past simple vs. past progressive

Front

What is the past simple tense?

Back

The past simple tense is used to describe actions that were completed in the past. Example: 'I walked to the store.'

Front

What is the past progressive tense?

Back

The past progressive tense describes actions that were ongoing in the past. It is formed using 'was/were' + verb-ing. Example: 'I was walking to the store.'

Front

When do we use the past simple tense?

Back

We use the past simple tense for actions that happened at a specific time in the past. Example: 'She visited her grandmother yesterday.'

Front

When do we use the past progressive tense?

Back

We use the past progressive tense to describe actions that were in progress at a certain time in the past. Example: 'They were playing soccer at 3 PM.'

Front

How do you form the past simple tense for regular verbs?

Back

For regular verbs, the past simple is formed by adding -ed to the base form. Example: 'play' becomes 'played.'

Front

How do you form the past simple tense for irregular verbs?

Back

Irregular verbs do not follow a set pattern. Their past forms must be memorized. Example: 'go' becomes 'went.'

Front

What is the structure of a past progressive sentence?

Back

The structure is: Subject + was/were + verb-ing. Example: 'I was studying for the test.'

Front

What is the difference between 'was' and 'were'?

Back

'Was' is used with singular subjects (I, he, she, it), while 'were' is used with plural subjects (you, we, they). Example: 'He was happy.' vs. 'They were happy.'

Front

How can past simple and past progressive be used together?

Back

They can be used together to show that a longer action (past progressive) was interrupted by a shorter action (past simple). Example: 'I was reading when the phone rang.'

Front

What is an example of a sentence using past simple?

Back

Example: 'She finished her homework before dinner.'