At a glance
- Start
- Was the action in the middle when something else happened?Yeswas / were + -ingI was reading when the phone rang.
- A short, finished actionpast simpleThe phone rang.
- 1SubjectThey
- 2was / werewere
- 3verb + -ingplaying
- 4the restfootball at 5 pm.
In the middle of an action
I was sleeping when the phone rang.
She was having a shower when the doorbell rang.
We were walking home when it started to rain.
They were watching TV when the lights went out.
was / were+verb-ing
What were you doing?
- What were you doing at 8 o'clock last night? I was reading.
- At midnight, we were still talking.
While and when
- when + past simple (the short action): when the phone rang
- while + past continuous (the long action): while I was cooking
- While I was cooking, my brother was doing his homework.
Practice
Answer the questions. Get 7 out of 10 to finish this lesson.