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What is the form of I was having a bath when the phone rang.

BillJ · Accepted Answer

Define "form".

CalifJim · Answer

redhairroberts
What is the form of I was having a bath when the phone rang.

It's the poster-child sentence for illustrating a typical use of the past continuous with a when-clause.

The past continuous establishes a background activity, and the when-clause represents an interrupting action.

Here are a few more:

Diana was riding a bike in the Nice region when she was hit by a car.
Allen was driving home Wednesday afternoon when his car exploded.
The children were gathering firewood on a mountainside when they were attacked.
Pete was boarding with his boss's daughter when he lost his job.
Helen was shopping when the earthquake hit.

CJ

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