Simple Past Tense vs Past Continuous

Past Simple Vs Past Continuous

Poll

Can you identify past simple and past continuous?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

I went to the shop and bought some apples.

What type of sentence is this?

• Past Simple

• Past Continuous

Multiple Choice

I was reading a novel at nine o'clock this morning.

What type of sentence is this?

• Past Simple

• Past Continuous

Past Simple

We use past simple to talk about past routines and habits, actions which happened one after the other in the past and actions or situations which started and finished in the past.

Examples

• I went to the cinema yesterday.

• I always visited my grandparents every school holidays when I was small.

• Natalie went to the shop, bought a pizza and took it home.

• Jane had croissants for breakfast every day when she was in France.

Past Continuous

The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past and also an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment.

Examples

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

• We were cleaning the house all morning.

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

Multiple Choice

I _____ my new job yesterday.

• started

• was starting

Multiple Choice

What _____ at around 8 a.m. this morning?

• did you do?

• were you doing

Multiple Choice

He didn't hear the phone ring. He _____ to really loud music.

• listened

• was listening

Multiple Choice

I didn't buy anything. They _____ the shop when I got there.

• already closed

• were already closing

Multiple Choice

The teacher told us to stop what we _____.

• did

• were doing

Multiple Choice

_____ what you were looking for in the library yesterday?

• Did you find

• Were you finding

Multiple Choice

When I heard the phone ring, I _____ it immediately.

• answered

• was answering