5.45 used with the past continuous

If you are using the past continuous to talk about repeated actions, you can add an adjunct of frequency such as 'always' or 'forever' after the auxiliary to emphasize the frequency of the action or to express your annoyance about it.

• In the immense shed where we worked, something was always going wrong.
• Ellen was always answering the door, talking to the coalman.
• Her eyes squeezed up and ran with tears, so that she was forever wiping them.

The use of the past continuous to describe repeated actions is explained in paragraph 5.31.