The Past Continuous expresses an action in the past that doesnt finish yet.

When something
was happing in the past we have to use the past continuous to represent that action. / O
passado contnuo expressa uma ao no passado que ainda no terminou. Quando algo aconteceu no
passado temos que usar esse tempo para representar a ao.
E.g: The sun was shining at 6:00. / O sol estava brilhando s 6:00.
My mom was sleeping at 7:00 / Minha me estava dormindo s 7:00.
The structure of the past continuous is very simple and easy to memorize, look at the chart
below: / A estrutura do passado contnuo muito simples e fcil para memorizar, veja na tabela
abaixo:
We can use the past continuous in all forms, like we can notice with the followed examples: /
Podemos usar o passado contnuo em todas as formas, como nota-se nos exemplos seguintes:
Affirmative Afirmativa
I was watching a movie yesterday.
Eu estava assistindo a um filme ontem.
We were waiting for you all day long.
Ns estvamos o dia todo esperando por voc.
Interrogative Interrogativa
Was he walking?
Ele estava andando?
Were you coming with us?
Voc viria conosco?
Negative Negativa
She wasnt waking.
Ela no estava andando.
They werent running.
Eles no estavam correndo.
Questions Perguntas
Where was she living?
Onde ela estava morando?
What were they waiting?
O que eles estavam esperando?
Remember that the verb to be has to be in the past (was/were) when used in the past
continuous. The chart will help if any doubts about the use of verb to be in the past appears: /
Lembre-se de que o verbo to be (ser/estar) deve vir no passado (fui/foi/ estive/esteve) quando usado
no passado contnuo. A tabela ajudar se surgir dvidas ao usar o verb to be no passado.

Other examples: / Outros exemplos:

We were watching a movie when my sister and my cousin got home.
Estvamos vendo filme quando minha irm e meu primo chegaram em casa.
When I got up yesterday morning, my neighbor's dog was barking.
Quando acordei ontem de manh, o cachorro do meu vizinho estava latindo.
What were you doing at 10 o'clock last Monday?
O que voc estava fazendo s 10 horas segunda passada?
In 1986, they were living in Liverpool.
Em 1986, eles estavam morando em Liverpool.
While I was cleaning my bedroom, my brother were doing his homework.
Enquanto eu estava arrumando meu quarto, meu irmo estava fazendo seu dever de casa.