was going

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "was going" is correct and usable in written English.
It is generally used to indicate past continuous action, i.e. something that was happening over a period of time. For example: "I was going to the store when I remembered I didn't have my wallet."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I was going, too.

The New Yorker

He was going crazy.

The New Yorker

School was going well.

The New Yorker

It was going, stopping.

Independent

Dell was going private!

The New York Times

Garden was going wild.

The New York Times - Sports

Something was going on.

The New York Times

She was going away.

The New York Times

She was going home.

The New York Times

I was going vertical.

The New York Times - Sports

What was going on?

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "was going" to describe ongoing actions or states in the past, providing context or setting the scene for other events.

Common error

Avoid using "was going" interchangeably with simple past tense when describing completed actions. "Was going" implies a continuous or intended action, while simple past describes a finished one.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "was going" functions as a past continuous verb form, indicating an action or state in progress at a specific time in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and widespread use, as seen in numerous examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

78%

Academia

12%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "was going" is a grammatically sound and versatile phrase used to express ongoing actions or states in the past. According to Ludwig AI and its examples, the phrase is very common across different contexts, particularly in News & Media. While alternatives like "was proceeding" or "was heading" exist, "was going" maintains a neutral register suitable for both formal and informal communication. When using this phrase, remember to distinguish it from the simple past tense and "was going to", which implies intention. Ensure accurate tense usage to effectively convey your intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was proceeding

Replaces "going" with "proceeding", emphasizing the continuous and orderly nature of the action.

was heading

Substitutes "going" with "heading", focusing on the direction or destination of the movement.

was moving

Replaces "going" with "moving", highlighting the act of changing position or location.

was progressing

Similar to "was proceeding", but emphasizes the advancement or development of a situation.

was advancing

Like "was progressing", but with a stronger connotation of forward movement or improvement.

was traveling

More specific than "was going", indicating a journey or trip.

was journeying

Similar to "was traveling", but with a more archaic or literary feel.

was en route

A more formal way of saying "was going", emphasizing the state of being on the way.

was on the way

A more common and less formal alternative to "was en route".

was about to

Indicates an imminent action, a slight shift from the continuous sense of "was going".

FAQs

How can I use "was going" in a sentence?

Use "was going" to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. For example, "I "was going" to call you when you rang me".

What are some alternatives to "was going"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "was heading", "was moving", or "was proceeding".

Is it correct to say "I was go" instead of "was going"?

No, "I was go" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form to express an ongoing action in the past is "I "was going"".

What's the difference between "was going to" and "was going"?

"Was going to" indicates an intention or plan that may or may not have been carried out. "Was going", without "to", describes an action that was in progress. For example, "I "was going to" travel to Italy, but I changed my mind". In contrast, "I "was going" to Italy when I heard the news".