THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE
The past continuous tense shows a continuous action that began in the past. It is the past tense version of the present continuous, which also describes ongoing actions. The present and past continuous are very similar, but the past continuous uses was and were, the past tense of to be.
The past continuous tense formula involves the past tense of to be (was or were) and the present participle of the verb, the –ing form.
[was/were] + [present participle]
While I was studying, my friends were playing.
Keep in mind that you must conjugate to be to match the subject. Use was for first- or third-person singular subjects, such as I, he, she, or it.
She was working on an email when the fire alarm rang.
The team was playing well until the second half.
Use were for all other subjects, including all plural subjects and the singular second-person subject, you.
You were becoming a great novelist before switching to screenplays.
The days were getting shorter as winter approached.
As we explain in our grammar guide, there is a certain type of verb that cannot be used in any continuous tense, including the past continuous tense. These are called stative verbs, also known as state-of-being verbs or, fittingly, non-continuous verbs.
Stative verbs are less like actions and more like states or feelings. They describe continual states of mind, such as opinions, needs, or awareness. Some of the most common examples of stative verbs include:
Because stative verbs are inherently continuous, it sounds odd to put them in a continuous tense. Avoid using the above words in the past continuous—you can use them in the simple past instead.
