Form

Positive and negative

Question

Points to note

1. All continuous verbs forms are composed of the auxiliary verb 'be' plus the gerund (-ing ) of the main verb.
2. We use the continuous only for verbs which describe actions.
3. Note that for questions is not necessary to use 'do' because there is already an auxiliary verb 'be'.

Use

The past continuous is used:

1) for describing the situation or background to a story, or actions in progress.

• The band was playing and the waiters were serving the VIP's who where sitting at their tables.

2) to express activity in progress before and after a particular time in the past.

• At 6 o'clock yesterday evening they were having a meeting at the Hilton hotel.

3) to express an incomplete activity in the past.

• While on my train journey to Rome I was reading an interesting book about the cosmos. (I didn't finish the book.)

4) to express an action done repeatedly.

• He was banging on the door to wake me up.

5) to show duration and is often used with other tenses. (past simple and past continuous)

• She was writing a letter when her mother entered the room.
• While they were walking up the mountain there was a tremendous wind blowing.
• When he was driving to work he had an accident.

To study the past simple click here.
To study the present perfect simple here.
To study the difference between the present simple and continuous click here.