Essential Grammar in Use(Third Edition)--Past Unit14

I was doing(past continuous) and I did (past simple)

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A 

Jack was reading a book.

The phone rang.

He stopped reading.

He answered the phone.

 

What happened?  The phone rang.   (past simple)

What was Jack doing when the phone rang?   He was reading a book.   (past continuous)

What did he do when the phone rang?   He stopped reading and answered the phone.   (past simple)

Jack began reading before the phone rang. So when the phone rang, he was reading.

 

B

past simple	past continuous
A: What did you do yesterday morning?                             B: We played tennis. (from 10 to 11.30)                 (We played  complete action) Jack read a book yesterday. (= from beginning to end) Did you watch the film on television last night? It didn't rain while we were on holiday.	A: What were you doing at 10.30?                                 B: We were playing tennis.                                 (We were playing  unfinished action)  Jack was reading a book when the phone rang.  Were you watching television when I phoned you?\ It wasn't raining when I got up.

• I started work at 9 o'clock and finished at 4.30. At 2.30 I was working.
• It was raining when we went out. (= it started raining before we went out)
• I saw Lucy and Steve this morning. They were waiting at the bus stop.
• Kelly fell asleep while she was reading.