.
What
were
you
doing
when you heard the explosion?
Sorry, can you repeat that? I
wasn't listening
.
(when you said that)
Related topics:
Present continuous for actions in progress at the time of speaking
Future continuous for actions in progress at a specific point in the future
Past simple to express a point in the past
Past continuous for actions happening over a period of time in the past
The past continuous is used to describe actions which continued over a period of time in the past. This period can be expressed with a time expression or a clause with a verb in the past continuous tense. In this case the two actions were happening simultaneously:
I
was looking
for you all day yesterday.
He
was staying
in Rome that summer.
Were
you
sleeping
during the speech?
My friends
were enjoying
themselves playing cards while I
was studying
in my room.
Related topics:
Future continuous for actions happening over a period of time in the future
Past continuous for gradual development
Used without a time expression, the past continuous can express change and gradual development in the past:
It
was getting
darker and darker.
Our hopes
were fading
.
Related topics:
Present continuous for gradual development
Past continuous for frequently repeated actions in the past
With time expressions such as always, constantly, continually and all the time, the past continuous can express frequently repeated past actions which annoy(ed) the speaker:
She
was always teasing
me.
They
were constantly arguing
about money.
He
was continually interrupting
the speaker.
I
was getting
into trouble
all the time
.
He
was always calling
me at night to ask me how I was.
These sentences imply that the actions happened very often, but they are not meant literally. To express the literal meaning, the past simple is used:
He always
called
me at night to ask me how I was.
(He called me every night to ask me how I was.)
Related topics:
Present continuous for frequently repeated actions in the present
Past simple for past habits and states
Past continuous for temporary habitual actions in the past
The past continuous is used to express repeated or habitual actions in the past that were temporary:
At that time, she
was meeting
him twice a week.
When I lived in London, I
was getting
up at 5 am to be able to get to work by 6.
Related topics:
Present continuous for temporary habitual actions in the present
Future continuous for temporary habitual actions in the future
The difference between the past simple and the past continuous
Main events and background events in a story
In a story which is told in the past tense, the main events (the ones that happen in the foreground and carry the story forward) are expressed with the past simple, while the past continuous is used for background events:
Ten people
were sitting
around the table. It
was raining
outside. Suddenly, the door
opened
and a woman
entered
the room. She
was wearing
a black dress. Everyone
stared
at, her but she
didn't say
anything. She slowly
went
to the table and
put
an envelope on it. They
were
just
staring
at her as she
left
the room.
Note the difference between these two sentences from the story:
Everyone
stared
at her.
They
were
just
staring
at her.
The past simple in the first sentence expresses a momentary, completed action, whereas the past continuous in the second sentence expresses an action in progress.
Here is another example for the same contrast:
I
went
home at 7.
(completed action)
At 7, I
was going
home.
(action in progress)
Related topics:
Past simple for completed actions in the past
Past continuous for actions in progress at a specific point in the past
Past perfect
Form: past perfect
Past perfect for actions completed before a point in the past