Past Continuous Tense (Year 3) Worksheet with Answers

Revision Library

revisionlibrary.co.uk

KS2 · Grammar

Y3.2 Past Continuous Tense (Year 3)

Calculators not allowed · about 40 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

The School Fete

Source written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). Written for Year 3 grammar practice, July 2026.

The whole school was buzzing with excitement on the morning of the summer fete. Miss Grant was carrying a box of raffle tickets across the playground when the bell rang for assembly. In the hall, the Year 3 children were rehearsing their song for the afternoon show, and Mr Adeyemi was tuning his guitar in the corner. Outside, some parents were setting up a cake stall while others unloaded chairs from a van. By lunchtime, the sun was shining brightly and everyone hurried outside to enjoy it. Priya and Tom were queuing for the coconut shy when the head teacher rang a bell to open the fete. Later, as families packed away their picnic blankets, the caretaker was already sweeping the playground for the next school day.

1

Tick the sentence in each pair that is written in the past continuous tense.

(a)(1)

A) The rain fell heavily all night.
B) The rain was falling heavily all night.

(b)(1)

A) Jamal was eating his breakfast quickly.
B) Jamal ate his breakfast quickly.

(c)(1)

A) They were waiting outside the shop.
B) They waited outside the shop.

(d)(1)

A) The dog barked at the postman.
B) The dog was barking at the postman.

2

Underline the past continuous verb phrase in each sentence.

(a)The children were singing a song in assembly.(1)

(b)I was watching a film when the lights went out.(1)

(c)The wind was howling around the old barn.(1)

(d)We were building a sandcastle near the rock pools.(1)

3

These sentences are taken from the passage above. Underline the past continuous verb phrase in each one.

(a)Miss Grant was carrying a box of raffle tickets across the playground.(1)

(b)In the hall, the Year 3 children were rehearsing their song for the afternoon show.(1)

(c)Outside, some parents were setting up a cake stall while others unloaded chairs from a van.(1)

(d)Priya and Tom were queuing for the coconut shy when the head teacher rang a bell to open the fete.(1)

4

Tick whether each sentence is written in the past continuous tense or the simple past tense.

(a)The sun was shining all morning.(1)

Past continuous
Simple past

(b)The bus arrived on time.(1)

Past continuous
Simple past

(c)We were eating lunch in the hall.(1)

Past continuous
Simple past

(d)The teacher smiled at the class.(1)

Past continuous
Simple past

(e)They were playing chess after school.(1)

Past continuous
Simple past

5

Circle was or were to complete each sentence correctly.

(a)I ___ reading my book when the fire alarm rang.(1)

was
were

(b)They ___ playing football at break time.(1)

was
were

(c)She ___ writing a letter to her grandmother.(1)

was
were

(d)We ___ walking home when it started to rain.(1)

was
were

(e)It ___ raining heavily all afternoon.(1)

was
were

6

Complete each sentence with the past continuous form of the verb in brackets.

(a)The birds ___ (sing) in the trees when we arrived.(1)

(b)I ___ (make) a sandwich when the phone rang.(1)

(c)The children ___ (play) hide and seek in the garden.(1)

(d)Grandad ___ (read) the newspaper by the fire.(1)

7

Rewrite each sentence in the past continuous tense. Keep the time expression at the start of the sentence.

(a)At six o'clock, Dad cooked the dinner.(1)

(b)All morning, the builders worked next door.(1)

(c)By nine o'clock, the baby slept soundly.(1)

8

Join the two sentences below into one sentence, using while and the past continuous tense, to show that both actions were happening at the same time.

Tom cleaned his room. Ben watched television.

(3)

9

Join the two sentences below into one sentence, using when, to show that the first action was interrupted by the second. Change the first sentence into the past continuous tense.

The children played in the garden. It started to rain suddenly.

(3)

10

Circle the sentence that correctly describes what was happening at exactly four o'clock, then explain your choice in one sentence.

A) At four o'clock, Leah finished her homework.
B) At four o'clock, Leah was finishing her homework.
C) At four o'clock, Leah finishes her homework.

A) At four o'clock, Leah finished her homework.
B) At four o'clock, Leah was finishing her homework.
C) At four o'clock, Leah finishes her homework.

11

Each sentence below has an incorrect helping verb. Rewrite each sentence, correcting was or were.

(a)We was walking to the shop when it started to rain.(1)

(b)She were singing loudly in the choir.(1)

(c)The children was playing outside all afternoon.(1)

(d)I were watching the news when the power went off.(1)

12

Each sentence below has an incorrect verb form. Rewrite each sentence, correcting the past continuous verb.

(a)He was walk to school when he saw his friend.(1)

(b)They were swim in the lake when the storm began.(1)

(c)I was write my diary when the lights went out.(1)

13

The paragraph below has three errors in past continuous verbs. Find and correct the three errors.

Later that morning, the fair was open and the music were playing loudly across the field. Priya and Tom was queuing for the coconut shy while their parents watch from a bench nearby.

(3)

14

Find and correct the two errors in the sentence below.

Yesterday evening, the twins was watch a film together.

(2)

15

Complete each sentence with your own idea, using the correct tense shown.

(a)While I was walking home from school, ___ (finish the sentence using the simple past tense for what happened next).(1)

(b)The whole class ___ (complete with your own past continuous verb phrase) when the fire alarm rang.(1)

16

Write two sentences of your own describing what different people were doing at the same time yesterday evening. Use the past continuous tense correctly in each sentence.

(4)

17

A writer describes the background of a scene using the past continuous tense, for example: The rain was falling steadily as the bus pulled away. Explain why the past continuous tense is a good choice for this kind of background description, rather than the simple past.

(2)

Mark scheme · Y3.2 Past Continuous Tense

Question 1

(a) B1 B ticked cao
(a) Answer: B) The rain was falling heavily all night.
(b) B1 A ticked cao
(b) Answer: A) Jamal was eating his breakfast quickly.
(c) B1 A ticked cao
(c) Answer: A) They were waiting outside the shop.
(d) B1 B ticked cao
(d) Answer: B) The dog was barking at the postman.

Question 2

(a) B1 were singing underlined cao
(a) Answer: were singing
(b) B1 was watching underlined cao
(b) Answer: was watching
(c) B1 was howling underlined cao
(c) Answer: was howling
(d) B1 were building underlined cao
(d) Answer: were building

Question 3

(a) B1 was carrying underlined cao
(a) Answer: was carrying
(b) B1 were rehearsing underlined cao
(b) Answer: were rehearsing
(c) B1 were setting up underlined cao (unloaded is simple past and should not be underlined)
(c) Answer: were setting up
(d) B1 were queuing underlined cao (rang is simple past and should not be underlined)
(d) Answer: were queuing

Question 4

(a) B1 Past continuous ticked cao
(a) Answer: Past continuous
(b) B1 Simple past ticked cao
(b) Answer: Simple past
(c) B1 Past continuous ticked cao
(c) Answer: Past continuous
(d) B1 Simple past ticked cao
(d) Answer: Simple past
(e) B1 Past continuous ticked cao
(e) Answer: Past continuous

Question 5

(a) B1 was circled cao
(a) Answer: was
(b) B1 were circled cao
(b) Answer: were
(c) B1 was circled cao
(c) Answer: was
(d) B1 were circled cao
(d) Answer: were
(e) B1 was circled cao
(e) Answer: was

Question 6

(a) B1 were singing cao
(a) Answer: were singing
(b) B1 was making cao
(b) Answer: was making
(c) B1 were playing cao
(c) Answer: were playing
(d) B1 was reading cao
(d) Answer: was reading

Question 7

(a) B1 At six o'clock, Dad was cooking the dinner. cao
(a) Answer: At six o'clock, Dad was cooking the dinner.
(b) B1 All morning, the builders were working next door. cao
(b) Answer: All morning, the builders were working next door.
(c) B1 By nine o'clock, the baby was sleeping soundly. cao
(c) Answer: By nine o'clock, the baby was sleeping soundly.

Question 8

B1 while used to link the two clauses (oe: either clause may come first) cao
B1 was cleaning used correctly for Tom cao
B1 was watching used correctly for Ben cao
Answer: Tom was cleaning his room while Ben was watching television.

Question 9

B1 played changed correctly to were playing cao
B1 when used correctly to link the two clauses cao
B1 started to rain suddenly kept in the simple past as the interrupting action cao
Answer: The children were playing in the garden when it started to rain suddenly.

Question 10

B1 B circled cao
B1 valid reason given, e.g. was finishing shows an action that was still going on at that exact moment, rather than one already completed (A) or happening now (C) (oe)
Answer: B; was finishing shows the action was still in progress at four o'clock, whereas finished shows it was already complete and finishes is present tense.

Question 11

(a) B1 We were walking to the shop when it started to rain. cao
(a) Answer: We were walking to the shop when it started to rain.
(b) B1 She was singing loudly in the choir. cao
(b) Answer: She was singing loudly in the choir.
(c) B1 The children were playing outside all afternoon. cao
(c) Answer: The children were playing outside all afternoon.
(d) B1 I was watching the news when the power went off. cao
(d) Answer: I was watching the news when the power went off.

Question 12

(a) B1 He was walking to school when he saw his friend. cao
(a) Answer: He was walking to school when he saw his friend.
(b) B1 They were swimming in the lake when the storm began. cao
(b) Answer: They were swimming in the lake when the storm began.
(c) B1 I was writing my diary when the lights went out. cao
(c) Answer: I was writing my diary when the lights went out.

Question 13

B1 the music were playing corrected to the music was playing (music is singular) cao
B1 Priya and Tom was queuing corrected to Priya and Tom were queuing (plural subject) cao
B1 their parents watch corrected to their parents were watching (past continuous to match the tense of the surrounding sentence) cao
Answer: Later that morning, the fair was open and the music was playing loudly across the field. Priya and Tom were queuing for the coconut shy while their parents were watching from a bench nearby.

Question 14

B1 was corrected to were (the twins is a plural subject) cao
B1 watch corrected to watching (the past continuous needs the -ing form) cao
Answer: Yesterday evening, the twins were watching a film together.

Question 15

(a) B1 a sensible ending written in the simple past tense that makes sense with the opening clause (oe)
(a) Answer: e.g. I saw a rainbow over the park.
(b) B1 a sensible past continuous verb phrase (was/were + verb-ing) that agrees with the subject the whole class (oe)
(b) Answer: e.g. was lining up for lunch

Question 16

B1 sentence 1 uses the past continuous tense correctly (was/were + verb-ing) (oe)
B1 sentence 1 has correct subject-verb agreement and correctly spelled -ing form (cao)
B1 sentence 2 uses the past continuous tense correctly (was/were + verb-ing) (oe)
B1 sentence 2 has correct subject-verb agreement and correctly spelled -ing form (cao)
Answer: e.g. At seven o'clock, my sister was doing her homework in the kitchen. At the same time, I was tidying my bedroom upstairs.

Question 17

B1 identifies that the past continuous shows an action that was still ongoing/in progress at that moment (oe)
B1 identifies an effect, e.g. it sets the scene or creates a backdrop against which the simple past action (the bus pulled away) stands out as a single, completed event (oe)
Answer: The past continuous shows the rain was still going on around that moment, creating a backdrop of atmosphere against which the single, completed action (the bus pulled away) stands out.

Past Continuous Tense (Year 3) - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

Next in this strand

Y3.2 Past Continuous Tense (Year 3)

The School Fete

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10

Question 11

Question 12

Question 13

Question 14

Question 15

Question 16

Question 17

Mark your answers

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10

Question 11

Question 12

Question 13

Question 14

Question 15

Question 16

Question 17