Breakdown of Когда мы уезжали, белка всё ещё сидела на сосне, а петух снова кричал у забора.
сидеть
to sit
мы
we
у
by
когда
when
Questions & Answers about Когда мы уезжали, белка всё ещё сидела на сосне, а петух снова кричал у забора.
Why is уезжали used instead of уехали?
Because уезжали is imperfective past, so it presents the action as a process: when we were leaving / as we were leaving.
That fits this sentence well, because the squirrel and the rooster are being described as doing something during that time.
Compare:
- Когда мы уезжали... = When we were leaving...
- Когда мы уехали... = When we had left / after we left...
So уезжали gives background timing, while уехали would sound more like the departure was completed first.
Why are сидела and кричал also imperfective?
For the same general reason: they describe actions or states as ongoing at that moment in the past.
- белка сидела = the squirrel was sitting
- петух кричал = the rooster was crowing / shouting
The sentence is painting a scene in progress.
If you used perfective verbs instead, the meaning would change:
- села = sat down
- крикнул = gave a single shout
Those would sound like single completed events, not background actions.
What exactly does Когда мы уезжали mean here?