What could it be: つもりでいた？?


I need some help with the sentence below. Things like ～ている、～でいる when finishing
the verb as in [似]{に} **ている** 、[読]{よ}ん **でいる** are okay for me. But next
sentence is something else, because the ending でいた is standing after a noun,
not a verb.

> 結婚した後、日本語を勉強するつもり **でいた** が、生活のために始めた仕事は、フランス語を教えること。

  * Could you please explain, why でいた was used here, in this sentence? 
  * And when we can usually use grammar like this?




This is simply a valid combination of two things you already know:

  * te-form + いた forms the past-progressive
  * the te-form of the copula is で

so we have:

  * 日本語を勉強するつもりだ -> intend to study Japanese
  * 日本語を勉強するつもり **でいた** -> **was intending** to study Japanese




This is simply a valid combination of two things you already know:

  * te-form + いた forms the past-progressive
  * the te-form of the copula is で

so we have:

  * 日本語を勉強するつもりだ -> intend to study Japanese
  * 日本語を勉強するつもり **でいた** -> **was intending** to study Japanese

