Past Continuous Rule

The Past Continuous tense is used to describe actions that were happening at a specific time in the past. It is formed by using was/were + verb + -ing.

For example:

1. Batman was fighting the Joker when Robin arrived.
2. Robin was helping Batman when the Bat-signal appeared.
3. The villains were planning their next move while the heroes were discussing strategy.

How to form it:

• For “I,” “he,” “she,” “it”: Use was + verb + -ing.
  Example: Batman was driving the Batmobile at 7 PM.
• For “you,” “we,” “they”: Use were + verb + -ing.
  Example: The police were chasing the villains when it started to rain.

Exercise 1: Beginner Level

(Choose the correct form of the verb in Past Continuous)

1. Batman __________ (fight) with the Joker when the Bat-signal lit up.
2. Robin __________ (run) to help Batman when he heard the alarm.
3. The villains __________ (plan) their next heist when the heroes arrived.
4. Gotham City __________ (prepare) for trouble as the sky darkened.

Clues:

• For Batman, use was.
• For Robin, use was.
• For “The villains” and “Gotham City,” use were and was.

Exercise 2: Intermediate Level

(Complete the sentences using the correct Past Continuous form)

1. Batman __________ (fly) over Gotham when he __________ (spot) a suspicious car.
2. While Robin __________ (train), Batman __________ (prepare) a new plan.
3. The Joker __________ (hide) in the warehouse while the police __________ (search) the city.
4. When the Batmobile __________ (speed) down the road, the villains __________ (try) to escape.

Clues:

• Batman (singular) = was
• Robin (singular) = was
• The police and villains (plural) = were

Exercise 3: Advanced Level

(Fill in the gaps with Past Continuous and create a complete story)

1. Batman and Robin __________ (chase) the Joker while the police __________ (block) the exits.
2. Meanwhile, the Joker __________ (laugh) and __________ (throw) bombs.
3. The citizens __________ (watch) in fear as the chaos unfolded.
4. Batman __________ (think) of a plan while Robin __________ (disable) the bombs.

Clues:

• Use was for Batman, Robin, and Joker (singular).
• Use were for the citizens and police (plural).

Semi-Controlled Practice (Dialogue)

Batman: What were you doing when the Bat-signal appeared?
Robin: I was training in the Batcave. What about you?
Batman: I was talking to Commissioner Gordon when we saw it.
Robin: Were the villains planning something?
Batman: Yes, they were trying to break into the bank. I was preparing to stop them when you arrived.

Freely Controlled Practice (Dialogue Task)

Task: Work in pairs. Imagine you’re Batman and Robin. Use the Past Continuous to discuss what each of you were doing during an important event.

Example prompts:

• “What were you doing when the Joker escaped?”
• “I was driving the Batmobile. What about you?”
• “I was disabling the security system while the alarms were ringing.”

Students should use the Past Continuous to talk about past actions in a creative superhero scenario!