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    Past Continuous vs. Past Simple: Citlalli Hipolito

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    Citlalli Martinez
    The past simple tense is used to describe actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past or repeated actions in the past, while the past continuous tense describes actions that were ongoing or in progress over a period of time in the past. Examples of using the past continuous include talking about two simultaneous past actions, temporary or ongoing activities taking place over a period of time in the past, and asking questions using "was/were" plus the verb plus "-ing".

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    Past Continuous vs. Past Simple: Citlalli Hipolito

    Uploaded by

    Citlalli Martinez
    7 views9 pages
    The past simple tense is used to describe actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past or repeated actions in the past, while the past continuous tense describes actions that were ongoing or in progress over a period of time in the past. Examples of using the past continuous include talking about two simultaneous past actions, temporary or ongoing activities taking place over a period of time in the past, and asking questions using "was/were" plus the verb plus "-ing".

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    The past simple tense is used to describe actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past or repeated actions in the past, while the past continuous tense describes actions that were ongoing or in progress over a period of time in the past. Examples of using the past continuous include talking about two simultaneous past actions, temporary or ongoing activities taking place over a period of time in the past, and asking questions using "was/were" plus the verb plus "-ing".

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    7 views9 pages

    Past Continuous vs. Past Simple: Citlalli Hipolito

    Uploaded by

    Citlalli Martinez
    The past simple tense is used to describe actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past or repeated actions in the past, while the past continuous tense describes actions that were ongoing or in progress over a period of time in the past. Examples of using the past continuous include talking about two simultaneous past actions, temporary or ongoing activities taking place over a period of time in the past, and asking questions using "was/were" plus the verb plus "-ing".

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    Past continuous

    vs.
    Past simple
    CITLALLI HIPOLITO
    Past simple
    It is used:
    For an action that started and ended in the past:
    I saw a ghost last Friday.

    For repeated actions in the past:


    • When I was young, I watched lots of TV every day.
    • I always gave flowers to my mother.

    Regular and irregular past simple verbs:


    • I talked to my uncle yesterday.
    • I felt sick yesterday so, I went to the doctor.
    Past continuous
    It is used:

    When talking about two actions in the past; one


    continues for a period, and the other starts and ends in
    the past:
    • While I was talking on the phone, someone stole my
    car.
    • I was making my breakfast when my sister knocked at
    the door.

    (These sentences usually use When and While)


    When = short action While = long action
    To talk about two actions in the past, both happening
    over a period:
    I was working in my computer and my children were
    watching television

    To talk about temporary activities taking place over a


    period of time:
    • I was living in Boston when it happened.
    • She was traveling to New York while her parents were
    touring Italy.
    Past simple
    Affirmative statements:
    Subject + Verb (regular/ irregular) + Complement.
    • I played soccer last week.
    • I saw the movie yesterday.

    Negative statements:
    Subject + Did + Not + Verb (base form) + Complement.
    I didn’t play soccer last week.

    Questions:
    Did + Subject + Verb (base form) + Complement + ?
    Did I play soccer last week?
    Past continuous
    Affirmative statements:
    Subject + Was/Were + Verb –ing + Complement.
    • I was playing soccer with my friends.
    • We were studying for the exam.

    Negative statements:
    Subject + Was/Were + Not + Verb –ing + Complement.
    I was not playing soccer with my friends.

    Questions:
    Was/Were + Subject + Verb –ing + Complement + ?
    Were you playing soccer?
    Choose which verb tense (simple past or past continuous) fits
    better:

    1. I __________ I didn’t hear you come.


    A) was sleeping B) slept

    2. I ___________ to see her twice, but she wasn’t at home.


    A) was coming B) came

    3. what ___________?
    I was watching TV.
    A) did you do B) were you doing

    4. Hey did you talk to her?


    yes, I ___________ to her.
    A) was talking B) talked

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