Past Simple & Past Continuous

PAST SIMPLE FORMS. REGULAR VERBS

Affirmative (Positive) Negative

Long form Short form

I worked I did not work I didn’t work
you worked you did not work you didn’t work
he worked he did not work he didn’t work
she worked she did not work she didn’t work
it worked it did not work it didn’t work
we worked we did not work we didn’t work
they worked they did not work they didn’t work

Question

Did I work?
Did you work?
Did he work?
Did she work?
Did it work?
Did we work?
Did they work?
PAST SIMPLE FORMS. IRREGULAR VERBS

Affirmative Negative Question

(positive)
Long form Short form
I ate I did not eat I didn’t eat Did I eat?
you ate you did not eat you didn’t eat Did you eat?
he ate he did not eat he didn’t eat Did he eat?
she ate she did not eat she didn’t eat Did she eat?
it ate it did not eat it didn’t eat Did it eat?
we ate we did not eat we didn’t eat Did we eat?
they ate they did not eat they didn’t eat Did they eat?

PAST SIMPLE USES

Actions finished in the past I saw him yesterday.
- with time markers: yesterday, last Dinosaurs lived on Earth millions of years ago.
year, in 1996, etc.

General knowledge past actions Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin.

Actions that have been introduced with the I’ve already had breakfast. I ate an omelet and
present perfect some pancakes.

Actions in stories or lists of events Later on he went to a pub. He sat down and
ordered a beer.

In type 2 conditional sentences If I won a million dollars, I would travel

around the world.

After 'wish' I wish I had a car so that I could drive to work.

Grammar Practice. Past Simple

Exercise 1.
Put the verbs in the correct form: positive, negative or question.

E.g. We (go) to the cinema but the film wasn’t very good. We (enjoy) it.
We went to the cinema but the film wasn’t very good. We didn’t enjoy it.

1. Tim (buy) some new clothes yesterday: two shirts, a jacket and a pullover.
2. “(it/ rain) yesterday?” “No, it (be) a nice day.”
3. The party (be) boring, so we (stay) long.
4. It (be) very warm in the room, so I (open) a window.
5. “(you/go) to the bank this morning?” “No, I (have) time.”
6. “I (cut) my hand this morning.” “How (do) that?”
7. “(you/watch) that video?” “No, I (can open) it”.
8. “How old (you/be) when (your brother/get married)?”

Exercise 2.
Put the words in the correct order to form questions.

E.g. late/ you/ this morning/ were/ why?

Why were you late this morning?

1. difficult/ your/ exam/ was?

2. last week/ Ann and Chris/ were/ where?
3. our new camera/ how much/ was?
4. angry/ you/ yesterday/ why/ were?
5. nice/ the weather/ last week/ was?
6. Helen and Anne/ take/ did/ many photos?
7. the teacher/ the classroom/ leave/ when/ did?
8. when/ the girls/ home/ did/ get?

Exercise 3.
Read about Lisa’s journey to Madrid. Put the verbs in the correct form.
Last Tuesday Lisa 1. (fly) flew from London to Madrid. She 2. (get)….up at six o’clock in the
morning and 3. (have) a cup of coffee. At 6.30 she 4. (leave) home and 5. (drive) to the airport.
When she 6. (arrive), she 7. (park) the car and then 8. (go) to the airport café where she 9. (have)
breakfast. Then she 10. (go) through passport control and 11. (wait) for her flight. The plane 12.
(depart) on time and 13. (arrive) in Madrid Finally 14. (take) a taxi from the airport to her hotel
in the centre of Madrid.
PAST CONTINUOUS FORMS

Affirmative Negative
(Positive)
Long form Short form

I was working I was not working I wasn’t working

you were working you were not working you weren’t working
he was working he was not working he wasn’t working
she was working she was not working she wasn’t working
it was working it was not working it wasn’t working
we were working we were not working we weren’t working
they were working they were not working they weren’t working

Question

Was I working?
Were you working?
Was he working?
Was she working?
Was it working?
Were we working?
Were they working?

PAST CONTINUOUS USES

Action in the past happening I was watching a movie at this time

over a period of time yesterday.
She was studying all night long.
Action in the past, overlapping I was having a shower when the phone
another past action rang.

Past actions happening at the I was buttering the bread while my

same time mother was slicing the tomatoes

Sets the background of a story The children were playing happily in

the park, the birds were chirping,
people were laughing and chatting. All
of a sudden, there was a loud noise.
Grammar Practice. Past Continuous

Exercise 1.
Put the verbs in brackets in the Past Continuous and form positive or negative sentences.
Use short forms wherever possible.

E.g. He (not/eat) when I arrived, he (read).

He was not eating when I arrived, he was reading.

1. They (not/take) pictures, they (paint).

2. He (not/wash) the car, he (repair) it.
3. John (not/ride) his bike, he (roller-skate).
4. We (not/work) yesterday afternoon, we (relax).
5. Norah (not/watch) the news on TV, she (listen) to the radio.
6. I (not/practise) the trumpet last night, I (play) the guitar.
7. Their friends (not/sing), they (shout).
8. Steve (not/do) the dishes, he (mow) the lawn.
9. We (not/shop), we (look) around.
10. It (not/rain), it was (snow).

Exercise 2.
Put the verbs in brackets in the Past Continuous and form questions.

E.g. (they/look) at pictures when Sarah called?

Were they looking at pictures when Sarah called?

1. (she/visit) her grandparents when you met her?

2. (you/write) an e-mail when the computer shut down?
3. (the boys/play) football when their parents came home?
4. (the TV host/ask) a lot of questions during the interview?
5. (Helen and Anne/take) a lot photos on their trip?
6. (we/make) a lot of noise while we redecorated the flat?
7. (the teacher/leave) the classroom, when you got to school?
8. (the secretary/send) the files when the boss arrived?
9. (John and Paul/play) under the tree all afternoon?
10. (I/snore) when you woke up?

Exercise 3.
Put the verb in the correct form-positive, negative or question. Use the Past Continuous.

E.g. He (smile) at me for no apparent reason.

He was smiling at me for no apparent reason.

1. The small boy (not/wear) a pair of blue jeans.

2. Coming out of the bank, he (hold) a few bills in his hand.
3. I (call) you about the job advertisement you posted a week ago.
4. He (sit) at the dinner table waiting for the guests to arrive.
5. The police (come) our way, so we decided to leave.
6. You should have called me last night, I (not/sleep).
7. What (she/do) when the boys came home?
8. She confessed she (look) for somebody, a friend.
9. It (become) increasingly clear that he could no longer take care of himself.
10. Did you see Hellen at the party last night? What (she/wear)?

Grammar Practice. Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

Exercise 1.
Where were these people at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon/ And what were they doing? Use
the cues below and write two sentences.

E.g. Ann/ home/ watch TV………………..

Ann was at home. She was watching TV.

1. Carol and Jack/the cinema/watch a film.

2. Tom/his car/drive.
3. Catherine/the station/wait for a train.
4. Mr. and Mrs. Hall/the park/walk.
5. I/the beach/swim.
6. My best friend/at work/have a meeting.
7. The children/in the yard/play with a ball.
8. John and his wife/ski resort/relax.

Exercise 2.
Put the verb into the Past Continuous or Past Simple.

E.g. A: What ………. (you/ do) when the phone ………(ring)?

B: What were you doing when the phone rang?

1. A: Was Jane busy when you went to see her?

B: Yes, she……….(study)
2. A: What time….(the post/ arrive) this morning?
B: It…….(come) while I……(have) breakfast.
3. A: Was Margaret at work today?
B: No, she……(not/ go) to work. She was ill
4. A: How fast…..(you/ drive) when the police…….(stop) you?
B: I don’t know exactly but I……..(not/ drive) very fast.
5. A: …….(your team/win) the football match yesterday?
B: No, the weather was very bad, so we…..(not play)
6. A: How…..(you/ break ) the window/
B: We…..(play) football. I…..(kick) the ball and it…..(hit) the window.
7. A: ………(you/ see) Jenny last night?
B: Yes, she…(wear) a very nice jacket.
8. A: What…..(you/do) at 2 o’clock this morning?
B: I …… (sleep).
9. A: What (he/do) when his sister came back home?
B: I (mend) the fence.
10. A I….(lose) my key last night.
B: How…..(you/get) into your room?
A: I……(climb) in through a window.
Exercise 3.
Choose the correct form of the verbs.

Thomas Edison (1) started / was starting work on the railway when he was twelve, selling
newspapers and snacks. There were long periods with nothing for him to do so he (2) build/ was
building himself a little laboratory in the luggage van where he could carry out experiments
when he (3) didn’t sell/ wasn’t selling things to passengers. Another way that he (4) occupied/
was occupying himself was by reading. He joined a library and (5) read / was reading every
single book in it. One day, when he (6) waited/ was waiting at a station he (7) noticed/ was
noticing a small boy who (8) played/ was playing by the track, unaware that a train (9)
approached/ was approaching. Edison (10) ran/ was running out and (11) grabbed/ was
grabbing the child just in time. The child’s father was so grateful that he (12) offered/ was
offering to teach Edison to be a telegraph operator. Edison accepted the offer and soon he (13)
had/ was having regular lessons. After a year, he was good enough to get a job in the telegraph
office. He continued to read and experiment, whenever he (14) had/ was having time. At
twenty-one he (15) left/ was leaving the telegraph office to devote all his time to being an
inventor. He (16) went/ was going on to invent the electric light bulb, the phonograph and the
movie camera.

Exercise 4.
Complete the description of the life of a musician, using the verbs given. Use either the Past
Simple or the Past Continuous.

Colin Boyle was born in 1973 near Dublin, Ireland. In 1983 he became seriously ill. While he (1)
(recover) his uncle (2) (give) him an old violin. He enjoyed playing and practiced at school every
day after lessons. One day in 1987, John Leaf, the manager of several successful musicians,
(3)…….(have) a meeting with the headmaster when he (4)……(hear) Colin practicing. He
immediately (5)…..(contact) Colin’s teacher and (6)…..(invite) Colin to appear in one of the
concerts he (7)……(organize) that year. Colin, however, (8)…..(refuse) Leaf’s invitation,
because just then he(9)….(prepare) for some important school exams. Colin (10)…….(pass) his
exams and (11)….(go) to college to study engineering. At college he (12)…..(meet) Kim
O’Malley, who (13)….(study) chemistry. Kim was also a keen amateur musician. Being
students, they rarely (140…..(have) much money and they usually (15)…..(work) as waiters at
weekends. One evening in April 1992, while Colin and Kim (16)….(serve) customers, the
manager (17)…(announce) that there would be no live music in the restaurant that night as
regular band could not come. Colin and Kim (180….(persuade) him to let them play to the
customers. Everyone (19)……(be) amazed to hear how good they (20)……(be).Six months later
they (21)…..(decide) to leave college because they (22)….(earn) so much money as musicians.
Their success has continued ever since.

Exercise 4.
Choose the correct form of the verbs.
ADAM: Hello, Mike. What (1) are you doing/ do you do in this part of
London?
MIKE: Well, actually, (2) I’m looking/ I look at flats around here.
ADAM: Flats? (3) Are you wanting/ Do you want to move?
MIKE: Yes, in fact, believe it or not, Mandy and I (4) are getting/ get
married.
ADAM: That’s great! Congratulations. When (5) were you deciding/ did you
decide?
MIKE: Only last week. It was while we (6) were staying/ stayed with her
family in Scotland. Now (7) we try/ we’re trying to find a suitable
flat.
ADAM: It’ll be great to have you as neighbours. I hope you manage to buy one
soon.
MIKE: Oh we (8) aren’t looking/ don’t look for one to buy. We (9) aren’t
having/ don’t have enough money yet. (10) We’re wanting/ We want
to find somewhere to rent.
ADAM: Yes, of course. That’s what we (11) did/ were doing at first. Actually,
in the end, my brother (12) was lending/ lent us some money. That’s how we (13) were
managing/ managed to buy ours.
MIKE: Really? Perhaps I’ll talk to my family before (14) we choose/ we’re
choosing a flat.
ADAM: That’s not a bad idea. My family (15) gave/ were giving us quite a lot
of helpful advice. Now, what about a coffee? There’s a good place just
round the corner.
MIKE: Oh, yes, I (16) looked/ was looking for somewhere to sit down when I
bumped into you. Let’s go.