The Past Progressive

THE PAST PROGRESSIVE
* STRUCTURE
Subject + verb to be in past + verb + ing + complement
* USE
When we talk about something, which was happening at a special time in the past. It isalso called Past Continuous.
1) Action was in progress at special time in the past
Peter was reading a book yesterday evening.
2) Two actions were happening at the same time (the actions do notinfluence each other)
Anne was writing a letter while Steve was reading the New York Times.
3) together with the Simple Past
While we were sitting at the breakfast table, the telephone rang.The action in the Simple Past interrupted the action in the Past Progressive.
4) repeated actions irritating the speaker (with always, constantly, forever)
Andrew was always coming inlate. (I do not like it.)
Simple Past:
Andrew always came late. (Here I do not give a comment.)
* FORM
AFFIRMATIVE
Subject + auxiliary + verb + ing + complement + Time Expression
NEGATIVESubject + auxiliary + not + verb + ing + complement + Time Expression
QUESTIONS
Auxiliary + subject+ verb + ing + complement + Time Expression + ?

* GERUNDS
- Double the consonant.
Ifthe consonant is not stressed, we do not double it. Benefit - benefiting (Here we stress the first 'e', not the 'i'.)
put - he was putting
- One -e at the end of the word. Leave out the -e.write – he was writing
-  Verbs ending in –ie. Change 'ie' to 'y'.
lie - he was lying
- Verbs ending in –c. Change 'c' to 'ck'.
picnic - he was picnicking

* WHILE/WHEN
The PastProgressive is frequently used in sentences together with the Simple Past.
While (In this part of the sentence we usually use Past Progressive.)
-While we were watching TV, Andy was surfing theinternet.
When (In this part of the sentence we usually use Simple Past. The Past Progressive is used in the other part of the sentence.)
-The ladies were talking when the accident happened.