The core idea — the routine that belonged to a chapter
Think about a specific period of your life — a year abroad, a time when you were training for something, a period when you were living somewhere different. During that time, you probably had a daily routine that was different from your normal life. You did certain things regularly — every day, every week — but only because of the specific circumstances of that period.
That is exactly what this use of the Past Continuous describes: a temporary routine or habit that existed during a defined past period. The habit was real and regular — but it was not permanent. It belonged to that particular chapter of your life, and when the chapter ended, so did the habit.
The two essential ingredients:
1. A routine or repeated action (cycling every day, getting up at five, eating instant noodles)
2. A temporary past period that gives the routine its context (that year, while I was a student, during his training, while the office was being renovated)
How does this differ from Past Simple and "used to"?
This is the most nuanced distinction in this section. All three forms can describe past habits, but they carry different meanings:
Past Continuous
That year, she was cycling to work.
→ Emphasizes the temporary, lived experience of the routine. Focuses on what life was like during that period.
Past Simple
That year, she cycled to work.
→ A neutral statement of fact. Reports the habit without focusing on the experience of living it.
Used to
She used to cycle to work.
→ Emphasizes contrast with the present — she no longer does this. Less focus on the temporary period.
The Past Continuous is the most vivid of the three — it puts you inside the habit, describing what life was like while it was happening. It is especially natural when you want to paint a picture of a past chapter of someone's life.
How is it formed?
She was cycling to work every day that year.
He was getting up at five every morning during his marathon training.
They were eating instant noodles while they were students.
Affirmative sentences
- That year, she was cycling to work every day to save money on the bus.
- While they were students, they were eating a lot of instant noodles to keep costs down.
- During his marathon training, he was getting up at five every morning to run before work.
- While the office was being renovated, the team was meeting in a café every morning.
- During her sabbatical, she was writing two thousand words every morning before breakfast.
Negative sentences
She wasn't driving to work — she had sold her car.
He wasn't studying all weekend — he kept Saturdays free.
- While they were students, they weren't eating in restaurants — they couldn't afford it.
- On Sundays, he wasn't getting up early — that was his rest day.
- They weren't staying in a hotel — that would have been too expensive.
- In the evenings, she wasn't writing — she kept those hours for reading.
- At first, he wasn't swimming every day — he had to build up gradually.
Interrogative sentences
Was she cycling to work that year? · Were they meeting every day?
Wh- questions: Question word + was/were + subject + verb-ing + ?
How was she getting to work that year?
Where were they staying while their house was being renovated?
How often were they meeting during the critical phase?
- How was she getting to work that year?
- Where were they staying while their house was being renovated?
- Was he swimming every day during his physiotherapy?
- What were they eating while they were students?
- How often were they meeting during the critical phase?
Key time expressions signalling a temporary period
Common mistakes to watch out for
✗ During his training, he got up at five every morning. (possible but less vivid)
✓ During his marathon training, he was getting up at five every morning.
The Past Simple reports. The Past Continuous shows. When you want to convey what life was like during a temporary period — to put the reader inside the experience — the Past Continuous is the more expressive and natural choice. It signals: this was his reality, his daily experience, during that time.
✗ While the office was being renovated, the team used to meet in a café.
✓ While the office was being renovated, the team was meeting in a café every morning.
Used to describes habits without necessarily connecting them to a specific temporary situation. When you name the exact circumstances that created the temporary habit (while the office was being renovated, during his training), the Past Continuous is more natural — it connects the habit directly to its temporary context.
✗ That summer, she was working the night shift on Thursday. (sounds like one ongoing event)
✓ That summer, she was working night shifts every week.
✓ That summer, she worked the night shift on Thursday. (one specific occasion → Past Simple)
The Past Continuous for temporary habits must involve repetition — a routine, not a single event. If you are talking about one specific occasion during a period, use the Past Simple. The Past Continuous needs a frequency element: every day, every morning, twice a week, regularly.
✗ She was cycling to work every day. (unclear why — sounds ongoing with no end point)
✓ That year, she was cycling to work every day to save money.
✓ While her car was being repaired, she was cycling to work every day.
Without a temporal context, the Past Continuous for a repeated action can sound unclear or unnatural. Always anchor the temporary habit to its period — either with a time expression (that year, that summer) or a situational clause (while..., during..., when...). This context is what makes the habit clearly temporary.