Action in progress in the past

SUBJECT + VERB TO BE IN THE PAST + MAIN VERB+ING

I WAS PLAYING
YOU WERE PLAYING
HE/SHE/IT WAS PLAYING
WE WERE PLAYING
YOU WERE PLAYING
THEY WERE PLAYING
When a shorter action took place:

We were playing cards when she arrived

He was playing when the phone rang
It was snowing at 10 a.m yesterday
I was flying to Tokyo at this time yesterday
 In Stories, the past continuous can describe the scene. The simple
past tells the action:

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and the birds were
singing, so we decided to go for a picnic. We put everything in the
car...