miércoles, 4 de octubre de 2017

Differences and similarities in the Simple Past and the Past Continuous

1. Use

Simple Past	Past Continuous
action finished in the past (single or repeated) series of completed actions in the past	action was in progress at a special time in the past two actions were happening at the same time (the actions do not influence each other)

2. Form

Simple Past	Past Continuous
regular verbs: infinitive + -ed irregular verbs: don’t follow rules	(was or were) + infinitive + -ing

3. Examples

3.1. Affirmative sentences

3.2. Negative sentences

Simple Past	Past Progressive
I did not play football.	He was not playing football.
You did not play football.	You were not playing football.
He did not play football.	He was not playing football.

3.3. Questions

4. Spelling

Simple Past	Past Continuous
stopped (Double the consonant after a short vowel.) loved (one -e at the end of the word → Add only -d.) worried (consonant before -y → Change to -i.)	sitting (Double the consonant after a short vowel.) writing (Drop the -e.) lying (Change -ie to -y.)

5. Use

Both tenses are often used in one sentence:

While we were sitting at the breakfast table, the telephone rang.

We were sitting at the breakfast table when the telephone rang.

The action in the Simple Past interrupts the action in the Past Continuous .

Here we go!!

ÍNDICE