I was doing / they weren't

Grammar notes

Action in Progress (Past Continuous)

Use the past continuous for an action that was already happening at a time in the past. It often sets the scene and shows the background of a story. The form is was / were + verb-ing.

• Example: I was reading at nine o'clock.
• Example: They weren't playing outside.

Quick Rule

• I / he / she / it -> was + verb-ing
• you / we / they -> were + verb-ing

This tense is the camera that catches the action in the middle.