Subject + was/were + verb+ING
We can use the past continuous to:
describe an activity happening in the past, often overlapping another action
_ I was watching TV, when the phone rang
describe the setting for a story
_ I was living in Spain at that time
describe a repeated action or habit in the past
_ I was studying every day when I was at university
Part 2 Questions
We can use this tense effectively to give the setting or background to an event.
Q: Describe a time you had to wake up early
A:
At that time, I was studying for my university exams
And I was getting up early every day (past habit)
Possible substitutes for getting up early:
Burning the midnight oil = working late into the night
Pouring over my books = studying my books a lot
Q: Describe a time you watched a play
A:
I remember I was visiting London on holiday,
And I decided to go to the theatre
I wanted to watch ‘The Lion King’
Q: Describe a time you got bored
A:
I was living in London at that time,
And I got invited to a party
But it was so tedious
Possible substitutes for tedious:
tiresome / monotonous / mind-numbingly boring
This tense is also commonly used to describe an activity in progress when a second activity begins
Q: Describe a time you heard someone talking on the phone
A:
I was sitting on the train
on my way to work
when this man started speaking loudly
on his mobile phone