B1-B2 grammar reference

Past Progressive

The past progressive presents an activity as unfolding at a particular past moment. It often supplies background, while the past simple reports the event that moves a story forward.

Form at a glance

Form: subject + was/were + verb-ing

When to use it

In progress at a past time: At eight, I was driving home.
Background in a narrative: People were chatting and music was playing.
An interrupted activity: I was cooking when the lights went out.
Two simultaneous activities: She was reading while I was working.

Sentence patterns

Form	Pattern	Example
Affirmative	S + was/were + V-ing	They were waiting outside.
Negative	S + was/were not + V-ing	I was not paying attention.
Question	Was/Were + S + V-ing?	Were you sleeping?
Interrupted action	progressive + when + past simple	We were eating when Jo arrived.

Compare the meaning

Past progressive

Activity viewed in progress: I was walking home.

Past simple

Complete event or sequence: I walked home and called Sam.

Common mistakes

Use was with I/he/she/it and were with you/we/they.
Do not automatically use the progressive for every long action; choose it when the in-progress viewpoint matters.
Use the past simple for the shorter interrupting event in the usual narrative pattern.

Nuance and natural usage

With always, it can express annoyance about repeated past behaviour: He was always borrowing my charger.
A time expression does not determine the tense by itself: I worked from eight to ten presents the period as complete; I was working at nine looks inside it.