English — Past continuous vs past simple
Use the past continuous (was/were + -ing) for a longer background action in progress, and the past simple for a shorter, completed action that interrupts it: I was cooking when he called.
How it works
The past continuous sets the scene — a longer action already in progress: I was cooking. The past simple names the shorter event that interrupts it: he called. The two are usually joined by when (before the interruption) or while (before the ongoing action): I was cooking when he called = While I was cooking, he called.
Examples
| Sentence | What is happening |
|---|---|
| I was cooking when he called. | Cooking was in progress; the call interrupted it. |
| While she was sleeping, the phone rang. | Sleeping was the long background; the ring was the short event. |
| They were walking home when it started to rain. | The walk was ongoing; the rain began suddenly. |
| We were watching TV when the lights went out. | Watching was the background; the blackout interrupted it. |
| When I arrived, they were having dinner. | Arriving was the short event; the dinner was already in progress. |
| The sun was shining and the birds were singing. | Two continuous actions describing the scene at the same time. |
Good to know
Watch the order of tenses. When both actions are short and happen one after another, use two past simples, not the continuous: When he called, I answered (first the call, then the reply) — not I was answering. Also, stative verbs (know, want, like, have = possess) normally stay in the past simple: I knew him, not I was knowing him.