Grammar - Past Continuous Tense

The PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE
indicates continuing action, something that was happening, going on, at some point in the past. This tense is formed with the helping "to be" verb, in the past tense, plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending):

    I was riding my bike all day yesterday.
    Joel was being a terrible role model for his younger brother.


The past progressive indicates a limited duration of time and is thus a convenient way to indicate that something took place (in the simple past) while something else was happening:

    Carlos lost his watch while he was running.

Singular    Plural
I was walking    we were walking
you were walking    you were walking
he/she/it was walking    they were walking

Singular    Plural
I was sleeping    we were sleeping
you were sleeping    you were sleeping
he/she/it was sleeping    they were sleeping

Singular    Plural
I was being    we were being
you were being    you were being
he/she/it was being    they were being

Dad was working in his garden all morning.
During the mid-50s, real estate speculators were buying all the swampland in Central Florida, and innocent people were investing all their money in bogus development projects.
Was he being good to you?

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/tenses/past_progressive.htm