Past Progressive Tense

 

 

 

 

 

The past progressive is used to indicate two actions occurring in the past with one action being interrupted by the second action. The interruption can be either an action or a time.
The past progressive can also be used to indicate two actions occurring at the same time.
Note: Simple Past vs Past Progressive
When an action is interrupted in the simple past, by time, we are informed when the action began or finished.
When an action is interrupted in the past progressive by time, we are only aware of the time of interruption.

Form. was/were + bare infinitive + “ing”

The following word is often used in this tense: while.

Positive Statement

Subject	Auxiliary Verb (was / were)	Main Verb (bare infinitive + "ing"	Object	where	when	how	why
I	was	playing	video games		when Carlos called.
You	were	playing	video games		when Carlos called on Saturday.
Harry	was	playing	video games		when Carlos called on Saturday.
We	were	playing	video games		on Saturday.
The boys	were	playing	video games		on Saturday.

Question

"W" Question Word	Auxiliary Verb	Subject	Main Verb	Object	where	when	how	why
	Will Am	I I	be sleeping going to be sleeping			when it starts to rain? when it starts to rain?
	Will Are	you you	be sleeping going to be sleeping			when it starts to rain? when it starts to rain?
Why Why	will is	Jackie Jackie	be sleeping going to be sleeping			when it starts to rain? when it starts to rain?
	Will Are	we we	be sleeping going to be sleeping			when it starts to rain? when it starts to rain?
Where Where	will are	they they	be sleeping going to be sleeping			when it starts to rain? when it starts to rain?

Negative Statement

Subject	Auxiliary Verb (was / were)	"not" + Main Verb (bare infinitive + "ing")	Object	where	when	how	why
I	was	not playing	music		yesterday.
You	were	not playing	music	at home	yesterday.
Lucy	was	not playing	music	at home	yesterday.
Jackie and I	were	not playing	music		yesterday.
Julie and Jackie	were	not studying	music		yesterday.

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