1. Past Simple versus Past Continuous tenses

3. We use the past simple for finished actions in the past
When?
The past
Yesterday I went to the cinema with my friends
What time did you arrive home?
I didn’t pass my English test last term

4. Two or more verbs in the past simple
One action follows the other action
Got up
brushed
had 1 2 3
Yesterday morning I got up, I brushed my teeth and
I had breakfast

5. a finished action in the past We met in 2007.
Past Simple: Use
a finished action in the past
We met in 2007.
action that follows another in a story
Mary walked into the room and stopped.

6. a past situation or habit
When I was a child, we lived in a small house by the sea.

7. We use the past continuous for actions happening in the past
The action is in progress
The past
We were watching TV with some friends
I wasn’t studying English
What were you doing yesterday morning?

8. Two or more verbs in the past continuous
The actions happen at the same time
Was watching
Was listening
Was doing
Last night, while my father was watching the TV,
my sister was listening to the radio and I was doing
my homework in my bedroom.

9. Two or more verbs in the past simple and the past continuous
The action expressed by the past simple
interrupts the action expressed by the past continuous
While I was driving to work, I had an accident
I was having a shower when the phone rang
What were you doing when I called you last night?

10. The action expressed by the past continuous
begins before the action expressed by the past simple
While is normally followed by the past continuous
When is normally followed by the past simple
2nd
1st
While I was driving to work, I had an accident
I was having a shower when the phone rang.
What were you doing when I called you last night?

11. Past simple vs past continuous
Past Continuous: Use
to express activities in progress before, and probably after, a particular time in the past
At 7 0’clock this morning I was having my breakfast.

12. for descriptions
Jan looked beautiful.She was wearing a green dress.
to express an interrupted past activity
When the phone rang, I was having a shower.
to express an incomplete activity
I was reading a book during the flight.

13. Past simple or continuous?
Sometimes both tenses are possible. The Past Simple focuses on past actions as complete facts.
The Past Continuous focuses on the duration of past activities.

14. Compare :
A: I didn’t see you at the party last night.
B: No. I stayed at home and watched the football.
A: I didn’t see you at the party last night.
B: No, I was watching the football at home.

15. Past Continuous: Use
to express activities in progress before, and probably after, a particular time in the past
At 7 0’clock this morning I was having my breakfast.

16. for descriptions
Jan looked beautiful.She was wearing a green dress.
to express an interrupted past activity
When the phone rang, I was having a shower.
to express an incomplete activity
I was reading a book during the flight.

17. Past simple or continuous?
Sometimes both tenses are possible.
The Past Simple focuses on past actions as complete facts. The Past Continuous focuses on the duration of past activities

18. Compare : A: I didn’t see you at the party last night.
B: No. I stayed at home and watched the football.
A: I didn’t see you at the party last night.
B: No, I was watching the football at home.

19. Past Continuous tense - Usage
1. We use this tense to talk about actions that were going on, or happening at a certain moment in the past.
At this time last Saturday, Paul was playing in the park with his friends.
2. When two or more actions take place simultaneously at the same time in a past period of time.
I was reading a comic book while my sister was watching TV.

20. 3. We often use past continuous to say what was in progress (i. e
3. We often use past continuous to say what was in progress (i.e. what was happening), when something happened, that is with another action in the past simple:
The phone rang while I was doing my homework.
When I was walking along the road, I saw a car hit a motorbike.
Last night, while I was sleeping, the sound of the broken window woke me up.

21. The simple past is normally followed by time expressions
Yesterday, in 1990, then, when…
Last month, last week, last summer…
3 days ago, some time ago, a week ago…
Every year...

22. The past continuous is normally used with times and time expressions
At this morning
Yesterday evening at 9.00
with: while, as/ as long as, when
with: all morning/all afternoon...

23. Use
- Jack got up at 6.00 and worked from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. - At 8 p.m., when Jack came home, I was reading cartoon book. We often use the past continuous and the past simple together with conjunction “while”.
Past Simple
complete shorter action that happened during the longer action; to talk about a complete action (long or short).
Past Continuous
longer action or situation; simultaneous or interrupted action(s);
for actions which were not complete at a past time.

24. Use
- While I was having dinner, the phone rang. - While I was talking to my brother, Bill came in.

25. Past continuous - Form
Affirmative (Declarative / in statements) - I, He, She, It + was + v-ing I was studying. He was playing. - You, We, They + were + v-ing You were reading. They were sleeping.

26. Negative form - I, He, She, It + wasn’t(not) + v-ing I wasn’t (not) studying. He wasn’t (not) playing. - You, We, They + weren’t(not) + v-ing You weren’t (not) reading. They weren’t (not) sleeping. Notice: spelling rules of –ing forms Stop>stopping; Dance>dancing; Lie> lying

27. Question form - Was + He, She, It + v-ing. Was he working
Question form - Was + He, She, It + v-ing? Was he working? - Were + you, we, they + v-ing? Were they working? Short answers - Yes, he, she, it + was. you, we, they were. - No, he, she, it + wasn’t. you, we, they + weren’t.

28. Past simple – form Regular verbs Irregular verbs
(+) Last night, I posted a comment about your birthday on Facebook.
(-) Last night, I didn’t post (…)
(?) Did I/you post a comment(…)?
Notice:
short answers: Yes, I did/ No, I didn’t.
(+) I met a famous writer online.
(-) I didn’t meet (…)
(?) Did I meet (…)?

29. most regular verbs add –ed
most regular verbs add –ed* to the base form of the verb ( worked, wanted, helped ...)
*or: –d, e.g. love>loved;
–ied e.g. study> studied)
there are many common irregular verbs
(go,went, gone; meet,met, met; see,saw, seen)

30. Past simple - form
Notice the form is the same for all persons
He left at three o’clock.
They arrived three weeks ago.

31. were dancing.
was cooking supper.
was driving home.
was not watching T.V.