Simple past vs past continuous

Front

What is the simple past tense?

Back

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

Front

What is the past continuous tense?

Back

The past continuous 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 simple past tense?

Back

We use the simple past 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 continuous tense?

Back

We use the past continuous tense to describe actions that were in progress at a certain point in the past. Example: 'I was studying when the phone rang.'

Front

What is the structure of the simple past tense for regular verbs?

Back

The structure is the base form of the verb + -ed. Example: 'play' becomes 'played.'

Front

What is the structure of the past continuous tense?

Back

The structure is 'was/were' + verb-ing. Example: 'They were playing soccer.'

Front

How do you form the negative in the simple past tense?

Back

Use 'did not' + base form of the verb. Example: 'I did not go to the party.'

Front

How do you form the negative in the past continuous tense?

Back

Use 'was not/were not' + verb-ing. Example: 'She was not studying at that time.'

Front

What is the difference between 'I saw the movie' and 'I was seeing the movie'?

Back

'I saw the movie' indicates a completed action, while 'I was seeing the movie' suggests an ongoing action that may have been interrupted.

Front

What is an example of using both tenses in one sentence?

Back

Example: 'I was reading a book when the lights went out.'