Past Simple and Past Continuous


A) Past simple

Form:

The form of the Past Simple is the same in all persons.

Positive:

I/You/He/She/It/We/They went/moved to London in 2001.

Negative:

We use didn’t + infinitive (without to) in all persons.

I/You/He/She/It/We/They didn’t go/move to London in 2001.

Question:

We use did + infinitive (without to) in all persons.

When did I/you/he/she/it/we/they go/move to London?



Use: We use the Past Simple to talk about:

1 finished events in the past when we know when they happened.

I bought some nice things at the market last weekend.


2 past habits or states. A time expression is usually necessary.

I always got up at six in those days.   (habit)

I lived in Australia for several years. (state)



Common time expressions with the Past Simple:
  * last night/Saturday/week/month/year;
  * yesterday; yesterday morning/afternoon/evening;
  * in 1927/the twentieth century;
  * ten years/two weeks/a month ago.


B) Past continuous

Form:

Positive:                                                          Negative:

Subject + to be + verb-ing                                 Subject + not to be + verb-ing

I/He/She/It was playing tennis at 5:00.               I/He/She/It was not playing tennis at 5:00.

We/You/They were playing tennis at 5:00.        We/You/They were not playing tennis at 5:00.


Question:

to be + subject + verb-ing

Were you playing tennis at 5:00?                      Yes, we were.  No, we weren’t.

Was he playing tennis at 5:00?                         Yes, he was. No, he wasn’t.




Use: We use the Past Continuous to talk about:

1 activities that continued for some time in the past, especially to show a longer activity that
was interrupted by a shorter one.

I was making dinner when the phone rang.


2 activities that form the background, especially to set a scene.

We were walking along the beach chatting to one another. Suddenly, we heard a call for help.


3 activities happening at a certain time in the past.

What were you doing at 10 o’clock last night?


4 two activities happening at the same time in the past.

While I was eating dinner, my parents were watching TV.



PRACTICE

1 Choose the most suitable tense.

1 There was a power-cut, when Diana watched/was watching her favourite TV programme.

2 Who was driving/drove the car at the time of the accident?

3 What exactly were you doing/did you do when I came into your office yesterday?

4 I was living/lived in Canada for two years.

5 We were always eating/we always ate at seven in those days.


2 Put each verb in brackets into either the Past Simple or the Past Continuous.

1 Andrew ________________________ (arrive) when I was getting ready to go out.

2 I _______________ (get) up early this morning. I _______________ (have) breakfast,
_______________ (dress) and then I quickly _______________ (leave) for work.

3 Margaret ________________________ (not/go) to work yesterday. She was ill.

4 My brother ________________________ (break) his leg while he ________________________ (ski) last
week.

5 When _____________________________________________________ (get married/your parents)?

6 I ___________________ (phone) you last night but you ________________________ (not answer).

7 We ________________________ (not go) out yesterday because it______________________ (rain).

8 ___________________________________ (you eat) pasta every day when you lived in Italy?

9 Although it rained a lot, I ________________________ (enjoy) my holiday last year.

10 What ________________________ (you/do) yesterday? – I ________________________ (go) to the
cinema.

11 What________________________ (you/do) at 9:30 yesterday? – I ________________________ (watch) a
film on TV.

12 They ________________________ (fly) to America two years ago.

13 I wasn’t hungry last night. I ________________________ (not/eat) anything.

14 He first ________________________ (meet) his wife when he ________________________ (study) in
Berlin.

15 When I got home I was really tired, so I ________________(have) a shower and ____________(go) to
bed.

16 The driver ____________(lose) control of his car because he _________________ (talk) on his
mobile.