PAST SIMPLE & PAST CONTINOUS

We use past simple tense for referring to a completed action in the past; past continuous tense for
referring to a continuous action going on at a specific time in the past when other events happened.
Past simple

We use the past simple to talk about completed actions in the past.

 We ate out yesterday. (the action is finished)

In a story, we use the past simple to talk about past events in chronological order, i.e. the main
events of a story.

 When she opened the door, she pretended that we weren’t there and she went to her room. 
 He called me and told me to go, but when I arrived he wasn’t there. 

We also use the past simple to talk about past habits or past states.

 We often went to the bar for a drink before dinner.

 He really liked sport, and was very fit.

 Past continuous

 We use the past continuous the set the scene in a story.

 Last night I was walking home and listening to my iPod when …

 The sun was shining and lots of tourists were lying on the beach. Suddenly …

We use the past continuous for actions in progress in the past or longer actions interrupted by shorter
actions in past simple.

 After dinner I went into the living room and saw that she was crying. 
 When she opened the door, we were talking about her. 

Below, you can see an example of a narrative with the past tenses explained.

It was just before midnight on October 31st last year. Susan Lee was driving
home after visiting her sister. The road was clear, and she was driving
carefully. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a young man stepped out in front of her.
He was wearing a dark colored raincoat and carrying a backpack. Susan
stepped hard on the brake pedal, but it was too late. She got out of the car but,
to her surprise, there was nobody there. While she was looking under the car,
she felt a cold wind on her face and a strange presence that sent shivers down
her spine. She was still looking under her car when a lorry stopped behind her.
The lorry driver, a middle-aged man, walked up to her and asked her if she
needed help to start her car so she told him what had happened. He didn't
seem surprised when Susan told him about the young man. 'In October 1978,
there was a car accident on this road and a hitchhiker was fatally run over.
You're not the first to have seen his ghost here', he said in a mysterious tone.
EXERCISES:

1. complete with the tense suggested.

a I (not study) ______________ English at elementary school. (Simple past)

b This time last year, l (take) ___________________an intensive English

course in California. (Past progressive)
c I (enjoy) watching foreign movies in the original version. (Simple present)
d I___________
(read) a really good novel right now. (Present progressive)
__________

2. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES WITH SIMPLE PAST OR THE PAST PROGRESSIVE.

a We (move) moved several times when I (be) . a child.

b My parents (meet)
e 1 (have)
d When I (wake up)
e Whi le I
(wa1k)____________
f 1 (break)
____________________
when 'they (travel) abroad.
a small accident while I (learn) to dr iv e .
this morning, the sun (shine) .
to work, I(run into) an old friend.
my 1eg once while I (play) _______________________ socce r ·for t he
school team.

PRACTICES:

1. https://test-english.com/grammar-points/a2/past-continuous-past-simple/
2. https://test-english.com/grammar-points/a2/past-continuous-past-simple/2/
3. https://test-english.com/grammar-points/a2/past-continuous-past-simple/3/