PAST CONTINUOUS (Narrative Tense)

The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense, refers to a
continuing action or state that was happening at some point in the past.
It can also be used to describe something that was happening continuously in the
past when another action interrupted it.

AFFIRMATIVE STRUCTURE:

Subject + auxiliary (was, were) + verb-ing + complement

I was sleeping on the sofa.
You were studying for the Unit Test.

 Ms. Rosales was playing the guitar (1) when her father arrived (2).
 We were playing soccer.
 He was doing his job when a friend called.

NEGATIVE STRUCTURE:

Subject + auxiliary (wasn’t, weren’t) + verb-ing + complement

I wasn’t sleeping on the sofa.
You weren’t studying for the Unit Test.

 Ms. Rosales wasn’t playing the guitar (1) when her father arrived (2).
 We weren’t playing soccer.
 He wasn’t doing his job when a friend called.
YES / NO – QUESTION WORD
Was - Were + Subject + Verb-ing + complement?
Yes, + subject + was – were
No, + subject + wasn’t – weren’t

 Was I listening?
 Were you working?
 Was she working?
 Was he living in Paris at the time?
 Was it snowing when you arrived?
 Were we eating?
 Were they studying?

To make a 'wh' question (of course) put the question word at the beginning:

 Why was I working?

 Where were you living?
 How was she travelling?
 Where was he going?
 Why was it snowing in the summer?
 What were we eating?
 Why were they studying?