Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Unit 2 : Page 21

PAST SIMPLE

• Something that started and finished at a stated time in the past.

• Past routines and habits.

• Situations or states which were true in the past.

• Actions that happened one after another in the past.

• Past actions which won't happen again.

PAST CONTINUOUS

• Actions that were in progress at a stated time in the past.

• Two or more actions that were in progress at the same time in the past.

• Giving background information in a story.

• An action that was in progress in the past that was interrupted by another.

STATIVE VERBS

Stative verbs often relate to:

thoughts and opinions: 

agree, believe, doubt, guess, imagine, know, mean, recognise, remember, 

suspect, think, understand.

feelings and emotions: 

dislike, hate, like, love, prefer, want, wish.

senses and perceptions: 

appear, be, feel, hear, look, see, seem, smell, taste.

possession and measurement: 

belong, have, measure, own, possess, weigh.