Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous Tense

Definition & Usage

This is used
- to describe an action which was happening at a certain time in the past

For Examples
It was drizzling all day yesterday.
Were you using the gas stove yesterday afternoon?

- to mark an action which was going on when a second one took place, usually with words like 'while', 'when', and 'as'

For Examples
While he was wacthing television, the telephone rang.
While I was taking my shower, he called.

- to show two continuing actions happening at the same time in the past.

For examples
He was reading while she was knitting.
As she was taking his bath, she was singing!

- to replace the Present Continuous tense in Indirect Speech

For examples
Direct : I told him ' We are coming'
Indirect : I told him that we were coming