The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive, is a verb tense used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past. It is formed by combining the helping verb "was" or "were" with the present participle (-ing) of the main verb. There are several synonyms for this tense including, but not limited to, the progressive past, ongoing past, and continuous past. These synonyms are often used interchangeably and serve the same purpose of indicating actions in the past that were ongoing or in progress. It is important for writers and speakers to understand all synonyms for the past continuous tense to better communicate their message.