their schools, confusion between past continuous and simple past comes up very often in Part 5. The reason is simple: these tools emphasize the rule, but rarely the quick reflex needed under pressure.

Checklist for Choosing the Right Tense

Here is a quick method to decide between past continuous and simple past in a TOEIC® sentence.

Question to Ask Yourself	Answer	Tense to Use
Was the action ongoing at a specific moment?	Yes	Past continuous
Are there two actions, and one interrupts the other?	Yes	Long action = past continuous / Short action = simple past
Is "while" in the sentence?	Yes	Probably past continuous after while
Is the action finished, with no mention of duration?	Yes	Simple past
Is there a specific time mentioned (at 3 PM, yesterday at...)?	Yes	Past continuous if the action was ongoing

This checklist works 90% of the time in Part 5 and Part 6.

Application in TOEIC® Contexts

The TOEIC® uses typical professional scenarios. The past continuous appears mostly in emails, reports, and conversations.

Professional Emails

"I was reviewing your proposal when I noticed a discrepancy in the budget."

Activity Reports

"Last Tuesday at 4 PM, the sales team was conducting a product demonstration."

Descriptions of Past Situations

"While the technicians were installing the new software, the system crashed."

The candidates who progress the fastest share one thing: they don't try to memorize every rule. They practice using real sentences in the TOEIC® format. Reflexes are built through repetition, not just theory.

Ready to Practice?

The past continuous is one of the verb tenses you see regularly in the TOEIC®, especially in Parts 5 and 6 where questions test your ability to choose the correct tense in seconds.

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