1. How it is formed
Formula:
was / were + V-ing
For example: was working / were working
Subject + was (for I, he, she, it) / were (for you, we, they) + verb ending in -ing.
Rule details
A2 (Pre-Intermediate)
Formula:
was / were + V-ing
For example: was working / were working
Subject + was (for I, he, she, it) / were (for you, we, they) + verb ending in -ing.
Example 1 (action at a specific moment):
At 8pm yesterday, I was reading a book.
Example 2 (two actions, one interrupts the other):
I was watching TV when the phone rang.
Example 3 (action in the background of other events):
They were playing football all afternoon.
Past Continuous vs Simple Past
Simple Past describes completed actions. Past Continuous emphasizes the process or duration in the past.
Example: I watched TV. I was watching TV (action in progress at a specific moment).
Past Continuous vs Past Perfect
Past Continuous — action in progress; Past Perfect — action completed before another event.
Example: I was cooking. I had cooked dinner before they arrived.
Past Continuous vs Past Perfect Continuous
Past Continuous — action at moment X; Past Perfect Continuous — action lasted until moment X.
Example: At 6pm I was studying. By 6pm I had been studying for two hours.