​What were you doing?

​Watch the next video

​Past Progressive or Past Continuous

To describe activities that happened simultaneously or activities that were interrupted by another event.​

​Past Progressive

We use Past Progressive or Past Continuous to​ talk about:

​Action in the past that happened before and after another action:

• The children were doing their homework when I got home.

​

This use of the past continuous is very common at the beginning of a story:

• The other day I was waiting for a bus when …

• Last week, as I was driving to work,

​Past Progressive

To show that something continued for some time:

• My head was aching.

• Everyone was shouting.

​

For something that happened again and again:

• I was practicing every day, three times a day.

• They were meeting secretly after school.

• They were always quarreling.

​Past Progressive

With verbs that show change or growth:

• The children were growing up quickly.

• Her English was improving excellently.

• My hair was going grey.

• The town was changing quickly.

​

We do not normally use the past continuous with stative verbs. We use the past simple instead:

• ​When I got home, I really needed (NOT was needing) a shower.

​Watch the next video...

​Pay attention to the story.