Introduction

In many real-life situations, we describe past events without focusing on who did the action. We may be reporting a process, describing what was happening in a workplace, or explaining a situation where the agent is unknown, unimportant, or deliberately not mentioned. The past continuous passive allows you to present an action as “in progress” at a specific moment in the past, while keeping the focus on the receiver of the action rather than the doer.

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, you will be able to: (1) form the past continuous passive accurately; (2) use it to describe actions in progress in the past when the focus is on the object or process; (3) decide when to include or omit the agent with by; (4) avoid common tense and agreement errors.

1) Form: how to build the Past Continuous Passive

The past continuous passive is formed with was/were + being + past participle.

Affirmative: The documents were being reviewed when the manager arrived.

Negative: The documents weren’t being reviewed when the manager arrived.

Question: Were the documents being reviewed when the manager arrived?

Short answer: Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.

Important concept
The key idea is “an action was in progress at that time in the past,” but the sentence is organised around the receiver of the action. Compare: “They were reviewing the documents” (active) vs. “The documents were being reviewed” (passive).

2) Meaning and typical uses

A) Background actions in progress in the past (process focus)
Use the past continuous passive to describe an ongoing process at a specific moment in the past, especially in reports, narratives, and formal contexts.

At 9 a.m., the new software was being installed.

B) When the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious
Often, the doer is not mentioned because it adds little value.

The stage was being prepared while the guests were arriving.

C) When you want to avoid naming the agent
This can sound diplomatic or impersonal, especially in professional communication.

The budget was being revised at the time.

3) Using “by” to mention the agent

If the agent is important or surprising, you can include it with by + agent.

The final presentation was being delivered by the intern when the director walked in.

However, if the agent is general or predictable, it is usually omitted.

The final presentation was being delivered. (The audience may already understand “by the speaker/team.”)

4) Time markers and sentence patterns

The past continuous passive commonly appears with time expressions that locate the action in the past:

at that moment, at 8 p.m., while, when, as, all morning (in a narrative sense)

Pattern with “when”: A shorter event interrupts or frames the ongoing action.

The lights were being tested when the power went out.

Pattern with “while”: Two actions in progress at the same time.

While the report was being written, the data were being checked.

Warning
Do not confuse the past continuous passive with the past simple passive. “The bridge was repaired” (completed action) is different from “The bridge was being repaired” (action in progress). Also, avoid incorrect forms such as “was being repaireded” or “was been repaired.”

5) Common errors and how to correct them

Error 1: Missing “being”
Incorrect: The report was written when I arrived.
Correct (if the action was in progress): The report was being written when I arrived.

Error 2: Wrong agreement (was/were)
Incorrect: The files was being archived.
Correct: The files were being archived.

Error 3: Using the passive when you need the active
If you want to emphasise the agent and it is central to the meaning, the active may be clearer.
Passive: The decision was being discussed (focus on the decision).
Active: The committee was discussing the decision (focus on the committee).

Practice

Practice section
Complete each item. Write the correct past continuous passive form, or transform the sentence as requested. Answers are provided.