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Past Simple Vs Past Continuous

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38 views

Past Simple Vs Past Continuous

Uploaded by

Sanja
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Tense
Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Form
 Past Simple: Past Continuous
I worked I was working.
I didn’t work. I wasn’t working
Did you work? Were you working?
-ed spelling: loved, stopped, planned, studied, played
-ing spelling: dancing, planning, studying, playing, lying
(lie)
Use 1: Used Separately

 One short action happens after another:


She knocked on the door and came in.

 Two long actions happen at the same time:


She was doing her homework while her brother was
playing on the computer.
Use 2: Both Tenses Together

 Past Simple: new action that interrupts another


action
 Past Continuous: an action already in progress:

While I was sitting in a meeting my mobile suddenly


rang.
Use 3: Emphasis on Time

 Past Simple: just to mention something that


happened in the past:
 We went to the movies last Sunday.

 Past Continuous: to emphasize progress and that an


action was taking place at a specific time:
 We were watching TV at eight this morning.
The following verbs are usually only used in
Simple Past (not in the progressive form):

 State: be, cost, fit, mean (They were on holiday)


 Possession: belong, have (I had a cat)
 Senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch (He felt the
cold)
 Feelings: hate, hope, like, love, prefer, want (I loved
her)
 Brain work: believe, know, understand (I didn’t
understand)
Time Expressions

 I was going down when I fell off the stairs.


 While we were shopping Susan was talking on the
phone.
 We were having dinner when the bell rang.
 While she was washing the dishes, he was ironing.

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