5+ Past Continuous Tense Voice Change Exercises to Improve Your Grammar

Past Continuous Tense Voice Change Exercise: Past Continuous Tense is also known as the past progressive tense which describes the ongoing actions in the past. It could also mean that an action was still happening in the past. If you wish to know more about past continuous tense voice then continue reading this blog. It will talk about the past continuous tense and some exercises which will help you understand the tense more clearly. 

What is Past Continuous Tense?

According to the Macmillian Dictionary, the past continuous tense is a verb tense that is used to describe an action or state happening at a specific time in the past. This tense talks about actions or behaviours that began and ended at the same time in the past. 

Structure of Past Continuous Tense

The general structure for forming sentences in the past continuous tense is:

Subject+was were+Verb ingSubject+was were+Verb ing

Examples:

• I was reading a book.
• They were playing football.

Voice Change in Past Continuous Tense

Voice change refers to converting sentences from active voice to passive voice and vice versa. In the context of the past continuous tense, this involves changing the focus from the subject acting to the subject receiving the action.

Active to Passive Voice Conversion

To convert a sentence from active to passive voice in the past continuous tense, follow this structure:

Object+was were+being+Past ParticipleObject+was were+being+Past Participle

Example:

• Active: The chef was cooking dinner.
• Passive: Dinner was being cooked by the chef.

Past Continuous Tense Voice Change Exercise (Without Answers)

Also Read: Present Tense: Meaning, Types, Structure, and Examples [Complete Guide]

Past Continuous Tense Voice Change

Exercise 1 

Here is a small exercise where you will have to change the tense in the sentences mentioned below from passive voice to past continuous tense:

• The chef was preparing a delicious meal.
• The mechanic was fixing the car.
• The tourists were taking pictures of the scenery.
• The dogs were barking at the cows.

Answers:

1. A delicious meal was being prepared by the chef.
2. The car was being fixed by the mechanic.
3. Pictures of the scenery were being taken by the tourists.
4. The cows were being barked at by the dogs.

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Past Continuous Tense Voice Change

Exercise 2

Below is a small exercise which will test your knowledge of the past continuous tense. 

• The cake was being baked by Helen.
• The book was being read by Peter.
• The piano was being played by Marie.
• The letter was being written by Mili.

Answers:

1. Helen was baking a cake.
2. Peter was reading a book.
3. Marie was playing the piano.
4. Mili was writing a letter.

Past Continuous Tense Voice Change

Exercise 3

Here is a small exercise which will test your knowledge of the past continuous tense. 

• I was reading a book when the phone rang.
• We were having dinner when the power went out.
• Were you sleeping when I arrived?
• She wasn’t listening to me when I told her the news.

Answers:

1. A book was being read by me when the phone rang.
2. Dinner was being had by us when the power went out.
3. Were you being slept by me when I arrived?
4. I was not being listened to by her when I told her the news.

Past Continuous Tense Voice Change

Exercise 4

Check out a small exercise on how you can change the sentence to past continuous tense. 

• They were discussing the problem when the boss walked in.
• We were not paying attention when the teacher explained the lesson.
• The children were drawing pictures while their parents were cooking.
• They were playing tennis while we were watching them.

Answers:

1. The problem was being discussed by them when the boss walked in.
2. The lesson was not being paid attention to by us when the teacher explained it.
3. Pictures were being drawn by the children while their parents were cooking.
4. Tennis was being played by them while we were watching them.

Past Continuous Tense Voice Change

Exercise 5

Here is a small exercise on how you can change the sentences below to past continuous tense. 

• I was reading a book when the phone rang.
• The rain was falling heavily while we were walking home.
• I was not working when the fire alarm went off.
• Were you studying when I knocked on your door?

Answers:

1. The book was being read when the phone rang.
2. Heavy rain was falling while we were walking home.
3. Work was not being done by me when the fire alarm went off.
4. Were you being studied by me when I knocked on your door?

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