Explain the usage of the past continuous tense in indirect commands.

The past continuous tense is used in indirect commands to express a request or command that was ongoing or in progress in the past. It is often used to report or relay someone else's command or request.

In indirect commands, the past continuous tense is formed by using "was/were" + present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. For example:

Direct command: "Go to the store."
Indirect command using past continuous tense: He said that we were going to the store.

In this example, the direct command "Go to the store" is reported indirectly using the past continuous tense "were going." This indicates that the command was ongoing or in progress at the time it was given.

The past continuous tense in indirect commands is also commonly used to express polite requests or suggestions. For example:

Direct command: "Please be quiet."
Indirect command using past continuous tense: She asked if we were being quiet.

In this example, the direct command "Please be quiet" is reported indirectly using the past continuous tense "were being." This conveys a polite request or suggestion rather than a direct command.

Overall, the past continuous tense in indirect commands is used to convey ongoing or in-progress commands or requests in the past, and it is often used to report or relay someone else's command or request.