PAST CONTINUOUS FORM [was/were + present participle]

1. Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted.

1.1. • I was watching TV when she called.

2. The Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past.

2.1. • Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.

3. it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time.

3.1. I was studying while he was making dinner.

3.2. While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television

4. In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past

4.1. When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing.

5. The Past Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often happened in the past.

5.1. She was always coming to class late. He was constantly talking. He annoyed everyone.