Preterite: BE+-ING

Main use: action in the past, which was being done, when another short action interrupted it.

Syntax: auxiliary BE (was/were) + Verb + -ING

Examples:
Were they playing football when you saw them yesterday?

Answers::
Yes, they were playing football when I saw them yesterday.
= Yes, they were.

No, they weren't playing football when I saw them yesterday.
= No, they weren't.

TEST: Please choose the correct tense: simple past or BE+-ING?
I _____________ (1: have) a bath yesterday when the phone _____________ (2: ring). "That must be my mother," I _____________ (3: think). As I _____________ (4: get) out of the bath, I _____________ (5: put) my foot on my watch and I _____________ (6: break) it. The phone _____________ (7: still/ring). I _____________ (8: run) out of the bathroom and I _____________ (9: hit) my head on the door. It _____________ (10: hurt) terribly and I _____________ (11: want) to sit down for a moment, but the phone _____________ (12: still/ring). "Please wait a minute, mother," I _____________ (13: think). The cats _____________ (14: sit) at the top of the stairs. I _____________ (15: not/see) them and I _____________ (16: fall). At the bottom of the stairs I _____________ (17: get up). My right leg _____________ (18: hurt) more than my head. The phone _____________ (19: still/ring). At last I _____________ (20: answer) it. It _____________ (21: be) my mother. "Hello, dear. Is evrything all right?" she _____________ (22: say).

ANSWERS:
1: was having | 2: rang | 3: thought | 4: was getting | 5: put | 6: broke | 7: was still ringing | 8: ran | 9: hit | 10: hurt | 11: wanted | 12: was still ringing | 13: thought | 14: were sitting | 15: didn't see | 16: fell | 17: got up | 18: was hurting | 19: was still ringing [ 20: answered | 21: was | 22: said