1. Äëÿ âûðàæåíèÿ äåéñòâèÿ, äëèâøåãîñÿ â îïðåäåëåííûé ìîìåíò â ïðîøëîì, êîòîðûé îáîçíà÷åí îáñòîÿòåëüñòâîì âðåìåíè, ëèáî äðóãèì äåéñòâèåì â ïðîøëîì:
I was writing a letter at five o’clock yesterday.
She was speaking by the phone when her husband came.
Ïðè ýòîì íè íà÷àëî, íè êîíåö äëèòåëüíîãî äåéñòâèÿ íå èçâåñòíû, à òàêæå íå èçâåñòíî, êàê äîëãî ýòî äåéñòâèå äëèëîñü.
2.Äëÿ âûðàæåíèÿ äëèòåëüíîãî ïðîøåäøåãî äåéñòâèÿ, ïðîòåêàâøåãî â îïðåäåëåííûé ïåðèîä âðåìåíè â ïðîøëîì. Íà ýòîò ìîìåíò óêàçûâàþò ñëåäóþùèå îáñòîÿòåëüñòâà âðåìåíè:
from 6 to / till 7Jane was cleaning the flat from 6 till 7 yesterday.
all day longWe were walking in the forest all day long.
the whole day yesterdayHe was sleeping the whole day yesterday.
È â ýòîì ñëó÷àå íà÷àëî è êîíåö äëèòåëüíîãî äåéñòâèÿ íå èçâåñòíû, âàæíî òîëüêî, ÷òî îíî äëèëîñü âåñü óêàçàííûé ïåðèîä âðåìåíè.
3.Äëÿ âûðàæåíèÿ îäíîâðåìåííûõ äëèòåëüíûõ äåéñòâèé â ïðîøëîì, ïðè ýòîì ïðèäàòî÷íîå ïðåäëîæåíèå îáû÷íî ââîäèòñÿ ñîþçîì while, à â ãëàâíîì ïðåäëîæåíèè òàêæå ìîæíî èñïîëüçîâàòü the Past Simple.
The children were playing in the garden while their mother was knitting.
As I was taking a shower, mother was cooking breakfast.
She watched TV while the children were playing in the garden.
While Nancy was cooking dinner her husband read the newspaper.
4.Äëÿ îáîçíà÷åíèÿ õàðàêòåðèñòèêè ÷åëîâåêà (÷àùå âñåãî íåãàòèâíîé) â ýìîöèîíàëüíî îêðàøåííîé ðå÷è.
This dealer was always talking about money!
Whenever I met Peter he was constantly talking about his car.
The Past Continuous íå óïîòðåáëÿåòñÿ ñ ãëàãîëàìè, êîòîðûå îáîçíà÷àþò ñîñòîÿíèå. Ñïèñîê ýòèõ ãëàãîëîâ ïðåäñòàâëåí â ó÷åáíèêå È.Â.Çìèåâîé «Practical English Grammar Handbook» íà ñòð.24.