Read and understand the following explanations on usage of the Past Continuous Tense (Past Progressive) and then examine illustrative examples from the works of literature.
The Past Continuous Using: Explanations
I. The Past Continuous expresses an action which was going on at a given moment in the past. As a rule, there is no indication on a given past moment, it is implied in the situation. Sometimes it is indicated by stating the precise time or with the help of another action in the Past Indefinite. See dialogues 1, 2.II. The Past Continuous expresses an action which was going on at a given period of time in the past. The indication of the past period of time is understood from the context or given in the sentence. See dialogues 3, 4.