The Continuous Forms. The Past Continuous Tense

Употребление: Прошедшее продолженное время (Past Continuous) обозначает действие, происходившее в определённый момент в прошлом, который обозначен либо обстоятельством времени, либо другим действием в прошлом. При этом ни начало, ни конец длительного действия неизвестны. Подчёркивается сам процесс действия, его продолжительность.

I was writing a letter to my friend

… at 5 o'clock yesterday. … from 5 to 6 on Sunday. … when my brother came. … while my mother was cooking dinner.

Образование: Прошедшее продолженное время (Past Continuous) образуется при помощи глагола to be в Past Indefinite и -ing формы смыслового глагола. was not = wasn't were not = weren't

THE PАST CONTINUOUS TENSE to be + V- ing (participle I)

	Positive form	Negative form	Questions
Sing.	I was reading	I was not reading	Was I reading?
You were reading	You were not reading	Were you reading?
He, she, it was reading	He, she, it was not reading	Was he, she, it reading?
Plural	We were reading	We were not reading	Were we reading?
You were reading	You were not reading	Were you reading?
They were reading	They were not reading	Were they reading?