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Learning activity 3

Remember that the simple past tense is used to talk about activities that began
and ended in the past.

Past Present Future

A. How to use simple past?

To make affirmative, negative or interrogative sentences in simple past, you

should follow the structures shown below.

Affirmative sentences

I Studied English at SENA.

Subject Verb in past Complement

Negative sentences

I did not (didn’t) Study English at SENA.

did not
Verb in base
Subject or Complement
form
didn’t

Interrogative sentences

Yes, I did /
Did you Study English at SENA?
No, I didn’t
Verb in base Short
Did Subject Complement
form answers
B. When is past continuous used?

The past continuous is used in the following cases:

1. To describe a past action over a period of time.

I was playing the guitar Past

Action started Action finished Now

2. To describe what someone was doing at a specific point in time.

Past
I was having dinner with my wife

Yesterday evening

3. To describe an action in progress that was interrupted by other action in the

past. You should use the word where before the simple past.

He was making dinner when he telephone rang Past

Action started Action interrupted

4. When two actions are taking place at the same time in the past. You should
use the word while between the two actions.

Past
I was talking on the phone
While
I was driving

C. Use of used to

The structure used to refers to habits, states or repeated actions that happened in
the past but no longer happens in the present.
 Practice

A. Tick (√) if the sentence is correct or cross (X) if it is incorrect. Correct the wrong
ones.

1. Paula didn’t wrote his report.

_________________________________________________________

2. Did you used to dance when you were younger?

_________________________________________________________

3. The kids was screaming all the time.

_________________________________________________________

4. My father called me when I was driving.

_________________________________________________________

5. She was listening to music when she was cooking.

_________________________________________________________

6. My pet used to jumped all the time.

_________________________________________________________

7. Ronald was talking on the phone when his wife calls him.
_________________________________________________________

8. My computer was working perfectly when the light went out.

_________________________________________________________

9. I was making the bed while I was listening to you.

_________________________________________________________

10. They was having lunch while their boss called them
_________________________________________________________

B. Match the word with its definition or use.

1. This word is used to express equality or

a. a. until
similarity.
2. This word is used to say that something
b. b. immediately
happens on all occasions.
 3. This expression is used to indicate that c. as quickly as
something should be done rapidly. possible.
4. This word means that something must be
d. d. always
done without waiting.
5. This word is used to express that
something will happen or happened after e. soon
some wait or effort.
6. This word indicates that something will
f. as
occur in the near future.
7. This word means that something will occur
g. eventually
in a while.
8. This word is used to express a result. h. at the age of
9. This word expresses an event up to the
i. then
point in time mentioned.
10.This expression indicates that someone
j. later
did something at a certain age.

C. Fill the gasps with the correct verb in simple past or past continuous. Then, write
the main verb in the crossword.

1. I ________(use) to smoke but I quit.

2. Robert ________(go) downstairs when the phone _______(ring).

3. While I _______(make) the bed, she _______(wash) the dishes.

4. She _______(drink) milk when he ______(make) her laugh.

5. Sally _______(eat) dinner last night when someone _______(knock) on the

door.

6. I ________(not/pay) attention when the teacher ________(ask) to answer the

question.

7. We _______ (listen) to music while we _________(run) in the park.

8. I _______(think) about you last night.

9. It ________(begin) raining when Andrea and I ________(walk) to school.

 10. When I ______ (get) home my cat ________ (purr).

7.
L 9. B E G A N W A L K I N G 5.
I 3. E
S M A
T A 8. T H O U G H T
E K I
N 2. G O I N G R A N G N
I 6. P A Y I N G A S K E D G
N G
G K
W N
R A O
U 1. U S E D C
N H K
N 4. D R I N K I N G M A D E
I N D
N G O I N G R A N G
10. G O T P U R R I N G

Production

A. In the frame below, paste a photo of you (can be unreal) when you were
younger and write sentences saying what you used to do or didn’t use do to at
that age.
 Document control

Name Position Dependence Date

Theme expert
Author Asesor English Dirección de
Ricardo October
Dot Works - Formación
Aristizábal 2014
Programa de Profesional.
Salinas
Bilingüismo Dirección General

Luz Clarena Copy editor – Línea Centro October

Adaptation Arias Agroindustrial.
de Producción 2014
González Regional Quindío