老(ろう)人(じん) roujinは waそこ sokoに ni一人(ひとり)で() hitoride住(す)ん()で()い()た() sundeita。 The old man had been living there alone. Literal Old-man [topic-は] there [at-に] alone living-was. 一人で住んでいた — living alone, past state. The combination of 老人 + 一人で + 住んでいた carries an understated undercurrent of solitude that Japanese narration is fond of leaving implied rather than spelled out. daily life~ていた (past progressive/state)
老(ろう)人(じん) roujinは waそこ sokoに ni一人(ひとり)で() hitoride住(す)ん()で()い()た() sundeita。 The old man had been living there alone. Literal Old-man [topic-は] there [at-に] alone living-was. 一人で住んでいた — living alone, past state. The combination of 老人 + 一人で + 住んでいた carries an understated undercurrent of solitude that Japanese narration is fond of leaving implied rather than spelled out. daily life~ていた (past progressive/state)