Beginner ESL • Level A1–A2

Past Continuous
& Irregular Past Verbs

Learn how to talk about actions in progress in the past, tell simple stories with when and while, and use could.

🇲🇽 Con traducciones sencillas en español ⚡ 8 Prácticas con 8 preguntas cada una 🎯 Examen Final de 16 preguntas

Roadmap

What We Will Learn Today

Four simple steps to master storytelling in English.

1. Irregular Verbs (Warm-Up) 🧱

Repaso de verbos clave en pasado simple

Verbs like went, saw, ate, rang, fell. Includes Review 1A & 1B.

2. Past Continuous Form ⏳

Cómo formar: was / were + verbo-ing

Easy spelling rules, negative sentences, and questions. Includes Review 2A & 2B.

3. When & While ⚡

Acciones interrumpidas y acciones simultáneas

Connecting two actions together in a story. Includes Review 3A & 3B.

4. Could vs. Was/Were Able To 🔮

Habilidades pasadas, logros y posibilidad

Could for ability & possibility vs. was able to for success. Includes Review 4A & 4B.

Section 1 • Warm-Up

Why Review Irregular Past Verbs?

In English stories, a long action is often stopped or interrupted by a quick past action!

Regular Verbs Fáciles (+ed)

Just add -ed:

walk ➔ walked (caminó)

cook ➔ cooked (cocinó)

start ➔ started (empezó)

Irregular Verbs Cambian palabra

They change completely:

go ➔ went (fue / fui)

see ➔ saw (vio / vi)

ring ➔ rang (sonó el teléfono)

💡

Look at this sentence: "I was cooking when the phone rang."
The word rang is an irregular past verb. Let's practice the most common ones right now!

Section 1 • Verb Bank

12 Must-Know Irregular Verbs

These verbs appear all the time in everyday English.

Everyday Actions (Acciones Diarias)

Present	Past	Meaning (MX)
go	went	fue / fui
see	saw	vio / vi
eat	ate	comió / comí
have	had	tuvo / tenía
hear	heard	escuchó / oyó
come	came	vino / vine

Interruption Actions (Acciones Rápidas)

Present	Past	Meaning (MX)
ring	rang	sonó (teléfono/alarma)
fall	fell	se cayó / me caí
break	broke	rompió / quebró
buy	bought	compró / compré
take	took	tomó / agarró
make	made	hizo / preparó

Review 1A

Verb Match (Easy)

Level: Easy • 8 Questions

Click the correct past form for each verb.

1 What is the past of "go"? (ir)

✓ Correct: go ➔ went (fue / fui). "Yesterday I went to the store."

2 What is the past of "see"? (ver)

✓ Correct: see ➔ saw (vio / vi). "We saw a movie."

3 What is the past of "eat"? (comer)

✓ Correct: eat ➔ ate (comió / comí). "He ate tacos."

4 What is the past of "have"? (tener)

✓ Correct: have ➔ had (tuvo / tenía). "They had a party."

5 What is the past of "ring"? (sonar)

✓ Correct: ring ➔ rang (sonó). "The alarm rang."

6 What is the past of "fall"? (caerse)

✓ Correct: fall ➔ fell (se cayó). "He fell down."

7 What is the past of "break"? (romper)

✓ Correct: break ➔ broke (rompió). "The cup broke."

8 What is the past of "buy"? (comprar)

✓ Correct: buy ➔ bought (compró). "She bought a car."

Review 1B

Verbs in Simple Sentences

Level: Moderate • 8 Questions

Choose the correct past verb to complete each sentence.

1 Yesterday at night, I ________ a strange noise. (escuché)

✓ Correct: hear ➔ heard. "I heard a strange noise."

2 Carlos ________ to my house at 7:00 PM. (vino)

✓ Correct: come ➔ came. "Carlos came to my house."

3 The boy accidentally ________ his mom's favorite cup. (rompió)

✓ Correct: break ➔ broke. "He broke the cup."

4 We ________ a taxi because it was raining. (tomamos)

✓ Correct: take ➔ took. "We took a taxi."

5 Suddenly, the doorbell ________. (sonó)

✓ Correct: ring ➔ rang. "The doorbell rang."

6 My grandma ________ delicious tacos yesterday. (preparó / hizo)

✓ Correct: make ➔ made. "Grandma made delicious tacos."

7 The soccer player slipped and ________ on the grass. (se cayó)

✓ Correct: fall ➔ fell. "He slipped and fell."

8 They ________ for two hours to the beach. (manejaron)

✓ Correct: drive ➔ drove. "They drove to the beach."

Section 2 • The Formula

What is Past Continuous?

Use it for an action that was happening (in progress) at a specific moment in the past.

Use WAS (1 person) estaba

I was sleeping (Yo estaba durmiendo)

He was cooking (Él estaba cocinando)

She was studying (Ella estaba estudiando)

It was raining (Estaba lloviendo)

Use WERE (2+ people & You) estabas / estaban

You were watching TV (Tú estabas viendo la tele)

We were eating (Nosotros estábamos comiendo)

They were playing (Ellos estaban jugando)

Section 2 • Spelling

Easy Rules for -ING

How to write the verbs correctly with -ing.

1. Most Verbs ➔ Add -ing Normal

play ➔ playing (jugando)

watch ➔ watching (viendo)

read ➔ reading (leyendo)

2. Silent "E" ➔ Drop "E" + ing Quita la 'e'

drive ➔ driving (manejando)

make ➔ making (haciendo)

write ➔ writing (escribiendo)

3. Short (C-V-C) ➔ Double Letter Duplica letra

run ➔ running (corriendo)

swim ➔ swimming (nadando)

sit ➔ sitting (sentándose)

4. Ends in "-ie" ➔ "Y" + ing Cambia a 'y'

lie ➔ lying (mintiendo / acostado)

die ➔ dying (muriendo)

Section 2 • Builder

Negatives & Questions

How to say "No" and how to ask questions.

⛔ Negatives (No estaba...)

was not = wasn't | were not = weren't

I wasn't sleeping.
No estaba durmiendo.

They weren't studying.
Ellos no estaban estudiando.

❓ Questions (¿Estabas...?)

Put Was / Were at the start!

Were you cooking at 7 PM?
➜ Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.

What were you doing yesterday?
¿Qué estabas haciendo ayer?

Review 2A

Was / Were & -ING Form

Level: Easy • 8 Questions

Choose the correct past continuous form.

1 Yesterday at 8 PM, I ________ a movie on TV.

✓ Correct: "I" takes was watching (Yo estaba viendo).

2 The kids ________ soccer in the park.

✓ Correct: "The kids" = they (plural) ➔ were playing.

3 Sofia ________ an email to her boss. (write)

✓ Correct: Drop the "e" ➔ was writing.

4 We ________ in the pool all afternoon. (swim)

✓ Correct: We + double "m" ➔ were swimming.

5 He ________ when you called. He was awake!

✓ Correct: He = wasn't sleeping.

6 ________ you listening to music?

✓ Correct: Question with "you" takes Were you listening...?

7 The dog ________ in the garden. (run)

✓ Correct: The dog (it) + double "n" ➔ was running.

8 ________ Mariana making dinner?

✓ Correct: Mariana (she) takes Was Mariana making...?

Review 2B

Negatives & Questions (Practice)

Level: Moderate • 8 Questions

Select the best sentence or answer.

1 Make negative: "Carlos was working yesterday."

✓ Correct: was ➔ wasn't. (Carlos no estaba trabajando.)

2 Make negative: "The kids were doing homework."

✓ Correct: The kids (they) ➔ weren't doing.

3 Make a question: (you / sleep / at midnight)

✓ Correct: Were you sleeping at midnight? (¿Estabas durmiendo?)

4 Make a WH- question: (what / she / cook / for dinner)

✓ Correct: What was she cooking for dinner? (¿Qué estaba cocinando?)

5 Fix the mistake: "They was playing the guitar."

✓ Correct: "They" takes were.

6 Fix spelling: "I was makeing a cake."

✓ Correct: Drop the "e" ➔ making.

7 "Were you studying? — Yes, I ________."

✓ Correct: Responding with "I" ➔ Yes, I was.

8 "Was it raining? — No, it ________."

✓ Correct: "it" takes wasn't. (No, no estaba lloviendo.)

Section 3 • Storytelling

Interrupted Actions with WHEN

A long action in progress is interrupted by a quick past action.

I was taking a shower when the lights went out.
Me estaba bañando cuando se fue la luz.

He was driving when he saw an accident.
Él iba manejando cuando vio un accidente.

Section 3 • Parallel Actions

Two Actions with WHILE

Two actions happening at the exact same time in the past.

While Mom was cooking, Dad was washing dishes.
Mientras mamá cocinaba, papá lavaba los trastes.

I was listening to music while I was studying.
Estaba escuchando música mientras estudiaba.

Section 3 • Shortcut

WHEN vs. WHILE in 10 Seconds

Remember this super simple rule!

⚡ WHEN + Past Simple Acción corta

Put WHEN before the quick action (rang, saw, broke, started).

...when the phone rang.
...cuando sonó el teléfono.

⏳ WHILE + Past Continuous Acción larga (-ing)

Put WHILE before the action with was/were + -ing.

...while I was sleeping.
...mientras estaba durmiendo.

🇲🇽

En español: "When" = Cuando (de repente) | "While" = Mientras (durante un tiempo).

Review 3A

When vs. While (Easy)

Level: Easy • 8 Questions

Choose the right word or verb.

1 I was watching TV ________ the power went out.

✓ Correct: when (the power went out is a quick interruption).

2 ________ we were eating breakfast, it started to rain.

✓ Correct: While (we were eating breakfast is in progress).

3 She was cooking dinner when she ________ her hand. (burn)

✓ Correct: burned (interruption uses Simple Past).

4 Mateo was studying while his sister ________ to music.

✓ Correct: was listening (parallel continuous actions).

5 They were sleeping ________ the dog barked loudly.

✓ Correct: when the dog barked.

6 While I ________ to the supermarket, I saw my friend.

✓ Correct: While I was driving...

7 What were you doing ________ the teacher walked in?

✓ Correct: when the teacher walked in.

8 The pizza arrived while I ________ a shower.

✓ Correct: while I was taking...

Review 3B

Combining Two Verbs

Level: Moderate • 8 Questions

Select the option that correctly fills both blanks.

1 "I ________ (walk) home when I ________ (see) a puppy."

✓ Correct: was walking / saw (Iba caminando cuando vi).

2 "While Dad ________ (wash) the car, Mom ________ (clean) the kitchen."

✓ Correct: Both in Past Continuous with While.

3 "Carlos ________ (fall) asleep while he ________ (read) his book."

✓ Correct: fell / was reading.

4 "They ________ (eat) tacos when the phone ________ (ring)."

✓ Correct: were eating / rang.

5 "While we ________ (wait) for the bus, we ________ (hear) music."

✓ Correct: were waiting / heard.

6 Fix mistake: "I was cooking when my brother was arriving."

✓ Correct: The interruption after when must be past simple (arrived).

7 "What ________ you ________ (do) when the rain ________ (start)?"

✓ Correct: What were you doing when the rain started?

8 "The sun ________ (shine) and birds ________ (sing) this morning."

✓ Correct: Background story setting ➔ was shining / were singing.

Section 4 • Modals

Could vs. Was/Were Able To

Three easy uses you need to know.

1. COULD 🏊‍♂️

Habilidad general en el pasado (podía / sabía)

When I was 5, I could swim.
A los 5 años, yo podía nadar.

2. WAS ABLE TO 🏆

Logro específico en 1 ocasión (pude / logré)

The exam was hard, but I was able to pass.
El examen fue difícil, pero logré pasarlo.

3. COULD (Possibility) 🔮

Posibilidad presente o futura (podría)

Take an umbrella. It could rain today.
Llévate sombrilla. Podría llover.

Section 4 • Rules

Could vs. Was Able To: The Difference

Skill for years vs. victory in one difficult moment.

COULD = General Skill podía

A talent you had for years:

My grandma could speak 3 languages.
Mi abuela podía hablar 3 idiomas.

He could read at age 4.
Él podía leer a los 4 años.

WAS ABLE TO = Specific Success pude / logré

A specific challenge you completed:

The door was locked, but we were able to open it.
La puerta tenía seguro, pero pudimos abrirla.

Traffic was bad, but I was able to arrive on time.
Había tráfico, pero pude llegar a tiempo.

💡

Negative Shortcut: In negative sentences, you can use couldn't or wasn't able to equally! (e.g. "I couldn't find my keys").

Section 4 • Possibility

COULD for Possibility (Podría ser...)

Use could when something is possible right now or in the future.

Weather🌦

It could rain tonight.
Podría llover hoy en la noche.

Location📍

Carlos could be at home.
Carlos podría estar en su casa.

Warning⚠️

Be careful! It could fall.
¡Cuidado! Podría caerse.

Review 4A

Identifying Modals (Easy)

Level: Easy • 8 Questions

Choose the correct modal for each sentence.

1 When I was 10, I ________ run very fast. (General past ability)

✓ Correct: General past ability ➔ could (podía correr).

2 The math test was hard, but Daniel ________ get a 100. (Specific success)

✓ Correct: Specific achievement on that test ➔ was able to.

3 Don't leave your phone on the table. Someone ________ take it! (Possibility)

✓ Correct: Present possibility ➔ could take it (podría agarrarlo).

4 My grandma ________ bake the best cookies. (General past talent)

✓ Correct: Past talent over time ➔ could.

5 The fire was big, but the firefighters ________ save everyone. (Specific victory)

✓ Correct: Firefighters (they) + specific success ➔ were able to.

6 Look at those dark clouds! It ________ rain soon. (Possibility)

✓ Correct: Future possibility ➔ could rain.

7 Maria was very tired, so she ________ stay awake. (Negative ability)

✓ Correct: couldn't (no podía).

8 We lost our keys, but finally we ________ open the door. (Specific success)

✓ Correct: "We" + specific success ➔ were able to.

Review 4B

Modals in Everyday Contexts

Level: Moderate • 8 Questions

Distinguish between ability, specific success, and possibility.

1 Which sentence talks about Possibility?

✓ Correct: "It could snow tomorrow" = Podría nevar mañana (Possibility).

2 Which sentence talks about a Specific Success?

✓ Correct: Buying tickets before sold out was a specific accomplishment.

3 My car broke down yesterday, but the mechanic ________ fix it.

✓ Correct: One specific repair accomplishment ➔ was able to.

4 "Where are my sunglasses?" — "They ________ be in your bag."

✓ Correct: Possibility / guessing ➔ could be (podrían estar).

5 Mozart ________ play the piano when he was 5 years old.

✓ Correct: Child talent / general skill ➔ could.

6 The water was freezing, but the swimmer ________ reach the island.

✓ Correct: Overcoming a hard challenge on one occasion ➔ was able to.

7 Be careful with that sharp knife! You ________ cut yourself.

✓ Correct: Warning / possibility ➔ could cut yourself.

8 After looking for 2 hours, we ________ find the lost puppy!

✓ Correct: Finding the puppy after effort ➔ were able to (pudimos encontrarlo).

Final Exam • Part 1

Master Final Quiz (Questions 1–8)

Fresh Questions • Not Seen Before

Test your knowledge on irregular verbs and past continuous forms.

1 What is the past form of the irregular verb "sleep"?

✓ Correct: sleep ➔ slept (durmió / dormí).

2 What is the past form of the irregular verb "drive"?

✓ Correct: drive ➔ drove (manejó / manejé).

3 At 10:00 PM last night, Roberto and Laura ________ the soccer game.

✓ Correct: Roberto and Laura (they) ➔ were watching.

4 What is the correct -ing spelling for "swim"?

✓ Correct: Double the "m" ➔ swimming.

5 Lucia ________ (not / study) when her mom came in; she was on her phone!

✓ Correct: Lucia (she) ➔ wasn't studying.

6 "________ you and your brother cleaning your room at 3 PM?"

✓ Correct: "You and your brother" (plural) takes Were.

7 I was walking to school ________ I found a 500-peso bill.

✓ Correct: Quick surprise event ➔ when (cuando me encontré).

8 ________ my sister was doing makeup, I was ironing my shirt.

✓ Correct: Connecting two continuous actions ➔ While.

Final Exam • Part 2

Master Final Quiz (Questions 9–16)

Interrupted Actions & Modals

Complete the final 8 questions to finish the masterclass!

9 The chef ________ (chop) onions when the fire alarm ________ (start).

✓ Correct: was chopping / started (double "p" in chop).

10 While tourists ________ (take) photos, a monkey ________ (steal) an apple.

✓ Correct: Long action (were taking) + quick irregular action (stole).

11 When my grandpa was young, he ________ run 10 kilometers. (General ability)

✓ Correct: Past physical ability ➔ could.

12 The puzzle was very hard, but our team ________ solve it in time! (Specific success)

✓ Correct: Specific victory on that puzzle ➔ was able to (pudo / logró resolverlo).

13 Don't touch that stray dog. It ________ bite you! (Warning / Possibility)

✓ Correct: Possibility / warning ➔ could bite you (te podría morder).

14 The fridge was heavy, but the two movers ________ carry it upstairs.

✓ Correct: The movers (plural) + specific success ➔ were able to.

15 "Why ________ you ________ (cry) when I saw you yesterday?"

✓ Correct: Why were you crying...? (¿Por qué estabas llorando?)

16 Which sentence is 100% grammatically correct?

✓ Correct: Past continuous (driving) + WHEN + past simple interruption (blew out).

Summary

Master Cheat Sheet

Everything in one clean, simple glance.

1. Past Continuous Form

I / He / She / It ➔ was + verb-ing

You / We / They ➔ were + verb-ing

Negative: wasn't / weren't + verb-ing

Question: Was / Were you + verb-ing?

2. When vs. While

WHEN + Past Simple (short action)

WHILE + Past Continuous (long action)

"I was cooking WHEN the phone rang."

"WHILE I was reading, he was sleeping."

3. Could vs. Was Able To

Could (Past): General skill (podía)

Was Able To: Specific success (pude/logré)

Could (Present): Possibility (podría)

4. Key Irregular Verbs

go ➔ went | see ➔ saw | eat ➔ ate

ring ➔ rang | fall ➔ fell | break ➔ broke

hear ➔ heard | make ➔ made | take ➔ took

Past Continuous & Irregular Past Verbs

What We Will Learn Today

Why Review Irregular Past Verbs?

12 Must-Know Irregular Verbs

Everyday Actions (Acciones Diarias)

Interruption Actions (Acciones Rápidas)

Verb Match (Easy)

Verbs in Simple Sentences

What is Past Continuous?

Easy Rules for -ING

Negatives & Questions

Was / Were & -ING Form

Negatives & Questions (Practice)

Interrupted Actions with WHEN

Two Actions with WHILE

WHEN vs. WHILE in 10 Seconds

When vs. While (Easy)

Combining Two Verbs

Could vs. Was/Were Able To

Could vs. Was Able To: The Difference

COULD for Possibility (Podría ser...)

Identifying Modals (Easy)

Modals in Everyday Contexts

Master Final Quiz (Questions 1–8)

Master Final Quiz (Questions 9–16)

Master Cheat Sheet

🎉 Great Job! Class Complete!

Past Continuous
& Irregular Past Verbs