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  • Simple Past VS Past Continuous

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    Maximiliano Mosqueira Mendoza
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    The document discusses the difference between the simple past and past continuous tenses in English. It provides the structure and forms of each tense, examples of their usage, and exercises to practice using them correctly. The simple past is used to describe completed actions in the past, while the past continuous describes ongoing or interrupted actions happening at a specific time in the past. Knowing when to use each tense properly is important for reading comprehension and answering questions about past events.

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    The document discusses the difference between the simple past and past continuous tenses in English. It provides the structure and forms of each tense, examples of their usage, and exercises to practice using them correctly. The simple past is used to describe completed actions in the past, while the past continuous describes ongoing or interrupted actions happening at a specific time in the past. Knowing when to use each tense properly is important for reading comprehension and answering questions about past events.

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    7 views6 pages

    Simple Past VS Past Continuous

    Uploaded by

    Maximiliano Mosqueira Mendoza
    The document discusses the difference between the simple past and past continuous tenses in English. It provides the structure and forms of each tense, examples of their usage, and exercises to practice using them correctly. The simple past is used to describe completed actions in the past, while the past continuous describes ongoing or interrupted actions happening at a specific time in the past. Knowing when to use each tense properly is important for reading comprehension and answering questions about past events.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 6

    Simple past VS Past

    Continuous
    What’s the Difference? Simple Past and Past
    Continuous
    • Past Simple and Past Continuous are two basic but very important
    tenses to form simple sentences as well as useful in reading
    comprehension. Knowing these two tenses will help you easily
    understand and quickly answer questions related to the past tense.
    • To learn well the Past Simple Tense, you must master the basic
    irregular verbs table as well as how to add the ending “-ing” to verbs
    in the Past Continuous Tense.
    Structure of Simple Past vs Past Continuous
    Tense
    Form of Past Simple Tense Form of Past Continuous Tense

    1. To be:
    (+) S + was/were + Adj/ Noun + O
    I, He, She, It, N + Was
    You, we, they, N + Were
    (-) Subject + was/ were + not + O
    Was not = wasn’t (+) S + was/were + V_ing + O
    Were not = weren’t (-) S + was/were + not + V_ing + O
    (?) Were/ was + Subject + O? (?) Was/were + S + V_ing + O?
    2. Verbs
    (+) S + Past simple + O
    (-) Subject + did not + Bare infinitive + O
    Did not = didn’t
    (?) Did + Subject + Bare infinitive + O ?
    How to use Simple Past and Past Continuous
    Simple Past Past Continuous

    1. Describes an action that started and ended


    1. Describe an action that is happening at a time
    completely in the past.
    + Tom went to Paris last summer. point in the past.
    + What were you doing at 8:30 last night?
    + My mother left this city two years ago.
    + He died in 1980. 2. Describe an action that was happening (in the past)
    when another action was interrupted.
    2. Describe actions that happened consecutively in the
    past. (The action in progress uses the past continuous, the
    intervening action uses the simple past)
    + He came home, switched on the laptop,
    + When I came yesterday, he was sleeping.
    and checked his email. + What was she doing when you saw her?
    3. Used in some of the following constructs:
    3. Describe actions that happened at the same time in
    + I used to ride a bicycle to school.
    + I was eating dinner when he came. the past.
    + If I were you, I wouldn’t get engaged to him. + Yesterday, I was cooking while my sister was
    washing the dishes.
    Exercises
    1: I………………..(be) hungry.
    2: You………………..(be) in Australia last year.
    3: She………………..(be) in London last week.
    4: The cat………………..(be) on the roof.
    5: We………………..(study) a very hard lesson the day before yesterday.
    6: When I………………..(arrive) at his house, he still………………..(sleep).
    7: She………………..(water) the flowers in her garden while her next-door neighbor………………..(chat) with her
    over the fence.
    8: As we………………..(cross) the street, we………………..(see) an accident.
    9: The bell………………..(ring) while Tom………………..(take) a bath.
    10: She………………..(hear) a noise and………………..(get) out of bed when the door………………..(open).
    Answers
    1: I was (be) hungry.
    2: You were (be) in Australia last year.
    3: She was (be) in London last week.
    4: The cat was (be) on the roof.
    5: We studied (study) a very hard lesson the day before yesterday.
    6: When I arrived (arrive) at his house, he still was sleeping (sleep).
    7: She was watering (water) the flowers in her garden while her next-door neighbor was chatting (chat) with her over the fence.
    8: As we were crossing (cross) the street, we saw (see) an accident.
    9: The bell rang (ring) while Tom was taking (take) a bath.
    10: She heard (hear) a noise and got (get) out of bed when the door opened (open).

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