USES OF PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE

   Tenses i.e. Present ,Past and Future have their different uses connecting with the four forms. In English, as per (Affirmative, Negative, Interrogative, Interrogative Negative) sentences, the following are the uses of different tenses: 

PAST TENSE

Past tense is refers to the past time of the verbs. It is classified in to four forms:

1.Simple Past or Past Indefinite

2.Past continuous or Past Progressive 

3.Past Perfect

4.Past Perfect Continuous / Progressive 

                    Structure

2. PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE 
 2.1. Structure of Affirmative sentences:
   [Subject + was / were +v-IV(v-1+ing)+object] 

e.g.

 He was dancing.

 We were going to Sambalpur.

 They were waiting to the doctor.

 I was playing football.

 My friends were playing cricket.

2.2. Structure  of Negative sentences :
 [ Subject + was / were +v-IV(v-1+ing) + object ]

e.g.

 She  was not dancing.

 He was not playing in the garden.

 I was not going to school.

 We were not standing in the queue.

 They were not coming from market.

2.3. Structure of Interrogative sentences:  
   [ Was / were + Subject+ v-IV+ object ? ]

e.g.

 Was I writing a story?

 Were you going there?

 Was she playing in the garden?

 Were they coming to our house?

2.4.Structure of Interrogative Negative sentences:
   [ Was / Were + subject + not + v-IV + object? ]

e.g.

 Was I not drinking water?

 Was he not coming here?

 Wasn't he coming here?

uses of past continuous/ Progressive tense :

USE OF PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS :

Past continuous tense is also called past Progressive tense. Now see the following points and examples :
  Past Continuous / Progressive tense is used to express :  

1. An action, that was in progress in the past :

e.g.

 I was speaking.

 He was dancing.

 We were playing.

 She was writing a letter.

 They were swimming.

2. An action, that was in progress in the past when another action also took place :
 e.g.

 My brother was reading when I entered into the room.

 The prime minister was speaking when I switched on the TV.

  My mother was cooking when Meena called her.

3. When two actions in the past are in progress at the same time:

e.g.

 He was playing, while I was singing.

 While She was speaking,Kabita was writing the letter.

4. With adverbs such as forever, constantly, always :
e.g.

  Ram was always speaking native language.

  They were constantly sitting in the bench.

  He was forever asking them to write in the copy.

5. Without a time expression, indicating gradual development :
e.g.

  The cloud was floating.

  It was getting darker.

6. An action, event, sate that was in progress at a certain point of time in the past.
e.g.

  I was getting ready to go to school at 9 a.m.

 At 7.30 a.m Rita was talking her breakfast.