Setting scenes and softening requests
Advanced usage:
ā¢ Setting the Scene: Establishing the atmosphere before the main action. ("The wind was howling, the rain was pouring...")
ā¢ Parallel Actions: Emphasizing duration of two simultaneous events.
ā¢ Polite Enquiries: "I was wondering if..." is more polite/tentative than "I wonder" or "I wondered."
ā¢ Irritation in the Past: "He was always tapping his pen."