Определение и Значение "past progressive"

What is the "past progressive"?

The past progressive is a verb tense used to describe actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb "was" or "were" followed by the present participle of the main verb, which typically ends in "-ing." For example, in the sentence "They were playing soccer," the phrase "were playing" indicates that the action was in progress during a particular past moment. The past progressive is often used to set the scene in a narrative, indicate parallel actions, or show that one action was interrupted by another, as in "I was reading when the phone rang." This tense is useful for providing context and describing activities that were happening over a period of time in the past.