Read the examples and complete the rules

• When the phone rang, I was having a shower.
• He was reading a book when his wife came.
• While we were having a picnic, it started to rain.

Action in Past Simple

• begins the action in Past Continuous
• finishes the action in Past Continuous
• interrupts the action in Past Continuous

In a sentence, action in Past Continuous can be

• before or after the Past Simple action
• only before the Past Simple action
• only after the Past Simple action

In a sentence, Past Continuous and Past Simple can be used with

• while only
• when only
• both while and when