Past Continuous vs. Simple Past II

Past Continuous vs. Simple Past II

Lengua Extranjera III

Use of both tenses.

• The past continuous and the past simple help us to show how two past actions or situations are connected.

Past Simple

• The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present.

• Regular past simple verbs have -ed at the end (e.g. called, played, arrived).

• Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. wake → woke, break → broke, feel → felt).

• My parents called me yesterday.

  I woke up early this morning.

  Sam played basketball when he was at university.

Past Simple

• We make the negative with didn't and the infinitive verb.

  My parents didn't call me yesterday.

  I didn't wake up early this morning.

• We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb.

  Did you wake up early this morning?

  Did Sam play basketball when he was at university?

Let's Practice!

Choose the correct option for the simple past tense exercises.

Multiple Choice

What is the use for simple past?

• To talk about actions that started and finishes in the past.

• To talk about plans for the future.

Multiple Choice

Is that correct the following sentence?

"I studied hardly for the exams of Maths, History and English".

• Correct

• Incorrect

Fill in the Blank

What is the simple past of "watch"?

Multiple Choice

My friends and I ____ to Puebla City one year ago.

• went

• going

Multiple Choice

Is that correct the following sentence?

"We had for breakfast eggs and bacon, coffee and waffles with honey".

• Correct

• Incorrect

Multiple Choice

My family ____ to the party because of the pandemic, is too dangerous!

• didn't come

• didn't came

Multiple Choice

Is that correct the following sentence?

"My friends and I didn't bought some beer at the supermarket because we are under 18 ".

• Correct

• Incorrect

Fill in the Blank

What is the simple past of "go"?

Multiple Choice

Is that correct the following sentence?

"Did you studied for the exam?".

• Correct

• Incorrect

Open Ended

Write one sentence using SIMPLE PAST sharing an activity that you did in the past.

Your example can be affirmative, negative or interrogative and add a time expression such as: yesterday / last week / last month / three days ago / in 2018, etc.

Past Continuous

• The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a specific time in the past.

  
  

• What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was studying.

• This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m.

• The past continuous can also show that an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment.

• We were cleaning the house all morning.

• We make the past continuous with was or were and the -ing form of the verb.

• She couldn't come to the party. She was working.

  Three years ago, we were living in my home town.

  I tried to give him some advice, but he wasn't listening.

  What were you doing this time last year?

Multiple Choice

Last Friday, I _____ to the new song of The Weeknd, and it sounds amazing!

• was listening

• were listening

Multiple Choice

My friends and I _____ the homework, because we prefer to play videogames for chilling out.

• weren't doing

• was doing

Multiple Choice

He _____ a beautiful comic called "The killing joke".

• was reading

• weren't reading

Multiple Choice

What is the use of past continuous?

• To talk about experiences that were happening in the present.

• To talk about activities that were already in progress at a specific time in the past.

Multiple Choice

What _______ when I called you last night?

• were she doing

• wasn't you doing

• were you doing

Multiple Choice

I _____ the car when the downpour started.

• was cleaning

• was doing

• were washing

Open Ended

Write one sentence using PAST CONTINUOUS sharing a specific activity that you did in the past.

Your example can be affirmative, negative or interrogative and add a time expression such as: yesterday / last week / at 7 p.m / three days ago / in 2018, etc.

Past Continuous and Simple Past

• When we use these two tenses together, it shows us that the past simple action happened in the middle of the past continuous action, while it was in progress.

• While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy.

• We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action.

• I broke my leg when I was skiing.

  As I was going to work, I saw an old friend.

  We were watching television when the power went off.

Important!

• WHEN

• We use WHEN with Simple Past and Past Continuous.

• I was listening to Rock music when my mom called me to dinner.

• When we were watching a movie on Netflix, the lights went off.

Important!

• WHILE

• We use only with Past Continuous.

• I was uploading a story on Instagram while my sister was taking selfies for her boyfriend.

• While my mom was baking pizza my cousins arrived to my house.

For the next session!

• Work in team with maximum 4 members.

• You have to write a short story using Simple Past and Past Continuous. (100 - 120 words).

• The next week, your teams shows the text in order to check grammar and structure.

• The oral work is that you have to perform the story through a video call.