Past continuous and Past simple

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo t, havo
• Leerjaar 2

Past and present continuous

Chapter 3 grammar part 1

Goals this lesson

- Being able to see the difference between the past continuous and past simple.

- Being able to make a past simple sentence

-Being able to make a past continuous sentence

Past simple

Used to express:

1. A finished action in the past.

I brushed my teeth this morning.

2. A past situation or habit.

We used to live in a smal house.

Every day I walked for miles on the beach with my dog. 

Past simple form:

Same for all people.

Difference between regular and irregular:

Regular: walked, played, stopped, liked, shouted, talked.

Past continuous use

Used to express:

1. activities in progress in the past.

At seven o'clock I was having breakfast.

2. descriptions of things in the past.

She was wearing a blue sweater.

3. something that got interrupted.

I was having a shower when the phone rang.

4. an incomplete activity.

I was trying to finish that assignment yesterday.

Past continuous form

was / were + verb + ing.

Was: I, she, he, it.

Were: they, you, we

I was learning to speak Chinese.

They were doing the dishes when mom got home. 

Past simple

Something that happened in the past and is finished.

Present simple.

Habits or facts

Past continuous

Incomplete or interrupted

Present continuous

Happening right now

Past simple or Past continuous?

I was having a shower yesterday.

1. Past simple
2. Past continuous

Was Andrew playing computer games?

1. Past Continuous
2. Simple Past

We ______
(watch) TV when we ______
(hear) a loud noise.

1. were watching - heared
2. was watching - heared
3. were watching - heard
4. was watching - heard

Last year I _____
(visit) Paris and Rome.

1. was visiting
2. visited
3. were visiting
4. visitted

He ____
(work) in the garden when he _____
(find) the money.

1. were working - finded
2. worked - was finding
3. was finding - works
4. was working - found

We sang that song yesterday.

1. Past Simple
2. Past continuous