Past Continuous
The past continuous tense describes actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past.
Formation
Subject + was/were + verb-ing
I was watching TV at 8 PM. She was studying when I called. They were playing football yesterday afternoon.
When to Use
- Interrupted actions: I was having a shower when the phone rang.
- Parallel actions: While I was cooking, he was setting the table.
- Background description: The sun was shining and birds were singing.
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Past simple is for completed actions. Past continuous is for actions in progress. Compare: 'I called her' (completed) vs 'I was calling her' (in progress).