What is the structure of Past Continuous Tense in English?

Also known as state-of-being verbs, these verbs cannot be used in any continuous tense, including the past continuous. This is because Stative verbs describe feelings that can't be directly observed or measured in terms of progress. Examples:

·       Incorrect: "I was knowing him."

·       Correct: "I knew him."

·       Incorrect: "He was owning a house."

·       Correct: "He owned a house."

Here are some examples:

·       I was watching a movie when the power went out.

·       They were working in the office.

·       Mary was sleeping when her parents came home.

The past continuous tense adds detail to storytelling. It provides a sense of duration and continuity to events, showing what was happening at a specific moment, or what was in progress when something else occurred.

Have a look at the Past Perfect Continuous Tense examples below:

• They had been playing outside when it began to rain.
• The cats had been meowing all night.
• The mother had been preparing the meals before the guests arrived.