Past Simple and Past Continuous

USES:
PAST SIMPLE PAST CONTINUOUS

1. To talk about finished 1. To describe an action actions in the past. in progress at a 2. The auxiliary verb specific moment in the used is DID for past. questions and 2. We use the verb to be DIDNT for in the past (was-were) negations. + the ing form of the main verb.
Mary was cooking dinner when I arrived home. My students were doing the exam when the bell rang.

PAST SIMPLE AND PAST CONTINUOUS IN THE SAME SENTENCE Remember! Sometimes we use the past simple and the past continuous together to express that . An action (past simple) interrupted a continuing action (past continuous).
Give some examples

Examples
1. Peter burned his hand while he was cooking dinner. =in the middle of cooking dinner, he burned his hand.

2. When Helen called, we were having dinner. =in the middle of eating dinner, Helen called.
continuing action = past continuous interrupting action = simple past

REMEMBER
We use verbs in the past simple to enumerate different actions in the past: Yesterday morning I got up early, had breakfast and went to work.
We can use 2 verbs in past continuous to say that two actions were happening simultaneously in the past: Jim was at the park. He was sitting on the grass and reading.

PAST TIME EXPRESSIONS

Time Expressions frequently used with the simple past: yesterday, last ______, past dates (in 1990), _____ ago, etc.

PRACTICE 1: Write the most suitable words in each gap (ago, yesterday, last, while, when, as, on, in, at)
1) Tommy's father worked in that office 2 years _____ 2) 2) The plane was flying _____ 8 p.m. 3) My best friend went to London ______ month 4) I was having dinner, _____ my sister was having a shower

5) _____ did the supermarket close?

6) Your aunt studied German _____ 2001
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. AGO AT WHILE WHEN IN

7) Rose played in an orchestra _____ she was 12 years old. 8) Jason was swimming _____ his girlfriend was drinking a coke 9) The TV broke _____ 26th October 10) _____ did he deliver the shopping? 11) My father's friend had a baby ______. 12) The suspect can't have committed the crime. He was having dinner in the restaurant ______ that time .

13) My cousin bought the PSP _____ he was in London

7. WHEN 8. WHILE 9. ON 10. WHEN 11. YESTERDAY 12. AT 13. WHEN

Important!
Some verbs are NOT used in the present continuous. These verbs are called STATIVE (or non-action) verbs. Here are some examples:
want know believe forget like need understand remember love hate see hear have (possess) belong

PRACTICE 2: Write past simple or past continuous in the gaps

When the post man _____ (arrive), I _____ (have a shower

While my brother _____ (study), my grandma _____ (make) some muffins

I _____(go) to the doctor 2 days ago because I _____(have) a terrible headache

When I _____ (be) 10, I _____ (eat) a sandwich every evening

WHAT WRE THEY DOING WHEN IT STARTED TO RAIN?

6 3 7
10

9 8

RUN WATER THE PLANTS WALK WAIT FOR THE BUS SHARE A DRINK LOOK OUT OF THE WINDOW PLAY THE DRUM TALK PLAY BALL RIDE A BIKE