1. WHEN DO WE USE IT?

For actions placed in the past WITHOUT A SPECIFIC TIME.

This tense is not commonly used on its own, it is most frequently used combined with the Past simple.

2. PAST CONTINUOUS RULES.

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE QUESTION SHORT ANSWER

SUBJECT + WAS / WERE + VB (ING)+
COMPLEMENTS
o Ex.: I was walking to school with Kate.
o Ex.: You were listening to music in your
room.
Ex.: My father was cooking dinner for us.
SUBJECT + WASN’T / WEREN’T + VB (ING) + COMPLEMENTS
(WAS NOT / WERE NOT)
o Ex.: I was not walking to school with Kate.
o Ex.: You weren’t listening to music in your
room.
o Ex.: My father wasn’t cooking dinner for us.
WAS / WERE + SUBJECT + VB (ING)+ COMPLEMENTS?
o Ex.: Was I walking to school with Kate?
o Ex.: Were you listening to music in your
room?
o Ex.: Was my father cooking dinner for us?
 YES + SUBJECT + WAS / WERE
o Yes, I was.
o Yes, you were.
o Yes, he / she / it was.
 NO + SUBJECT + WASN’T/WEREN’T
(WAS NOT / WERE NOT)

o No, I wasn’t (was not).

o No, you weren’t (were not)
o No, he / she / it wasn’t
(was not).

3. CLUES IN THE SENTENCE FOR PAST CONTINUOUS COMBINED WITH PAST SIMPLE.

o WHEN  One action in the past is taking place and suddenly another one interrupts abruptly that ongoing action.
The action that is taking place in that past and that is considered longer in time  PAST CONTINUOUS
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WHEN
The action that interrupts all of a sudden and takes less time to happen  PAST SIMPLE

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> // _________
PAST CONTINUOUS WHEN PAST SIMPLE
  This combination can be used in the order above explained.
(PAST CONTINUOUS + WHEN + PAST SIMPLE)

Ex.: I was driving the car when it started to snow heavily.

 WHEN can be also settled at the beginning, in that case, it is important that you write a comma between the first statement and the second one.
(WHEN + PAST CONTINUOUS, PAST SIMPLE)

Ex.: When I was driving the car, it started to snow heavily.

o WHILE  Two actions are happening at the same time in the past without a specific time.

(PAST CONTINUOUS + WHILE + PAST CONTINUOUS )

Ex.: I was looking through the window while my sister was reading a book in the living room.
Ex.: Uncle Tom wasn’t paying attention while we were swinging and suddenly fell to the floor.
(past continuous + while + past continuous + past simple)
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