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Past Simple and Continuous

The document provides instruction on using different verb tenses in the past, including the past simple, past continuous, used to, and comparisons between them. It discusses using the past simple and past continuous for completed vs ongoing past actions. It also covers forming questions and negatives in the past tenses. Examples are provided to illustrate using different tenses to talk about habits, simultaneous events, and interrupted actions in the past.

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360 views17 pages

Past Simple and Continuous

The document provides instruction on using different verb tenses in the past, including the past simple, past continuous, used to, and comparisons between them. It discusses using the past simple and past continuous for completed vs ongoing past actions. It also covers forming questions and negatives in the past tenses. Examples are provided to illustrate using different tenses to talk about habits, simultaneous events, and interrupted actions in the past.

Uploaded by

api-252190418
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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By: Doryl Sequena Cabiao

Tell me! Tell me!


 What did you do yesterday?
 What did you do last Saturday night?
 Where were you last Sunday morning?
 What did you do to celebrate your last birthday?
 When did you graduate high school?
 When did you learn to drive?
 Why did you start taking classes at Oman College
of Health Sciences?
 How did you learn to speak English so well?
Form
 the form is the same for all persons
POSITIVE:
 They arrived three weeks ago. – REGULAR
 He left at three o’clock. – IRREGULAR
NEGATIVE:
 I didn’t play football yesterday
 I didn’t go home early on Saturday
INTERROGATIVE:
Yes/No questions:
 Did you play football yesterday?
 Did you go home early in Saturday?
WH-question – When did you learn last time?
Verb TO BE
 Positive sentences:
 I was in London last year

 Negative sentences:
-They weren’t at home last weekend

 Yes/No questions:
 Were you ill yesterday?
Use
 a finished action in the past
 We met in 2007.
 action that follow each other in a story
 Mary walked into the room and stopped
 a past situation or habit
 When I was a child, we lived in a small house by the sea.

SIGNAL WORDS / TIME EXPRESSIONS


- last night, ....... ago, yesterday, the other day, in 1999,
when I was younger....
Form
 Was / were + verb + -ing

 They were driving to Paris.


 I was writing my English homework all afternoon.
 We weren’t waiting for a long time.
 What were they doing?
 Was your friend listening to the teacher?
 What were the students doing when you arrived?
Use
 to express a continuing incomplete activity in the
past
 I was reading a book during the flight.
 It was eight o'clock. I was writing a letter.
 to express an interrupted past activity
 When the phone rang, I was taking a shower.
 While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly
went off.
Use
 for descriptions / activities with background
descriptions
 Jan looked beautiful. She was wearing a green dress.
 It was a gloomy night. The leaves were dancing because
of the wind.
 For 2 continuing events happening at the same
time
 The students were writing notes while the teacher was
discussing the lesson.
 When I walked into the office, several
people were busily typing, some were talking on the
phones
While and When
WHEN
 used to talk about things in the past
 Usually followed by simple past

WHILE
 expresses the idea of "during that time”
 Usually followed by present continuous

LOOK AT THESE SENTENCES


 I was studying when she called.
 While I was studying, she called.
Habits in the past
USED TO
 refer to things in the past which are no longer true
 Usually used when we make contrast with present
situation

 I used to work in South Korea. Now, I am working in


Oman.
 Asad didn’t use to like vegetables.
 Did you use to work at Khoula Hospital?
Habits in the past
We also use past simple (+ frequency verb) to
describe a habitual action in the past

 She went to school everyday when she was a child.

Now, let’s compare:

I used to play football everyday when I was a child.


I played football everyday when I was a child.
Past simple or continuous?
 Sometimes both tenses are possible. The Past Simple
focuses on past actions as complete facts. The Past
Continuous focuses on the duration of past activities
Compare :
 A: I didn’t see you at the party last night.
 B: No. I stayed at home and watched the
football match.

 A: I didn’t see you at the party last night.


 B: No, I was watching the football match at
home.
A little practice
Last week I (decide)_____________ to invite some friends to
dinner. I (buy) _____________ lots of delicious food, including some
roasted beef and at about 6.00 I (cook) _____________ in the
kitchen. The sun (shine) _____________ and it was a beautiful
evening, so,I (open) _____________ the back door. Then the
telephone (ring) _____________. I (go) _____________ to answer it and
when I (come) _____________back the roasted beef wasn't on the
table. I (look) _____________ out of the window. A cat (sit)
_____________ on my garden wall and it (eat) _____________ my
roasted beef. What (can) _____________ I do? I (fill) _____________ a
pan with water and I went quietly outside. The cat (not look)
_____________ in my direction and it (enjoy) _____________ the
roasted beef so much that it (not hear) _____________ me. I (walk)
_____________ slowly up to it, I (want) _____________ to empty the
water over its head. A bit cruel. I know but the roasted beef (be)
_____________ very expensive, but at the last moment the cat heard
me and (escape) _____________in the neighbourhood.
A little practice
Last week I decided to invite some friends to dinner. I bought lots of
delicious food, including some roasted beef and at about 6.00 I was
cooking in the kitchen. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful
evening, so,I opened the back door. Then the
telephone rang. I went to answer it and when I came back the
roasted beef wasn't on the table. I looked out of the window. A
cat was sitting on my garden wall and it was eating my roasted
beef. What could I do? I filled a pan with water and I went quietly
outside. The cat wasn’t looking in my direction and it was enjoying
the roasted beef so much that it me. I walked slowly up to
it, I wanted to empty the water over its head. A bit cruel. I know but
the roasted beef was very expensive, but at the last moment the cat
heard me and escaped in the neighbourhood.

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