The Past Progressive
We make the past progressive by using was and were, followed by the main verb with -ing ending, for example, I was looking, they were laughing.
The past progressive is used in the following ways:
(1) We use the past progressive when we want to talk about something that happened in the past and continued to happen for only a limited period of time.
(Example)
(1) We were living in France at that time.
(2) I was trying to get the waiter's attention.
(3) The man was looking at me in a very strange way.
(2) You use the past progressive to talk about something which continued to happen for a period of time, during which another thing happened.
(Example)
(1) I was watching TV when the phone rang.
(2) They met each other while they were staying in London.
(NOTE)
Some verbs are not used in the progressive form. I have listed these verbs in my post about the present progressive tense.
(Example)
I didn't believe him. (NOT: I was not believing him.)
