PAST SIMPLE VS PAST

CONTINUOUS
 • To talk about complete

Past actions in the past.

Simple • Ex: I studied yesterday.

• A long action in progress in

Past the past.

Continous • Ex: I was writing a letter.

Use of both in a sentence

To describe a long action

(past continous) that is
interrumpted by a short
action (past simple).

Example: I was having a

beautiful dream when the
phone rang.
 REMEMBER

PAST
WHEN IS FOR
SIMPLE

PAST
WHILE IS FOR
CONTINOUS
 SENTENCE STRUCTURE

1. When the words WHEN and WHILE come first in the

sentence, you have to write a comma at the end of the first
clause.

Past Past
While ,
continous simple

Past Past
When ,
simple continous
 Time Expressions

When

EXAMPLES:
• When I got on the bus, It was
raining.
Past simple • When he knocked the door, I was
cooking dinner.
• When the celphone rang, she was
reading a book

Past
continuous
 Time Expressions

While

EXAMPLES:
• While I was watching tv, my mom
Past arrived.
• While you were preparing dinner,
continous he knocked the door.
• While she was reading a book, the
celphone rang.

Past simple
 SENTENCE STRUCTURE #2

1. The words WHEN and WHILE are placed in the middle of

the sentence. You don’t need a comma.

Past continous when Past simple

Past simple while Past continous

 EXAMPLES:

We were listening to music when

the lights went out.

It was raining when I got on the

bus.

I fell down while I was riding a

bike.

We heard a big explosion while we

were having dinner.
IN YOUR NOTEBOOKS WRITE A
SENTENCE USING WHILE AND
WHEN
 LET’S PRACTICE!
1. Choose the correct option.

1. While I swam / was swimming, someone took / was taking

my bag.
2. The assistants had lunch / were having lunch when the men
robbed / were robbing the store.
3. Someone stole / was stealing my dad’s car while we watched /
were watching the soccer game.
4. When I arrived / was arriving at school, everyone talked / was
talking about the news story.
 LET’S PRACTICE!

Complete the sentences with the simple past or past progressive

form of the verbs.

1. While I Was
_________________
getting on (get on) the bus, someone
________
stole (steal) my wallet from my pocket.

were chasing
2.The police __________________ (chase) the man when he
_________
fell (fall).

3. A dog ___________________
took (take) out hot dogs while we
Were having
___________________ (have) a cookout.

caught
4. When the police _________________ (catch) the man, he
Was escaping (escape) out of a window.
_______________