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Past Simple-Past Continuous

The document discusses the past continuous tense in English. It indicates that the past continuous describes an action that was ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past. It also shows that an activity was ongoing for some period of time rather than a single moment. Additionally, the past continuous can be used together with the past simple tense to show that one ongoing action was interrupted by another action occurring at the same time in the past. Examples are provided to illustrate the differences between using the past continuous and past simple tenses.

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110 views3 pages

Past Simple-Past Continuous

The document discusses the past continuous tense in English. It indicates that the past continuous describes an action that was ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past. It also shows that an activity was ongoing for some period of time rather than a single moment. Additionally, the past continuous can be used together with the past simple tense to show that one ongoing action was interrupted by another action occurring at the same time in the past. Examples are provided to illustrate the differences between using the past continuous and past simple tenses.

Uploaded by

Snežana Ćirić
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Past Continuous

The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain 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?

Past Continuous and Past Simple

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.

Can you see a difference in the meaning of these two sentences?

When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner.


When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner.
In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. We know that because it
uses the past continuous. In the second sentence, the guests arrived first and then Jane started
cooking.

Exercises:

1 I listened / was listening to the radio when I heard / was hearing this fantastic song.
2 When the teacher said / was saying ‘Stop!’, I still tried / was still trying to finish the last
question.
3 I feel really silly! While I danced / was dancing, I fell / was falling and broke / was breaking
my elbow.
4 Tim played / was playing a computer game when his mum called / was calling him for lunch.
5 I looked / was looking for a file on my memory stick when I noticed / was noticing there was a
virus.
6 Ron found / was finding a really interesting website about dance music while he surfed / was
surfing the internet.
7 My mum had / was having breakfast near the computer when she spilled / was spilling her cup
of coffee on the keyboard.
8 When you saw / were seeing me yesterday, I didn’t go / wasn’t going to school, I went / was
going to the doctor’s – I felt terrible.
9 How many pictures did you take / were you taking while you travelled / were travelling around
Ireland?
10 Why did you chat / were you chatting to Philip while I tried / was trying to tell you something
really important?

Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past continuous form of the verbs in brackets.

1 I (switch off ) _____ the computer because it (make) ________ a strange noise.
2 My dad (listen) ______ to classical music when I (arrive) _______ home from school.
3 We (play) __________ video games when my mum (say) _________ ‘Turn the volume down!’
4 My cousin (meet) __________ his wife, Bianca, while he (live) _________ in Italy.
5 My little sister (draw) _________ a picture while I (study) ___________ for my French exam.
6 While they (try) __________ to fix the computer, all the lights (go out) ___________.
7 When we (leave) __________school yesterday, it (pour) _________ with rain.
8 When you (see) _________ Paul, he (wear) __________ a black jacket?
9 I (try) _______ to log on when the WiFi (stop) ________ working.
10 While Dad (print) ________ an article, the printer (run out) ________ of paper.

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