Past Progressive
What Is It?
The past progressive tense illustrates actions in progress at a past time, often for background.
Subject → was/were → verb-ing.
Why Use Past Progressive?
- Background: Sets scenes for interruptions.
- Duration: Shows extended past actions.
- Parallelism: Describes simultaneous events.
When to Choose Past Progressive
- Incident reports with interruptions.
- Storytelling in retrospectives.
- Describing atmospheres in reviews.
- Flashbacks in tutorials.
Forming Past Progressive Sentences
| Structure | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + was/were + V-ing + O | “He was installing updates.” |
| Negative | S + was/were not + V-ing + O | “They were not responding.” |
| Question | Was/Were + S + V-ing + O? | “Were you compiling?” |
| Time Expression | S + was/were + V-ing + O + at that time | “She was coding at midnight.” |
Tips for Writing with Past Progressive
- Combine with simple for interruptions (while... suddenly).
- Use when/while for connections.
- Avoid overkill; mix with simple.
- Contract wasn't/weren't casually.
- Highlight temporary past states.
Exceptions & Nuances
- Stative verbs rarely progressive.
- Can polite requests (e.g., “I was wondering”).
- In narratives, builds suspense.
- Overlaps with used to for habits.