What Is the Past Progressive Tense? (with Examples) Past Progressive Tense The past progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action. Examples of the Past Progressive Tense The past progressive tense can be used to describe an activity in the past which was interrupted:
- He was painting the door when a bird struck the window.
- They were sleeping when the alarm went off.
You can also have a negative version:
- He wasn’t painting the door when a bird struck the window.
- They weren’t sleeping when the alarm went off.
And the question version:
- Was he painting the door when a bird struck the window?
- Were they sleeping when the alarm went off?
The past progressive tense can also be used for describing an action taking place when another occurred.
- While they were painting the door, I painted the windows.
- While they weren’t painting the door, I painted the windows.
- Were they painting the door when I painted the windows?
- Weren’t they painting the door when I painted the windows?
And, it can be used for describing an action which was taking place at the same time as another:
- While they were painting the door, I was painting the windows.
Infographic for the Past Progressive Tense Here is an infographic explaining the past progressive tense: 
Forming the Past Progressive Tense Here are the spelling rules for forming the past progressive tense. The past progressive tense is formed like this: For singular: was + [verb] + ing For plural: were + [verb] + ing The [verb] + “ing” part is known as a present participle. It is formed like this: Add “ing” to most verbs:
- play > playing
- shout > shouting
For verbs that end “e”, remove the “e” and add “ing”:
- prepare > preparing
- ride > riding
For verbs that end “ie”, change the “ie” to “y” and add “ing”:
- lie > lying
- untie > untying
For verbs whose last syllable is written [consonant-vowel-consonant] and is stressed, double the final consonant and add “ing”:
- run > running
- forget > forgetting
For Other Tenses click the Verb Tenses link below
Home Verb Tenses Grammar Lessons
AGH / Jan 2020