Past Continuous

vs

Past Simple
PAST SIMPLE vs PAST CONTINUOUS
Past Simple
• I woke up early this morning.
• I didn’t wake up early yesterday.
• Did you wake up early this morning?

Past Continuous
• I was doing my homework.
• You were watching TV.
• He wasn’t swimming across the river.
• Were you listening to music?
• A short action interrupted another longer action in the
past

Rosie was cleaning the window

when the telephone rang.
She was cleaning the window when the phone rang.

Longer action Short action

(past continuous tense) (past simple tense)

the phone rang

She was cleaning the (This action interrupted the
window longer action)
Now

Past
While the children were playing in
Longer action
(past continuous tense)

the park, it started to rain.

Short action
(past simple tense)
 Kate / read a book the dog / come

Kate was reading a book when the

dog came.

While Kate was reading a book, the

dog came.
 Mike / drive a car see / a helicopter

Mike was driving his car when he

saw a helicopter.

While Mike was driving his car, he

saw a helicopter.
 WHEN or WHILE
We use when or while to connect two actions in the
sentences
When
When I arrived to the party, all my friends were
dancing.
When past simple (short action)
While

While I was talking on the phone, someone stole my car.

While past continuous (longer action)

 Dylan / dive see / a turtle

Dylan was diving when he saw

a turtle.

While Dylan was diving, he saw

a turtle.
Arthur / do homework his friends / arrive

Arthur was doing his homework

when his friends arrived.

While Arthur was doing his

homework, his friends arrived.
 Kate / cycle to work feel / hungry

Kate was cycling to work when she

felt hungry.

While Kate was cycling to work, she

felt hungry.
 PAST SIMPLE vs PAST CONTINUOUS
QUESTIONS

- What happened while Rosie was cleaning

the window?

- What happened while the children were

playing in the park?

- What happened while Kate was reading a

book?
- What was Rosie doing when the telephone
rang?

- What were the children doing when it

started to rain?

- What was Kate doing when the dog came?

- What was Arthur doing when his friends

arrived?