2.2 Past continuous

was / were + present participle (verb-ing)

The past continuous (also called the past progressive) is formed with was / were (the past tense forms of be) + the present participle -ing form of the verb.

Affirmative

Negative

The contracted forms wasn't and weren't are often used instead of was not and were not in spoken and in informal written language.

Interrogative

Past continuous for actions in progress at a specific point in the past

The past continuous tense is used to refer to actions that were in progress at or around a specific point in time in the past. This point can be implied or expressed with a time expression or a clause with a verb in the past simple tense:

At 9 o'clock, I was sitting on the train.
A few minutes ago, they were still dancing.
When I called her, she was studying.
What were you doing when you heard the explosion?
Sorry, can you repeat that? I wasn't listening. (when you said that)

Past continuous for actions happening over a period of time in the past

The past continuous is used to describe actions which continued over a period of time in the past. This period can be expressed with a time expression or a clause with a verb in the past continuous tense. In this case the two actions were happening simultaneously:

I was looking for you all day yesterday.
He was staying in Rome that summer.
Were you sleeping during the speech?
My friends were enjoying themselves playing cards while I was studying in my room.

Past continuous for gradual development

Used without a time expression, the past continuous can express change and gradual development in the past:

It was getting darker and darker.
Our hopes were fading.

Past continuous for frequently repeated actions in the past

With time expressions such as always, constantly, continually and all the time, the past continuous can express frequently repeated past actions which annoy(ed) the speaker:

She was always teasing me.
They were constantly arguing about money.
He was continually interrupting the speaker.
I was getting into trouble all the time.
He was always calling me at night to ask me how I was.

These sentences imply that the actions happened very often, but they are not meant literally. To express the literal meaning, the past simple is used:

He always called me at night to ask me how I was. (He called me every night to ask me how I was.)