Past Progressive

Beware! The post is full  of ungrammatical   stuff:

The Past Progressive is used to express:

1.Action going on at a given past moment
-markers: at … o’clock yesterday, at that moment, at midnight, all day, from 5 till 6 yesterday, the whole evening,

-another past action in the past simple:
e.g. Jonas was pulling his pud when his roommate Jill came in.
Tina cut off her finger while she was shaving.

-context (to stress process): e.g. My flatmates were doing it. I was listening.















2.Action going on at a given period in the past.
Time specification may or not be present (all day, all that year, yesterday, the whole morning, from … till ..)

Past Simple expresses a *FACT*,
Past Progressive expresses a *PROCESS*.

e.g. What were you doing there? I was looking for the spliff I had stashed away.


3.Actions generally characterizing a person bringing out his personal traits. (Always with: ALWAYS, CONSTANTLY, CONTINUALLY)

e.g. She was constantly chewing her nails.

4.Future action viewed from the past. (actions are supposed to take place due to one’s own previous decision). Time indication not necessary + usually with the verbs of motion)

e.g. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming. I would have got rid of the body.
I thought you were never coming. (irritation)

5.Past Progressive is used in Descriptions
The birds were singing, the sun was shining brightly. Jake was dissecting a frog and listening to Wagner in his plugs.

The Past Progressive  is normally never used with the words in bold: 

I fucken loved/liked you.
I fucken hated you.
Oh, I forgot you had a herpie.
Sometimes she wished she hadn't been born.
A teenage girl was being raped. I saw it and puked.
And at that moment he wanted most desperately to strangle his hamster.
He was beginning to remember that you shouldn't use the word "remember" in the progressive aspect.
I knew she was lying. Her answers were, (my nan taught me this word) noncommittal answers.
I've been hearing u actually could use hear in the progressive.
He needed a friend. A male friend. He came out of the closet.

Do come up with your examples for to believe, to understand.