Past Simple VS Past Continuous

Past Simple VS Past Continuous

What did you do yesterday?

Yesterday, I went to the cinema.

Past Simple

• finished actions in the past (I went to the cinema.)

• habits or states in the past (When I was 5, I rode my bike every day.)

• actions happening one after the other in the past (I woke up, brushed my teeth and had breakfast.)

He used to play the saxophone.

Is this a habit or a state?

Time expressions

yesterday, in the past, last night/year/month etc./in 2020 etc.

Multiple Choice

True or False:

For regular verbs, you can add -ed to form the Past Simple.

• True

• False

Regular verbs

• -ed: played

• -d: danced

• -(c)ed: robbed

• -ied: cry -> cried

Past continuous

What were you doing at 6' yesterday?

Past continuous

• actions happening at a specific time in the past (I was watching TV yesterday at 6'.)

• story narrative (It was snowing and the kids were playing...)

• Parallel actions (I was studying while my sister was cooking.)

Time expressions

at that time, at that moment, then, at 9' o'clock yesterday, while, as etc.

Multiple Choice

Correct or Incorrect:

My sister was chatting with her friends when the bell was ringing.

• Correct

• Incorrect

When VS While

When + Past Simple (short action)

While + Past Continuous (long action)

Questions?

Multiple Choice

What ................................................ for dinner ?

• did you bought
• were you buying
• did you buy

Multiple Choice

I ....................................so much time studying when I was a child. 

• didn't spent
• didn't spend
• was spending

Multiple Choice

Where ............................................. those beautiful shoes?

• did you bought

• did you buy

• were you buying

Multiple Choice

My friend .............me while I .....................the homework

• was phoning / was doing
• phoned / was doing
• phoned / did
• were phoning / were doing

Multiple Choice

They ....................................very fast when the car hit the tree. 

• was driving
• were driving
• drove

Multiple Choice

Liz ................................ the windows when I .................her.

• were cleaning / saw

• was cleaning / saw

• was cleaning / was seeing

Multiple Choice

We were walking along the street .............. it started to rain heavily.

• while

• when

Multiple Choice

Kate was cooking dinner ........ her brother was watching TV.

• when

• while

Multiple Choice

We were sleeping when the telephone ..............

• was ringing

• rang

Multiple Choice

Karen was sitting in front of the TV when the power ………………. (go) off.

• was going out

• went out

Multiple Choice

I ……………………. (watch) a documentary at 9 pm last night.

• was watching

• watched

Multiple Choice

What ……………………. (you/do) when the storm ……………………. (start)?

• were you doing, started

• did you do, started

• were you doing, was starting

Multiple Choice

Fiona ……………………. (put) on her scarf and gloves and ……………………. (go) out to play in the snow.

• put, went

• was putting, was going

Multiple Choice

The children …………………….their homework while it ……………………. outside.

• did, rained

• were doing, was raining

Multiple Choice

It ……………………. when we left but everything was white when we came home.

• snowed

• wasn' t snowing