| Let's look at the sentence pattern. |
| This pattern is the structure that all of our examples will follow. |
| [て-form of verb/verb phrase] + いました |
| [te-form of verb/verb phrase] + imashita |
| "I was doing [verb] regularly"/"I used to do [verb]." |
| This pattern expresses an action that was ongoing or habitual in the past. |
| We’ve already learned to use 〜ています to say what someone is doing right now, for example, たべています means “I’m eating.” |
| It’s basically the same pattern — the て-form of a verb, followed by います — but we’re putting it in the past tense. |
| So instead of 〜ています, we say 〜ていました. |
| That’s how we express an action that was ongoing or habitual in the past. |
| Let’s see how a line from the dialogue follows this pattern. |
| 毎日､ 大学のジムで トレーニングしていましたよ｡ (Mainichi, daigaku no jimu de torēningu shite imashita yo.) |
| "I trained at the university gym every day." |
| 毎日 (mainichi) means “every day” and sets the context of something done regularly. |
| 大学のジムで (daigaku no jimu de) means “at the university gym.” This tells us the location where the action happened. |
| トレーニングして is the て-form of the verb phrase トレーニングする (to train). |
| いました shows that this action was happening habitually in the past. |
| Together, トレーニングしていました means “was training” or “used to train.” |
| You are already familiar with the simple past for ました. Let's compare ました with ていました. |
| ました is the simple past tense — it tells us that something happened and is now finished. For example: たべました means “I ate.” |
| ていました is the past continuous or habitual form — it tells us that something was happening over time or was a regular habit in the past. For example: たべていました means “I was eating” or “I used to eat.” |
| So remember: |
| Use ました for one-time, completed actions |
| Use ていました for ongoing or repeated actions in the past |
| Now let's look at some speaking examples. |
| わかいとき、アメリカのかいしゃで はたらいていました｡ (Wakai toki, Amerika no kaisha de hataraite imashita.) |
| When I was young, I worked at an American company. |
| Can you see how the pattern applies here? |
| Let's break it down: |
| わかいとき means “when I was young.” It sets the time frame for when the action was happening. |
| アメリカのかいしゃで means “at an American company.” It shows where the action took place. |
| はたらいて is the て-form of the verb はたらく (to work). |
| いました is added to show this was a continuous or habitual action in the past. |
| That’s how わかいとき、アメリカのかいしゃで はたらいていました fits the pattern “[te-form of verb] + imashita.” |
| Here's another example |
| 小学生のとき、毎朝、牛乳を飲んでいました。 (Syōgakusei no toki, maiasa, gyūnyū wo nonde imashita.) |
| When I was an elementary school student, I used to drink milk every morning. |
| 小学生のとき、毎朝、牛乳を飲んでいました。 (Syōgakusei no toki, maiasa, gyūnyū wo nonde imashita.) |
| When I was an elementary school student, I used to drink milk every morning. |
| Let's try one more, |
| 高校のとき、ニュージーランドで ホームステイしていました｡ (Kōkō no toki, Nyūjīrando de hōmusutei shite imashita.) |
| When I was in high school, I was doing a homestay in New Zealand. |
| 高校のとき、ニュージーランドで ホームステイしていました｡ (Kōkō no toki, Nyūjīrando de hōmusutei shite imashita.) |
| When I was in high school, I was doing a homestay in New Zealand. |
| Another one. |
| 小さいとき、毎日、外で あそんでいました｡ (Chiisai toki, mainichi, soto de asonde imashita.) |
| When I was little, I used to play outside every day. |
| 小さいとき、毎日、外で あそんでいました｡ (Chiisai toki, mainichi, soto de asonde imashita.) |
| When I was little, I used to play outside every day. |
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