Formation
to be (was, were) + Infinitiv + -ing
Usage
1. An action was in progress in the past:
Peter was reading a book yesterday evening.
2. Two actions took place at the same time in the past:
Anne was writing a letter while Steve was reading the New York Times.
3. Together with a simple past action:
While we were sitting at the breakfast table, the telephone rang.
4. Repeating actions in the past, where the speaker wants to express favour or dissatisfaction:
Andrew was always coming late.
Examples
I was playing football.
You were playing football.
He was playing footbal.
Negations:
| Longform | Shortform |
|---|---|
| I was not playing football. | I wasn’t playing football. |
| You were not playing football. | You weren’t playing football. |
| He was not playing football. | He wasn’t playing football. |
Questions:
Was I playing football?
Were you playning football?
Was he playing football?
