Simple Past – Past Progressive

Form

Simple Past Past Progressive

irregular verbs: see 2nd column of irregular past form of 'be' + ing form of verb
verbs  

I spoke I was speaking

you were speaking
regular verbs: verb + ed
he / she / it was speaking
I worked we were speaking
they were speaking

Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 'ed' : Exceptions when adding 'ing' :
 when the final letter is e, only add d.  silent e is dropped (but: does not apply for -
Example: love - loved ee)
Example: come - coming
 after a short, stressed vowel, the final
but: agree - agreeing
consonant is doubled
Example: admit - admitted  after a short, stressed vowel, the final
consonant is doubled
 final l is always doubled in British
Example: sit - sitting
English (not in American English)
Example: travel - travelled  final l is always doubled in British English
(not in American English)
 after a consonant, final y becomes i.
Example: travel - travelling
(but: not after a vowel)
Example: worry - he worried  final ie becomes y.
but: play - he played Example: lie - lying

Use

After another or at the same time?

Do you want to express that the actions in the past happened one after another or at
the same time?
 Simple Past Past Progressive

at the same time

after another
Simon was playing on the computer while his
She came home, switched on the computer and brother was watching TV.
checked her e-mails.

New action or already in progress?

Simple Past Past Progressive

action already in progress

new action
While I was sitting in a meeting, (my mobile suddenly
My mobile rang (while I was sitting in a rang.)
meeting.)

If you want to express that a new action happened in the middle of another action, you
need both tenses: Simple Past the new action and Past Progressive for the action
already in progress.

Only mentioning or emphasising progress?

Simple Past Past Progressive

just mentioning emphasising progress

Colin played football yesterday. Yesterday at six o'clock, Colin was playing
football.

Do you just want to mention that an action took place in the past (also used for short
actions)? Or do you want to put emphasis on the progress, e.g. that an action was
taking place at a certain time

Certain Verbs

The following verbs are usually only used in Simple Past (not in the progressive form).

 tate: be, cost, fit, mean, suit

Example: We were on holiday.

 possession: belong, have
 Example: Sam had a cat.

 senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch

Example: He felt the cold.

 feelings: hate, hope, like, love, prefer, regret, want, wish

Example: Jane loved pizza.

 brain work: believe, know, think, understand

Example: I did not understand him.

 introductory clauses for direct speech: answer, ask, reply, say

Example: “I am watching TV,“ he said.

Signal words

Simple Past Past Progressive

 first  while
 then  as long as


Exercises on Simple Past and Past Progressive

 one after another or at the same time: Exercise 1, Exercise 2
 new or already in progress: Exercise 3, Exercise 4

Questions and short answers

Questions without question words in Simple Past

Auxiliary
Auxiliary Subject Verb Rest Yes/No Subject
(+ n't)

Yes, he did.
Did Max play football?
No, he didn't.

the film Yes, I did.

Did you watch
yesterday? No, I didn't.

BUT:
 Auxiliary (+
to be Subject Rest Yes/No Subject
n't)

in Leipzig last Yes, I was.

Were you
week? No, I wasn't.

2. Questions with question words in Simple Past

Question
Auxiliary Subject Verb Rest Answer
word

I played
yesterday
What did you play computer
evening?
games.

her She met him

When did she meet
boyfriend? yesterday.

after the They went to a

Where did they go
match? café.

BUT:

Question word to be Subject Rest Answer

Where were you yesterday? I was at the cinema.

 Past Progressive

yes / no' question, put 'was / were' in front of the subject:

 Was I listening?
 Were you working?
 Was she working?
 Was he living in Paris at the time?
 Was it snowing when you arrived?
 Were we eating?
 Were they studying?

To make a 'wh' question (of

course) put the question word at the beginning:

 Why was I working?

 Where were you living?
 How was she travelling?
 Where was he going?
 Why was it snowing in the summer?
 What were we eating?
 Why were they studying?

Explanation videos: 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBsU-WoXYwU
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XP4le29BAM


Practice-

 http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=5914
 https://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=2325
 http://www.englisch-
hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_past_progressive.htm http://www.pe
rfect-english-grammar.com/past-simple-past-continuous-exercise-1.html
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvHg58jTqzc past simple vs past
continuos picture game
 http://www.spraz-ila.de/grammar/ingquiz1.htm