Past Continuous Form : ( Was / were + verb -ing )

In English we use the past continuous to talk about an action taking place during a period of time in the past. We usually use it with past simple.

The table below shows the different forms of past continuous :

In English we use the past continuous to show that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the past simple. This can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

Past Continuous Examples Sentences :

Positive Examples of Past Continuous :

• I was cooking dinner when she phoned.
• While we were cycling in the park, it started to rain.
• While Alex was exercising, someone stole his bike.

Negative Examples of Past Continuous :

• You were not listening to the teacher when she gave us our homework.
• He wasn't paying attention when the fire alarm went off.
• We weren't watching the film during the scary parts. 

Question Examples of Past Continuous :

• What were you doing when you had the car accident?
• What were you doing when the police turned up?
• Where was he living when the attack happened in London?

In English we can also use a specific time as an interruption.

Examples Sentences :

• Last night at 6 PM, I was travelling home.
• At midnight, I was still studying for my exam.
• Yesterday at this time, I was sitting on a beach in Australia.

When you use the past continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it means that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel. 

Examples Sentences :

• I was swimming while he was sunbathing.
• While Emily was cooking, Brian was doing his homework.
• Were you listening when I was speaking to you?
• They were sitting by the pool, sipping cocktails, and talking about life.