Verb Tenses Explained, With Examples

Past Continuous (Progressive) Tense
Definition
In English, the past continuous tense expresses an action that was in progress at some point in the past.
For example, ‘I was running’.
The past continuous tense is used to talk about an unfinished period of time. It can also refer to a specific action that was happening at a specific point in time.
In the past continuous tense, “was” or “were” is used with an -ing verb to show that something was happening.
Structure/Formula
Subject + was/were + present participle
Examples
He was telling us stories.

1. 
   He was telling a story when we came in.
   
2. 
   When we came in, he was telling a story.
   
3. 
   I was bowling when he walked in.
   
4. 
   While we were eating dinner, he went outside to play soccer with his friends.
   
5. 
   He was speaking to you.
   

Past Perfect Tense
Definition
The past perfect tense uses had and a past participle for the first person, third person singular, and third person plural subjects.
It is also used to describe an action that was completed at some point in the past. It is often used when talking about things that happened before another event in the past.
Structure/Formula
Subject + had + past participle
Examples

1. 
   I had finished all my homework.
   
2. 
   Jack had traveled all over Europe by the age of 18.
   
3. 
   Jill had not visited Rome by the time she turned 30.
   
4. 
   The dog had slept for 10 minutes.
   
5. 
   Had she studied for two hours?
   

Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Definition
The past perfect continuous tense is a verb tense that is used to express an action that started in the past and continued up until another point in the past.
For example, “She had been talking for an hour when I arrived.”