Past Simple & Continuous

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

Repeating the Past Tense

Planning

Theory Past Simple

Theory Past Continuous

Differences

Exercises

When to use the Past Simple

• Past tense
  
• Finished action
  
  
• When we talk about a completed action in the past time.
  

How to use the Past Simple

• Affirmative (positive):          Subject + verb + ed                                                                                                                    I                    walked.

• Negative:                                   Subject + did not + infinitive                                                                                                   I           didn't                walk.

• Interrogative (Question):   Did + subject + infinitive                                                                                                        Did     I                   walk?

Past Simple

When to use the Past Continuous

• Past tense
  
• Unfinished action
• Interrupted
  
  
• To describe an unfinished action in the past time that was interrupted by another event or action.
  

How to use the Past Continuous

• Affirmative (positive):          Subject + was/were  + base+ing                                                                                           She             was                 reading.

• Negative:                                   Subject + was/were not + base+ing                                                                                   She             wasn't                   reading.

• Interrogative (Question):   Was/were + subject + base+ing                                                                                             Was                she            reading?

Past Continuous

Difference between Past S & C

The past continuous tense is to talk about something that was happening around a particular time in the past.

      

       Example sentence:
       What were you doing at 8 o’clock last night? I was watching television. 

       Meaning:

       I started watching television before 8 o’clock and I continued watching it         after 8 o’clock.

Difference between Past S & C

The ‘action’ described by the past simple tense interrupts the ‘situation’ described by the past continuous tense.

          Examples:

          I broke my leg when I was skiing.

          I was playing a computer game when the doorbell rang. 

the past continuous describes ‘situations’ that go on for some time – ‘skiing’ and ‘playing’ but the past simple describes ‘actions’ that happen quickly – ‘broke’ and ‘rang’.

Use the Past Simple

(to visit) Last year, I ... lots of interesting places.

1. was visiting
2. visited
3. visit

Use the Past Simple

(not/to help) Jenny and Peggy ... their brother.

1. don't help
2. weren't helping
3. didn't help

Use the Past Simple

(to phone) ... you ... your aunt last week?

1. Were you phoning
2. Did you phone
3. Do you phone

Use the Past Continuous

(to cook) Katie ... her speciality yesterday when the food caught on fire.

1. were cooking
2. was cooking
3. cooked

Use the Past Continuous

(to cheat) I ... on the test but the professor thought that I was.

1. weren't cheating
2. not cheating
3. wasn't cheating

Use the Past Continuous

(to work) ... you ... last night when I called?

1. Were you working
2. Was you working
3. Did you working

What tense is used is this sentence.

Yesterday at six I was preparing dinner.

1. Past Simple
2. Past Continuous

What tense is used is this sentence.

Nancy did not watch television.

1. Past Simple
2. Past Continuous

What tense is used is this sentence.

Janet missed the bus.

1. Past Simple
2. Past Continuous

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