Past Continuous

Affirmative
•Subject + Was / Were + -ing
I was reading a book.
You were sleeping.
He / She / It was eating a pizza.
We were buying bread.
You were writing an email.
They were watching TV.
 Negative
•Subject + was / were + not + -ing
I was not reading a book.
You were not sleeping.
He / She / It wasn’t eating a pizza.
We weren’t buying bread.
You weren’t writing an email.
They weren’t watching TV.
 Interrogative
•Was / Were + subject + -ing ?
Was I reading a book? Yes, I was.
Were you sleeping? Yes, I was.
Was she eating a pizza? Yes, she was.
Were we buying bread? No, we weren’t.
Were you writing an email? No, we weren’t.
Were they watching TV? Yes, we were.
What were you listening to ?
I was listening to music.
 USES
•For an action in progress at a particular
time in the past.
He was working in Boston in 1999.
•For a temporary situation.
We were spending a week with our friends.
You can find the Past Continuous and the
Past Simple in the same sentence.
I was reading a magazine when Mary
appeared.
WHEN / WHILE + Past Continuous.
They postman appeared when the man was
opening the door.
The policeman arrived while they were
speaking.
•WHEN + Past Simple.
•He was sleeping when the phone rang.