Past Continuous / Past Progressive Tense

The Past Progressive Tense 

Form : 
Verbal                          S + was/were + Ving (+)
                                     S  + was/were + Ving (-)
                                     Was / Were + S + Ving (?) 



  Use the past progressive tense to talk about things that were happening in  the past and had not stopped happening. They were continuing.    To make the past progressive tense, use
was or were and a verb that ends in ing.

I was watching television yesterday night.
Ben was finishing his homework yesterday at 10.00 PM.
You and I were tidying the classroom yesterday morning.
We were all dancing at the party yesterday evening .

  You can also use the past progressive tense to say what was happening  when something else happened.

Sam was doing his math homework when the phone rang.
Dad was cooking our dinner when I got home.
When I saw Joe, he was looking for his dog.
We were all enjoying the movie when the power went out.
What were they doing when the bell rang?

  N o t e s

The ing form of a verb is called the present participle.  You use the present participles
with was or were to make the  past progressive tense:
was   +   cleaning
      (present participle)

were  +   listening
       (present participle)
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