Present Continuous and Past Continuous Tense with Examples

Learning the Present vs Past Continuous tenses is important for speaking and writing in English. The Present Continuous is used for actions happening right now, like “She is reading a book.” The Past Continuous describes actions that were happening at a specific time in the past, like “She was reading a book at 8 PM.” Learning these tenses helps in describing ongoing activities clearly. In this article, we will learn Present Continuous and Past Continuous Tense with Examples to make understanding and using them easy for everyone.

Table of Contents

What is Present Continuous Tense?

This tense describes actions happening right now or ongoing actions. It is also used for future arrangements.

Structure

Subject + am/is/are + Verb(-ing)

Examples:

I am reading a book.
She is cooking dinner.
They are playing football.

Uses

Actions happening now: He is speaking on the phone.
Temporary actions: I am staying at my friend’s house.
Future plans: We are going to the mall tomorrow.

Present continuous tense Examples

What is Past Continuous Tense?

The Past Continuous Tense describes actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past.

Structure

Subject + was/were + Verb(-ing)

Examples:

I was watching TV when she called.
They were discussing the project all morning.
She was walking to work when it started raining.

Uses

Interrupted actions: I was writing a letter when the phone rang.
Two simultaneous actions: They were studying while we were cooking.
Background actions in storytelling: It was raining, and the wind was blowing.

past continuous tense Examples

Differences Between Present and Past Continuous Tense

To understand these tenses better, here is a comparison:

Aspect	Present Continuous	Past Continuous
Time Reference	Ongoing actions happening now	Ongoing actions in the past
Helping Verbs	am/is/are	was/were
Examples	She is singing a song.	She was singing a song.

Present and Past Continuous tense with examples

Present vs past tense with examples

Learn Present Continuous and Past Continuous Tense Examples

Present Continuous	Past Continuous
I am eating dinner now.	I was eating dinner yesterday.
She is reading a book.	She was reading a book earlier.
They are playing football.	They were playing football then.
We are watching TV together.	We were watching TV last night.
He is writing a letter.	He was writing a letter then.
The kids are studying hard.	The kids were studying last week.
She is walking in the park.	She was walking in the rain.
I am learning to swim.	I was learning to swim then.
The dog is barking loudly.	The dog was barking all night.
They are building a house.	They were building a house then.
He is talking to his boss.	He was talking to his boss then.
We are enjoying the weather.	We were enjoying the beach.
She is shopping for clothes.	She was shopping for clothes.
I am waiting for the bus.	I was waiting for the bus.
The baby is crying for food.	The baby was crying yesterday.
They are fixing their car.	They were fixing their car.
He is painting a new picture.	He was painting a picture.
We are cleaning the house.	We were cleaning the house.
She is teaching a new class.	She was teaching last week.
I am thinking about my trip.	I was thinking about my exams.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Using the wrong helping verb:
- Incorrect: He am running.
- Correct: He is running.
Forgetting the “-ing” form:
- Incorrect: They are play football.
- Correct: They are playing football.
Misusing tenses:
- Incorrect: I was go to the market.
- Correct: I was going to the market.