The language of change
Choose the viewpoint: an action in progress, a completed event, or a habit that has changed.
The line and the moment
Past continuous: the activity was already in progress. Past simple: an event happened. The continuous does not tell us whether the longer activity continued afterwards.
We were measuring the stream when the rain began.
Build the past continuous
Affirmative
Subject + was/were + verb-ing
I was working. They were working.
Negative
Subject + was not/were not + verb-ing
She wasn’t driving. We weren’t waiting.
Question
Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?
Were you studying? What was he doing?
I/he/she/it → was. You/we/they → were. No did is needed in these forms. Make → making; sit → sitting; lie → lying.
A habit that changed
I used to drive to school, but now I cycle.
Used to + base verb describes a past habit or state that is no longer true. After did/didn’t, use the base form use to: “Did you use to cycle?” / “I didn’t use to cycle.”
Different meaning: “I am used to cycling” = cycling is familiar to me.
When, while, and time markers
When often introduces an event: “I was cooking when the phone rang.” While clearly highlights overlap: “I was cooking while my brother was reading.”
These are common patterns, not absolute rules. When can introduce a background activity too: “The phone rang when we were eating.” While can also occur with simple forms in suitable contexts.
Use the past simple for a completed sequence: “She opened the report, read it, and then left.” State verbs such as know usually stay simple: “I knew the answer.” Choose a tense by meaning, not by a clock time alone.