Past Simple Past Continuous

by Amanda Agudo Montero

Listen to this song:
 Complete the lyrics:
know be can do say
PAST
I would’ve stayed at home CONT.
was doing better alone
'Cause I ___________
said
But when you _________, "Hello"
knew that ______
I _______ was the end of it all
PAST I should have stayed at home
SIMPLE 'Cause now there ain't no letting you go
Am I falling in love
could break my heart?
With the one that _______
Oh no,
Past Simple
Regular verbs S + V-ed + © She played football
AFFIRMATIVE
Irregular verbs S + PAST (2nd col) + © She ran 3 km.

S + DIDN’T + V + ©
NEGATIVE
She didn’t play football /She didn’t run 3 km

DID + S + V + ©
INTERROGATIVE
Did she play football? / Did she run 3 km?

SHORT ANSWERS Yes, she did / No, she didn’t

Past Simple: verb TO BE
AFFIRM. NEG. INT. SHORT A.

I was I wasn’t Was I?

You were You weren’t Were you? Yes, __ was/
He was He wasn’t Was he? were
She was She wasn't Was she?
It was It wasn’t Was it?
We were We weren’t Were we?
You were You weren’t Were you? No, ___ wasn’t /
They were They weren’t Were they? weren’t
Past Continuous
S + WAS / WERE + V-ing + ©
AFFIRMATIVE
She was watching a movie.

S + WASN’T / WEREN’T + V-ing + ©

NEGATIVE
She wasn’t watching a movie.

INTERROGATIVE WAS / WERE + S + V-ing + ©?

Was she watching a movie.

Yes, __ was / were

SHORT ANSWERS
No, __ wasn’t / weren’t
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Past Simple
Past Continuous
REGULAR IRREGULAR TO BE

S + WAS/
AFF S + V-ED S + V (2nd col) S + was/were + V-ing
WERE
S + WASN’T / S + wasn’t/weren’t +
NEG S + DIDN’T + V
WEREN’T V-ing

WAS / WERE Was / Were + S +

INT DID + S + V?
+ S? V-ing?
SHORT Yes, __ was/were Yes, __ was/were
Yes, __ did / No, __ didn’t No, __ wasn’t / No, __ wasn’t / weren’t
ANS.
weren’t
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Use

Past Simple Past Continuous

Just mention
Emphasis on progress
(short actions)

Colin played football yesterday Yesterday at six o’clock Colin

at six o’clock. was playing football.
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Use

Past Simple Past Continuous

One action after another At the same time.

She came home, switched on Simon was playing on the

the computer and checked her computer while his brother was
e-mails. watching TV.
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Use

Past Simple Past Continuous

New action Already in progress

When While

When my mother While I was having a

arrived, I was having a shower, my mother
shower. arrived.
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Certain verbs are only used in Past Simple:

State: be, cost, fit, mean,suit.

We were on holiday

Possession: belong, have.

Sam had a cat.

Senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch.

He felt the cold.

Feelings: hate, hope, like, love, prefer, regret, want, wish.

Jane loved pizza.

Brain work: believe, know, think, understand.

I did not understand him.

Introductory clauses for direct speech: answer, ask, reply, say.

“I am watching TV”, he said.
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Clues

Past Simple Past Continuous

First
Then
Second Conditional As long as
sentences: While.
If I had a car…
When.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkOXNxoMClA
What does ‘blackout’
mean?
Where did the action take
place?
What is the news?
Why did the blackout
happen?
Now, let’s play a game.
Exercises:
https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/
simpas-paspro