We use Past Simple to express:

an action that happened at a definite time in the past

actions that happened immediately one after

We use Past Continuous to express:

an action that was in progress at a stated time in the past

two actions that were happening at the same time

an action that was in progress

was not / were not + the –ing (Gerund) form of the verb.

I
He reading a book.
was/was not / wasn’t
She watching TV.
It going to the cinema.
You playing basketball.
We were/were not / weren’t raining.
They

Spelling rules

1) If the verb is monosyllabic, it ends with a vowel + consonant, and the vowel is
short (pronunciation) then the consonant at the end of the verb doubles. E.g.:
run  running
2) If the verb ends with –l, it doubles. E.g.: travel  travelling
3) If the verb ends with a mute –e, you have to leave it out. E.g.: make  making
4) There are verbs ending with –ie, like ‘lie’. In the Gerund form the ‘ie’ changes into
‘y”. e.g.: lie  lying

When-While/As

While I was a taking shower, my mother was cleaning the attic./My mother was cleaning the
attic while I was taking a shower.

While I was taking a shower, the telephone rang./The telephone rang while I was taking a
shower.

When I came home, my mother was having dinner. /My mother was having dinner when I
came home.
Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past continuous.

Example: While I (drive), I (have) an accident.

While I was driving, I had an accident.

1.Kate (have) dinner and then she (do) her homework.

2.The thieves (wait) in the kitchen when the police (come) in.

3.Sam (plan) a party and then he (phone) his friends.

4.While we (clean) the house, we (break) some glasses.

5.Alan (look) out of the window when he (see) a UFO.

Decide whether the parts in bold are in the correct tense.If they are not, correct

them.

a. Leopold was falling off the ladder while he was painting the ceiling.

b. Wendy was waiting for me when I arrived.

c. We didn’t go fishing because it rained.

d. I was seeing Scott in the park. He was sitting on the grass and he read a book.

e. This time last year I had holiday on Bali.

f. When I was getting up the TV was on.

Complete the text with either the past simple or past continuous form of the verb.

I _____________ (buy) a new alarm clock one day when I _____________

(see) somebody shoplifting. I’d just finished paying for my clock. While I
_____________ (turn) round, an elderly woman _____________ (slowly put) a silver
ashtray into her bag.Then, she _____________ (walk) over to another part of the
shop and _____________ (pick up) an expensive-looking bracelet. Before I told the
staff in the shop, she understood that I _____________ (watch) her and
_____________ (hurry) out. Unfortunately, two policemen _____________ (walk)
past at that moment and she _____________ (run) straight into them.