This is the imperfect tense.

(verb)= present tense

(verb)ed= perfect tense

was (verb)ing= imperfect tense

Perfect and imperfect are both forms of the past tense.

The imperfect past tense of the verb "light" is lit.

The imperfect tense of the German verb "to draw" is "zeichnete."

The past imperfect tense (or just imperfect tense) is used to describe an action in the past that is recognized as unfinished or continuous, which contrasts that of the preterite tense which recognizes an action in the past as being completed. English doesn't have an imperfect tense. A rough example of the imperfect tense in English would be "I was reading". The verb "was" implies that although I was reading sometime in the past, I didn't necessarily finish or the action got interrupted.

past tense for drink is drank.