Past simple or continuous Both the past simple and the past continuous refer to completed actions in the

past. Most of the time when we are talking about such actions, we use the past simple. This is by far the most common way of talking about the past.

I lived there for 6 years. I only found out a few moments ago. I asked her but she didn't know anything. The company made 100 people redundant last year.

Only use the past continuous when you want to emphasize the continuity of the action.

Everybody was talking about it all evening. They were really trying hard but couldn't do it. I was thinking about you the other day. Were you expecting that to happen?

When we use these two forms in the same sentence, we use the past continuous to talk about the "background action" and the past simple to talk about the shorter completed action.

It was raining hard when we left the building. I was reading the report when you rang. He was going out to lunch when I saw him. The company was doing well when I last visited it.

Simple Past Past Progressive

Exercises and Tests

Form
Simple Past irregular verbs: see 2nd column of irregular verbs I spoke regular verbs: verb + ed I worked Exceptions Exceptions when adding 'ed' : Past Progressive past form of 'be' + ing form of verb

I was speaking you were speaking he / she / it was speaking we were speaking they were speaking Exceptions when adding 'ing' :

when the final letter is e, only add d. Example: love - loved

silent e is dropped (but: does not apply for ee) Example: come - coming but: agree - agreeing

after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled

Example: admit - admitted

after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: sit - sitting

final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English)

Example: travel - travelled

final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel - travelling

after a consonant, final y becomes i. (but: not after a vowel)

final ie becomes y. Example: lie - lying

Example: worry - he worried but: play - he played See also explanations on Simple Past and Past Progressive

Use
After another or at the same time?
Do you want to express that the actions in the past happened one after another or at the same time? Simple Past after another She came home, switched on the computer and checked her e-mails. Past Progressive at the same time Simon was playing on the computer while his brother was watching TV.

New action or already in progress?

If you want to express that a new action happened in the middle of another action, you need both tenses: Simple Past the new action and Past Progressive for the action already in progress. Simple Past new action Past Progressive action already in progress

My mobile rang (when I was sitting in a meeting.) While I was sitting in a meeting, (my mobile

suddenly rang.)

Only mentioning or emphasising progress?

Do you just want to mention that an action took place in the past (also used for short actions)? Or do you want to put emphasis on the progress, e.g. that an action was taking place at a certain time? Simple Past just mentioning Colin played football yesterday. Past Progressive emphasising progress Yesterday at six o'clock, Colin was playing football.

Certain Verbs
The following verbs are usually only used in Simple Past (not in the progressive form).

state: be, cost, fit, mean, suit Example: We were on holiday.

possession: belong, have Example: Sam had a cat.

senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch Example: He felt the cold.

feelings: hate, hope, like, love, prefer, regret, want, wish Example: Jane loved pizza.

brain work: believe, know, think, understand Example: I did not understand him.

introductory clauses for direct speech: answer, ask, reply, say Example: I am watching TV, he said.

Signal words
Simple Past Past Progressive

first then