[was/were + present participle]
Examples:
· You were eating when she called.
· Were you eating when she called?
· You were not eating when she called.
USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past
Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is
usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption
in time.
Examples:
· I was watching TV when she called.
USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption
described above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.
Examples:
· Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
· At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
· Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.
USE 3 Parallel Actions
When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time.
Examples:
· I was studying while he was making dinner.
USE 4 Atmosphere
In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.
Example:
· When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped.
USE 5 Repetition and Irritation with "Always"
The Past Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often happened in the past. The concept is very similar to the expression "used to"
but with negative emotion. Remember to put the words "always" or "constantly" between "be" and "verb+ing."
Examples:
· She was always coming to class late.
· He was constantly talking. He annoyed everyone.
· I didn't like them because they were always complaining.
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