Past progressive for emphasis

Question

Hi, I would like to ask you about using the past progressive. I know that we use the past simple to talk about completed actions in the past, e.g. I played football on Saturday. I travelled across Europe last year. But can I also use the past progressive for emphasizing the activity? Can I also say I was playing football on Saturday. I was travelling across Europe last year when I want to emphasize the process and acitivity?

Paromita Pal · Accepted Answer

I also have the same kind of query. I usually tend to use past progressive tense while talking to others.. But I am quite unsure whether I am correct in using it..

Mister Micawber · Answer

In the examples you have given, I would say 'yes', but be careful, as learners often use that verb form inappropriately. It is usually used to show a durational activity during which another action happened: I would have met you for lunch, but I was playing football and forgot our date. You couldn't reach me last year because I was travelling across Europe.

SandraP · Answer

We use Past Continuos to talk about activities that continued for some time in the past. It has nothing with present tense, which means that the activity is finished in the past but as the name `continuous` itself tells you, the activity lasted for certain period in past, it has duration. Therefore you can say :  I was travelling across Europe last year or I was playing football on Saturday when you want to say that this lasted for some time in past.

Past progressive for emphasis

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