The past continuous is used in English to talk about actions or events that were in progress at some time in the past. It is formed with “was” or “were” and a present participle.

1. PAST CONTINUOUS
WHAT IS PAST CONTINUOUS?
 The past continuous is used in English to talk about actions or events that were
in progress at some time in the past. It is formed with “was” or “were” and a
present participle.
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HOW TO FORM
Was/were Subject Was/were Ving Rest of sentence
- I was working now.
- You / We / They were working now.
- He / she / it was working now.
- I was working now.
- You / We / They were working now.
- He / she / it was working now.
was I - working now?
were You / We / They - working now?
was He / she / it - working now?
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---- It used to express action at a particular moment in the past. The action started
before that moment but has not finished at that moment.
I started doing I was doing I finished doing
past past now
At 8 pm, I was in the middle of watching TV.
Past Continuous Tense + Simple Past Tense
We often use the past continuous tense with the simple past tense to say
something happened in the middle of something else. We can join the two ideas
with when or while. In the following example, we have two actions:
1. long action (watching TV), expressed with the past continuous tense
2. short action (telephoned), expressed with the simple past tense

2. I was watching TV when
you telephoned
past now future
- Long action: I was
watching TV at 8
pm.
- Short action: You
telephoned at 8 pm.
We can join these two actions by:
when + short action (simple past tense)
while + long action (past continuous tense)
There are four basic combinations:
I was watching TV when You telephoned
When You telephoned I was watching TV
You telephoned while I was watching TV
While I was watching TV You telephoned
REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDED READING
 Azar, B. S. (1996). Basic English Grammar. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall
Regents.
 Azar, B. S. (2003). Fundamentals of English Grammar: Chartbook: a
Reference Grammar. White Plains, NY: Longman.
 Azar, B. S., & Hagen, S. A. (2009). Understanding and using English
grammar: Workbook. White Plains, N.Y.: Pearson Longman.
 Ansell, M. (2000). Free English Grammar Second Edition.
 Barduhn, S., & Hall, D. (2016). English for Everyone–English Grammar
Guide. New York: DK Publishing.
 Murphy, R., Smalzer, W. R., & Nguyễn, T. T. (2000). Grammar in Use:
Intermediate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
 Murphy, R., & Čhakramāt, S. (2002). Essential grammar in use (Vol. 20010).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.