Past Continous

A. The past continuous is often used with the simple past. Both actions
happened at the same time, but one action (past continuous) started earlier
and was in progress when the other action (simple past) happened.
Examples:
I was watching a movie when the phone rang.
Earlier Action Later action (interrupting the first)

8:15 9:00 10:30

Past continuous: I was watching a movie from 8:15 10:30.
Simple past: The phone rang at 9:00. X

I fell yesterday while I was running.

I started running I fell down. I stopped running.

Past continuous: I was running.
Simple past: I fell yesterday.

B. The past continuous is also used to say that someone was in the middle of doing something at a specific
time.
Examples:
She was studying in Spain last October.

August October January

Past continuous: She was studying in Spain. (From August to January).
Specific time: last October.

I was making dinner at 7:00 last night. What were you doing?

6:30 7:00 8:00

Past continuous: I was making dinner. (From 6:30 to 8:00).
Specific time: 7:00 last night.
SIMPLE PAST/PAST CONTINUOUS

The simple past talks about something that happened before and finished. It is a short action.
Some verbs are regular and have –ed added at the end like walked, helped, played. Others are
irregular and have many variations like ate, began, slept.

I went to the movies last night.

I dropped my cup this morning.

I saw Sarah.

The Past Continuous talks about something that was happening before but for a longer
duration before it was interrupted. This interruption is usually an action in the Simple Past,
but we can also say this action had already started and was continuing at a particular time in
the past. This tense is formed using two parts: the verb BE (IN THE PAST TENSE) and the
ING form of a verb. (I was singing; You were singing; He/She/It was singing; We were
singing; They were singing)

Example: While I was eating, the telephone rang.

So, during the time I was eating (6:30-7:00 p.m.) somebody called my house (let`s say they
called at 6:49p.m.) One thing happened (simple past) during the period of time another thing
was happening (past continuous).

Another example: They saw an old man while they were walking down the street.

Example of a particular time: It was raining at five o`clock. It started raining (maybe 4
o`clock) and finished raining later (maybe at 7 o`clock)

We began the Past Continuous clause usually with While, but we can also use When, or nothing
if the past tense clause begins with When.

Example: While I was studying, she called.

I was studying when she called.

When I was studying, she called.

Note: There are some verbs which cannot be used in the continuous tense or can be used only
under certain conditions. These are called stative verbs. https://www.perfect-english-
grammar.com/stative-verbs.html

A verb which isn't stative is called a dynamic verb, and is usually an action.
Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic:

Be
be is usually a stative verb, but when it is used in the continuous it means 'behaving' or
'acting'

 you are stupid = it's part of your personality

 you are being stupid = only now, not usually

Think
 think (stative) = have an opinion
I think that coffee is great
 think (dynamic) = consider, have in my head
what are you thinking about? I'm thinking about my next holiday

Have
 have (stative) = own
I have a car
 have (dynamic) = part of an expression
I'm having a party / a picnic / a bath / a good time / a break

See
 see (stative) = see with your eyes / understand
I see what you mean
I see her now, she's just coming along the road
 see (dynamic) = meet / have a relationship with
I've been seeing my boyfriend for three years
I'm seeing Robert tomorrow

Taste
 taste (stative) = has a certain taste
This soup tastes great
The coffee tastes really bitter
 taste (dynamic) = the action of tasting
The chef is tasting the soup

('taste' is the same as other similar verbs such as 'smell')