216 FREE Past Continuous Worksheets

FREE Past Continuous Worksheets

The past continuous, also called the past progressive, is the focus of this section. Right now, there are 216 Past Progressive worksheets listed with more being added regularly by busy teachers just like you. Some worksheets combine more than one tense while others focus solely on the past continuous. This worksheet for elementary students is for practicing the past simple and past continuous tenses. There are some comprehension questions, fill in the blank exercises, and even a section devoted to word order. Each page has its own image and story that students use to complete the exercises. This could be done individually or in pairs but should be check or reviewed as a class so that students have some speaking practice as well. If you do not want to spend too much class time on this, just choose one page of the worksheet. Look at the main tense section for all tense related worksheets or another tense subsection if you want to narrow your search.

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GRAMMAR TIP:What Is Past Continuous?
Past continuous describes actions and states continued in the past period of time. The construction of a past continuous is similar to the present continuous tense, in that it has a past simple form of 'to be' instead of a present simple form preceding the present participle. An example of a past continuous inside a sentence is 'I was painting the house.' There's the past simple form of 'to be' in the finite position (was), with the present participle of 'to paint' (painting) following it.
Freebase CC-BY
Source: Past Continuous on Freebase, licensed under CC-BY
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Time Expressions

Time Expressions

  This grammar guide contains the most frequently used time expressions through tenses at the intermediate/upper-intermediate level. It's ordered by time (Present, Past, and Future) and by ...
1 Views 17,427 IntAdv
Past Continuous B1-B2

Past Continuous B1-B2

ESL Pals
  This ESL grammar lesson plan begins with an explanation of the past continuous tense and when to use it. It includes six exercises where students will learn how to use the tense correctl ...
1 Views 15,011 IntAdv
Present or Past Progressive Tenses

Present or Past Progressive Tenses

Marek Rygiel
Past Continuous,
  There is a picture of a busy train station in a small town. Fourteen people are doing various things (talking, checking the time, reading a newspaper, etc.). The picture is partly colore ...
1 Views 11,720 ElemPre-Int
That's All Folks...

That's All Folks...

  This worksheet is a revision lesson for Pre-Intermediate level 12-14-year-olds of personality adjectives, past simple vs past continuous and used to, in the context of popular cartoons. ...
2 Views 8,400 Pre-Int
Past Simple or Past Continuous 1

Past Simple or Past Continuous 1

Past Continuous,
  This worksheet teaches the difference between the past simple and the past continuous. It contains three exercises: Rewrite the verb, Put the verbs in brackets in the Past Simple or Past ...
1 Views 23,618 Pre-IntInt
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Reading: A Hot Day

Reading: A Hot Day

Helen
Past Continuous, , ,
This booklet for complete adult beginners is also suitable for all ages. Written in past and past continuous tenses it shows preference language such as ‘either’ or ‘decided& ...
1 Views 11,449 BegElem
A Crazy Trip: Past Tense Storytelling

A Crazy Trip: Past Tense Storytelling

Pocket Passport
  A fun lesson to practice the past simple, past continuous, and past perfect. Watch the animated video, answer the questions, and use the illustrated flashcards to retell the story and te ...
1 Views 19,962 ElemPre-IntIntAdv
Thunder & the Past Continuous

Thunder & the Past Continuous

Alba Mena
Past Continuous,
Song: Thunder, by Imagine Dragons. Lyrics with gaps to fill with the past simple and the past continuous, mostly the second verb tense. Other questions included about the song's vocabulary and th ...
1 Views 17,741 Pre-Int
Speaking About Now, Before Now, After Now Question Worksheet

Speaking About Now, Before Now, After Now Question Worksheet

Antonella Arista
I created this worksheet to help students revise a variety of verb tenses and practice forming questions and answers. I used it in secondary schools as well as in adult conversation classes and it ...
1 Views 21,389 Pre-IntInt
Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

Past Continuous,
In this worksheet, students should use two tenses (past simple and past continuous) by filling in blank spaces. Rules about when each tense is used must be learned before trying to solve the works ...
1 Views 75,924 Pre-Int
Grammar Revision with The Cranberries - Animal Instinct

Grammar Revision with The Cranberries - Animal Instinct

Paloma Valencia Castro
This fun activity will help students practice some grammar elements such as past tenses, pronouns and the future with 'will'. Ideal for elementary or pre-intermediate students. The song can be par ...
1 Views 21,547 ElemPre-Int
Mystery Murder (Past Continuous)

Mystery Murder (Past Continuous)

Fernanda Zamorano Grajale
» » Past Continuous
This activity is an inversed Clue game where SS need to find the person who was murdered, where was he/she murdered and what was he/she doing when it happened using Past Continuous. Suggested card ...
1 Views 67,613 ElemPre-IntInt
Detective & Suspect Dialogue

Detective & Suspect Dialogue

Aytac KANDEMIR
Past Continuous, ,
This is a great dialogue worksheet for learners who have difficulty learning some grammar topics such as past simple, past continuous and past perfect. This worksheet is not suitable for young lea ...
7 Views 68,974 ElemPre-IntInt
Urban Legends for High School Students

Urban Legends for High School Students

BusyTeacher Contributor
Past Continuous, ,
This is a lesson produced to work with high school students to develop past tenses and the ability of telling and writing stories. The activities are contextualized through the genre Urban Legends ...
8 Views 33,902 IntAdv
The Past Tenses Show Poem

The Past Tenses Show Poem

Past Continuous, ,
This is a little poem I came up with as a metaphor for the narrative tenses. You can use it as a poster or a fun handout for higher level groups. You can ask them why each metaphor is used and do ...
4 Views 28,001 IntAdvExam
The Legend of the Scarecrow (Past Tenses Revision)

The Legend of the Scarecrow (Past Tenses Revision)

Past Continuous, ,
This is a worksheet to revise the narrative tenses, namely the past simple, past continuous and past perfect. It allows students to practice their listening, reading, pronunciation, vocabulary and ...
8 Views 39,081 Pre-IntIntAdvExam
Movie Wprksheet: Short Film+ Description Activity ( Past)

Movie Wprksheet: Short Film+ Description Activity ( Past)

English Through Videos
This worksheet is designed to be used with a YouTube video. It helps learners practise the use of past tenses to describe what happened in a short film. Play the video using this link: https://www ...
10 Views 59,596 ElemPre-IntIntAdv
Past Continuous- Crime

Past Continuous- Crime

MargaGracia
Past Continuous,
This worksheet was devised as part of a didactic unit on crime, mystery and detective fiction. Since many of the police and detective questions tend to be in the past continuous, I decided to mix ...
15 Views 46,947 ElemPre-IntInt
Song Worksheet: Fairytale of New York by Christy Moore

Song Worksheet: Fairytale of New York by Christy Moore

Paul Rooney
The song is a cover of the Christmas classic by the Pogues, performed by Christy Moore on the Jools Holland show. The song begins and ends with a short anecdote giving some background to how the s ...
2 Views 24,275 Pre-IntIntAdv
Test- Grade 8

Test- Grade 8

nergis memili
, Past Continuous,
This is a test for grade 8. The answer key is included. Here you can find questions about some grammar like simple past and the past continuous tense. Also there are some questions about suggestio ...
1 Views 22,168 Elem
Past Simple vs Past Continuous Powerpoint

Past Simple vs Past Continuous Powerpoint

Afni Yusuff
Past Continuous, ,
This powerpoint slide is excellent for teachers to explain the difference between simple past and past continuous (progressive). The slides are detailed with interesting animations, pictures, soun ...
14 Views 69,507 All
Past Continuous Presentation Powerpoint

Past Continuous Presentation Powerpoint

Afni Yusuff
» » Past Continuous
This powerpoint slide provides a detailed and complete explanation of the format, sentence structures and examples of past continuous (progressive).  It makes explaining the rules much easier ...
6 Views 34,669 All
Movie Worksheet: Mr. Bean at the Hospital (Mixed Past Tenses)

Movie Worksheet: Mr. Bean at the Hospital (Mixed Past Tenses)

English Through Videos
This fun video activity is to practise using mixed past tenses, including past simple, past continuous, and past perfect. The video shows Mr. Bean at the hospital. Learners must combine two senten ...
17 Views 97,029 IntAdvExam
Movie Worksheet: Describing Accidents (Past)

Movie Worksheet: Describing Accidents (Past)

English Through Videos
This fun video activity is to practise using various narrative tenses, including past simple, past continuous, and past perfect. The video has many clips of accidents, slips, and falls. Learners s ...
13 Views 53,197 ElemPre-IntIntAdvExam
Past Simple- Holiday Story

Past Simple- Holiday Story

Khatuna
It's a writing prompt to encourage students to write a story using past simple and past continuous. Students can read each other's stories after they've finished and suggest ways to make the story ...
5 Views 42,270 ElemPre-IntInt

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