Simple Past & Past Continuous

Talking about the past 

PAST SIMPLE	was/were +  Ving	Examples:
Affirmative sentence	S +  V  (past) + C.	I visited Berlin last week.
Negative sentence	S + didn’t +  V (base form) + C.	He didn’t work hard.
Yes/no question	Did +  S +  V  (b. f.) + C.	Did  she sleep very dadly?
Information question	IW + did + S + V (b. f.) + C?	How often did she go past her house?

  A.COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING THE VERBS IN PARENTESIS. 

1.  This house _________________ (1. belong) to the King of Sweden. (S. Past.)

2. Sally ________________________ (2. read) to the children while Kevin ______________ (3. wash up). (Past Cont.)

3.  Mario _________________ (4. work) in a restaurant while he __________ (5.live) in London. (S. Past)

4.  She _______________ (6. get up) when the alarm clock _______________ (7. go off). (S. Past.)

5.  He _________________ (8. Jump out) of bed and _______________ (9. run) to see who the parcel was for. (S. Past.)

6.  We ________________________ (10.visit) Spain three times last year. (S. Past.)

7.  During the time I started to get chest pains, I ____________________ (11. play) tennis a lot.  (Past Cont.)

     We use the Simple Past (red) together with the Past Progressive (grey). The action in the Simple Past interrupted the action in the Past Progressive (the one which was in progress).

B. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING THESE PAIRS OF VERBS. USE THE PAST                  SIMPLE INONE SPACE AND THE PAST CONTINUOUS IN THE OTHER.

Arrive/get      go/get                     met/work         look/ slip          wait/order           ski/break

1.  Just as I was getting into the bath the fire alarm went off.

2.  Helen ______________________ her leg while she __________________________in Switzerland.

3.  We _________________________ when I ___________________________ in a music shop.

4.  When his mother _____________________ in the other direction Steve __________________ away quietly. 

5.  I ___________________________ a drink while I ____________________ for Pam to arrive.

6.  Our guests were early. They _______________________ as I ______________________ changed.

PAST CONTINUOUS	was/were +  Ving	Examples:
Affirmative sentence	S + V(be) +  V(ing) + C.	At the time of the robbery, they were staying with my parents.
Negative sentence	S + V(be) +  not + V(ing) + C.	My daughter was not going shopping when you called me. She…
Yes/no question	V(be) +  S +  V(ing) + C.	Was your head aching again?
Information question	IW +  V(be) +  S +  V(ing) + C?	Where were your parents driving when  I arrived?

Let's practice

E

E

E

E

E

E

E

E

E

E

E