free english lesson - past continuous tense

Past Continuous Tense (example : to play)
Affirmative	Negative		Interrogative
	Long Form	Contracted Form
I was playing	I was not playing	I wasn't playing	Was I playing?
You were playing	You were not playing	You weren't playing	Were you playing?
He/she/it was playing	He/she/it was not playing	He/she/it wasn't playing	Was he/she/it playing?
We were playing	We were not playing	We weren't playing	Were we playing?
You were playing	You were not playing	You weren't playing	Were you playing?
They were playing	They were not playing	They weren't playing	Were they playing?

                                       ◊ The Past Continuous tense is used to talk about a continuous action which took place at
                                          a specific time in the past.

                                          ● Yesterday evening, at 9 o'clock, I was watching television.

                                       ◊ It is also used, in sentences with when or while, to refer to an action which was taking place
                                          when a shorter, brief action took place.

                                          ● Yesterday evening, while I was watching television, the phone rang.
                                          ● When my husband arrived home yesterday evening, I was cooking dinner.