10. Past Continuous or Past Simple? 1 Introduction ‘A reporter is interviewing Mike and Harriet. tell me what you saw. Well, when we were driving home last night, we saw a strange object in the sky. Mike: As we were coming down the hill into town, it just suddenly appeared in front of us. We stopped the car and got out. Harriet: Itwas a very clear night. The stars were twinkling. Mike: It was a spaceship. I seemed quite big. Ithad some strange writing on the side. And a light ‘was flashing on the top. Harriet: As we were watching it, it suddenly flew away and disappeared. Past Continuous Past SimPLe ‘We use the Past Continuous for an action that we We use the Past Simple for a complete action in were in the middle of the past. We were driving home. ‘We drove home. (We were in the middle of our journey.) (We finished our journey.) A light was flashing. ‘The spaceship flew away. We do not normally use the Past Continuous for We also use the Past Simple (not normally the states. See Unit 7. Continuous) for states. See Unit 7. Nor The-spaceship was saemting v.- ‘The spaceship seemed quite big. Nor It was having writing vr Ithad writing on the side. NOT Fowusn's knowing: Ididn't know what it was. 2 Ithappened as I was driving ‘We often use the Past Continuous and Past Simple together when one (shorter) action comes in the middle of another (longer) one. ‘As we were driving down the hil, a strange object appeared in the sky. While Laura was sitting in the garden, it suddenly began to rain. ‘You drove right past me when I was waiting for the bus. ‘The appearance of the strange object comes in the middle of the longer action, the drive down the hill. Longer action: We were driving down the hill Shorter action: ‘An object appeared. In the three sentences above, the Past Continuous comes after as, while or when (As we were driving ..). We can also use when before the Past Simple. We were driving down the hill when a strange object appeared in the sky David was making lunch when the phone rang. But we use two Past Simple verbs for one action after another. When we saw the spaceship, we stopped the car. (= We saw it and then we stopped.) 3. The sun was shining ast Continuous Past Simpte ‘We often use the Past Continuous to describe the We use the Past Simple for actions in a story. ‘background. ‘The sun was shining. We arrived at the beach. ‘The srs were twinkling. ‘The aliens tanded quietly. PAGE 22 © VERES:A Past Continuous or Past Simple? (1-2) David is always having accidents. His girlfriend Melanie is talking about some of the accidents. ‘Write her sentences from these notes. Each sentence has one verb in the Past Continuous and ‘one in the Past Simple. > when /he / carry / a suitcase / he / drop / it / on his foot When. he. was. carrying .&.£ritease, he, dropped. it.on.his, foot. > he / break / his leg / when / he / ski He. broke. his leq. when he, was, 5 1 he / sit down / on a chair / white /1/ paint / it 2 as/he/run/ fora bus /he / collide / with a lamppost 3 his hair / catch / fite / when / he / cook / chips 4 when /he / noid / a beautiful vase / he / suddenly / drop / it 5 he /sit/in the garden / when / a wasp / sting / him / on the nose B Past Continuous or Past Simple? (1-2) Put in the correct form of the vert, Rita: near the lights (>) ent (go) out in your flats tast night. Emma: Yes, (>). Iwas. watching (1/ watch) a documentary on TV when suddenly a) (we / lose) all the power. But 2) ((t/ come) on again after about ten minutes. Vicky: Rachel (3) (come) down the stairs when the lights 4 (go} out. She almost (5) (fall) over. Matthew and | (6) (Play) table tennis at the time. Andrew: (7) (1/ work) on the computer. (@) (1/ lose) a whole hour's work. But this morning (9) . (V/ get) up early and (10) (€o) it again. C Past Continuous or Pasy Simple? (1-3) Find the second part of each sentence. Put each verb into the correct form. > Vicky (have) @ beautiful dream when she (touch) the wire. > When Andrew (see) the question, when | (find) a £10 note in it 4 The train (wait) when the alarm clock (ring) 2 I (read) a library book the crowd (rush) in. 3 Sarah (have) an electric shock he (know) the answer immediately. 4 When the doors (open), they (see) that the sun (shine). 5 When the campers (wake), when we (arrive) at the station. > Vicky was. having «. beantifWl. dream. when. the alarn. clack. mang. > When Andrew saw the question, he. Kaew the answer inmatdiately. 1 2 3 4 8 VERBS © PAGE 23Test B: Past Simple and Past Continuous A Put in the Past Simple of the verbs in brackets. > The car stopped. (stop) at the lights, + We (leave) the cinema before the end of the film 2 The streets (be) crowded with people. 3° My grandmother (ie) last year. 4 Everyone {have) a marvelious time. 5 We (not / ike) the food they gave us. 6 Claire (Go) to Egypt tast month 7 The accident (happen) last weekend. 8 It (not / be) a very comfortable journey. 91 (know) that ages ago. Write a second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first. Use the word in brackets. > There were lights on the spacecraft. (had) The. Seaceeratt Ad, lghts..0n. 1 1 I had my old coat on. (wearing) 2 | was on holiday, and you were on holiday, 100. (we) 3 Itisn’t true that | made a mistake. (didn't) 4 The boys were in the middie of a game of cards. (playing) 5 No one toki me about the change of pian. (know) 6 My friend was the winner of the competition. (won) 7 Ista fact that the Romans built this wall? (did) Lorna Bright is a long-distance walker. Look at this part of her diary describing a morning's walk along the coast. Write the missing words. Use one word only in each space. It was a fine day (p) when... started out on the last part of my walk around the coast of Britain. The sun was (1) . and a light wind (2) blowing from the south-west. | was pleased that it 3) raining. | knew by now that I (4) like rain. In fact | (6) it, 16) along the cliff top and then Gown into the lovely ttle fishing village of Wallburn, past a café where people (7) having morning cotfee, Throo miles past Wellburn | (3) ‘down for five minutes and ® a drink. Now it (10) getting warmer, so (11) off one of my sweaters. | (12) stop for long because | (13) to reach Seabury by lunch-time. (14) finally got there, it (15) just after half past twelve. PAGE 24 @ VERBS.