past continuous vs past simple

PAST CONTINUOUS VS PAST SIMPLE

Àlex Usieto Martínez

PAST SIMPLE FORM I HE/SHE IT

WE YOU THEY

WAS + ING

Verbs ending in E = INGTake = taking

Verbs ending in Y = YINGStay = staying

1 syllable CVC = we double CStop = stopping

WERE + ING

PAST CONTINUOUS USES We use the past continuous to talk about a

specific situation in the past and images...

AFFIRMATIVE

NEGATIVE

SB+was/were+ING+complement

EX: He was eating an apple. They were playing with the computer.

SB+wasn’t/weren’t+ING+complement

EX: I wasn’t swimming in the pool. We weren’t buying a car.

PAST CONTINUOUS USES We use the past continuous to talk about a

specific situation in the past and images...

INTERROGATIVEINVERSION

Was/were+SB+ING+complement?

EX: Was your mum cooking a soup? Were we talking about the exam?

AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK... Gerard was playing with his scooter.

AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...


Maria was playing with her brother & her dog.



Mario wasn’t sleeping in the tree.




Willy wasn’t planting a tree with his friend Albert.




Willy wasn’t planting a tree with his friend Albert.

Was Javier playing with his little yellow car?



Mario was sleeping in the tree.

Willy was planting a tree with his friend Albert.

Was Javier playing with his little yellow car?

Was Alex playing with his friends?

PAST SIMPLE USES: we use past simple to talk about past finished actions

PAST EXPRESSIONS:last week, last summer, last year, last month... a go ( at

the end)

EXAMPLES:I did a tennis camp last summer

He enjoyed his weekend last week

My sister played basketball 3 years ago

FINISHED ACTIONS

FORMS OF SIMPPLE PAST AFFIRMATIVE: SB+ verb in past + comple.

REGULAR & IRREGULAR VERBS

I forgot my folder in the train (irregular)

The film started at 9:00 (regular)

NEGATIVEINTERROGATIVE DID/DIDN’T

QUESTION QASI (question word)+auxiliary(DID)+ SB+inf?

Where did he play last summer? When did you eat a soup las night?

Negative

SB+didn’t+infinitive+complement

We didn’t play a game last weekend.

They didn’t watch the last year.

PAST SIMPLE&PAST CONTINUOUS TOGETHER past CONTINUOUS=LONG ACTIVITY past SIMPLE=interrumpted/short ACTIVITY

WHEN+past SIMPLEWHILE +past CONTINUOUS

You were playing with the ball WHEN the teacher came into the room.

They were listening to the music WHEN my mum talked to me.

WHILE=LONG ACTIONI studied for the exam while my brother was

playing with the PS4.

My father arrived home while my mum was cooking a cake.

My brother was playing with the ball while I was listening to music.

(2 actions going at the same time)

Power point created by:

Àlex usieto

past continuous vs past simple

Education