Past Continuous
50 speaking questions and prompts
Answer in full sentences. Use was or were with an -ing verb to describe what was happening.
Recent days
Recent days
5 questions
- What were you doing before this conversation started?
- What were you trying to finish before bed last night?
- What were you thinking about before you fell asleep last night?
- What were you doing during your last break?
- Last month, were you rushing around or finding time to relax?
Earlier life and memories
Earlier life and memories
9 questions
- Where were you living this time five years ago?
- Were you sharing a dorm room with someone when you were in college?
- What was keeping you busy this time last year?
- Who were you trying to be like when you were younger?
- Were you studying alone or with other people when you first started learning English?
- What were you enjoying most about life this time last year?
- What were people doing at a party when you knew it was time to go home?
- Tell the story behind a small object you kept. Describe what was happening when you got it.
- Recall an unplanned celebration. Explain what people were doing before they heard the good news.
People, places, and scenes
People, places, and scenes
10 questions
- What was happening outside when you woke up this morning?
- Think of a funny clip from a video call where something unexpected was happening in the background. Tell me about it.
- What was making noise the last time you needed to concentrate?
- What were people around you talking about last summer?
- Were you making any changes to your home earlier this year?
- What were you doing to stay cool during the hottest part of last year?
- Was bad weather causing any problems where you live last winter?
- Describe what was happening in a street performance that made you stop and watch.
- What was someone doing when you realized they had a talent you hadn't known about?
- What was an animal doing in a funny video that made you stop scrolling?
Activities and projects
Activities and projects
7 questions
- What were you doing for exercise at the start of this year?
- Were you helping anyone with a project earlier this year?
- Which news story were you following closely earlier this year?
- Were you growing anything at home last spring?
- What were you trying to do the last time you used a video tutorial?
- What were you doing the last time you got your hands dirty?
- What were you doing the last time you lost track of time?
Plans and interruptions
Plans and interruptions
8 questions
- What were you doing the last time you missed a call?
- What were you trying to say the last time someone misunderstood you?
- Tell me about a time you were making something and ran out of something you needed.
- Tell me about a time you were in the middle of doing something and you remembered that you forgot something important.
- Were you thinking about moving earlier this year?
- Tell me about a time you changed your route because of something that was happening along the way.
- What were you trying to photograph in a picture that turned out differently than you expected?
- What were you working on the last time you decided to start over?
Funny moments
Funny moments
5 questions
- Think of a moment when you were trying not to laugh. Describe what was happening and why you had to stay serious.
- Share a small mistake you can laugh about now. Start with what you were trying to do.
- Have you ever been caught singing or talking to yourself? What were you doing when someone noticed?
- Tell me about a time a pet was causing trouble while everyone was busy with something else.
- Talk about a time you saw someone doing exactly what they had told other people not to do.
Doing things together
Doing things together
6 questions
- What were people doing on a bus or train that made the ride fun?
- Describe a time someone was keeping everyone entertained during a boring task.
- Tell me about a time you were doing something for fun and another person took it much more seriously.
- Tell us about a time two people did the same job in very different ways. Describe how each person was doing it.
- Describe a time you chose the wrong moment to speak. Explain what was happening around you.
- Describe an activity you decided to join after watching for a while. What were people doing that made you want to join?