GRAMMAR BULLETIN

August, 2013 Elabor: Rebeca Cruz R.

Past Simple and Past Continuous

Past simple -We use the past simple to talk about actions or states that started and finished in the past, often with expressions like yesterday, last week, a year ago, when I was a child, etc. Examples: I didnt see Antony yesterday. My husband and I went to Paris three weeks ago. Past Continuous -We use the past continuous to talk about an action that was in progress at a time in the past. The action started before that time and continued after that time. Example: We were watching TV at nine. Two actions that were in progress at the same time in the past. Example: -We use the past simple of be to talk about the past. Remenber:: We often use these time expressions with the simple past : Yesterday, last night / week / weekend / month / year, three hours / days / weeks / months / years ago, in 2002, among others. Harry was in the hospital last Monday . Were you at home last weekend? My mother was sleeping while my brother was playing soccer. -We can use the past simple and past continuous together to talk about an action that happened while another action was in progress.. I was going home when you came. To form the past simple of regular verbs, we add ed to the verb. Examples: Walk Walked Arrive Arrived Try Tried Stop Stopped Some verbs do not form the past simple with -ed. They are irregular verbs. Examples: Go Eat Went Ate Buy Put Bought Put

Taken from: Grammar Practice for Elementary Students by Viney, Walker & Elsworth.

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I. Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or past continuous of the verbs in brackets.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

I was watching TV when the doorbell ______________________________. (ring) Samuel and I ___________________________________ at the bus stop. (wait) We __________________________________ to work when we saw the accident. (drive) Charles was talking to Luke while Kate ___________________________________dinner. (make) When we saw him, he __________________________________ by his car. (stand) We were walking on the beach when we ________________________ Alex. (see) Karen was sleeping when somebody_______________________________ her computer. (steal) Sam _____________________ (study) while Andrew ________________________ a book . (read) We were cold and wet because we __________________________ coats or jackets. (not wear) What were you ________________________? (do)

II. Circle the correct answer.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

1. were sitting / started 2. met / was studying 3. were you visiting / saw 4. were driving / was sleeping 5. saw / wasnt watching 6. was waiting / crashed 7. was working / phoned.

1. rang 2. were waiting 3. were driving 4. was making 5. was standing 6. saw 7. stole 8. was studying / was Reading 9. werent wearing 10. doing

We sat / were sitting in the park when it started / was starting to rain. When you met / was meeting him, he studied / was studying Medicine. Did you visit / Were you visiting your grandma when we were seeing / saw you in Canada? They were driving / drove while I slept / was sleeping in the car. When I saw / was seeing Dina, she didnt watch / wasnt watching TV. She was in the living room. I was waiting / waited for the bus when the car crashed / was crashing into the tree. Alice worked / was working when I phoned / was phoning her.