PAST SIMPLE AND PAST PTOGRESIVE

PAST SIMPLE

• Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past.
• The Past Simple can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past.
• Can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past.
• The Past Simple can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.
• Can also be used to completed past actions.

STRUCTURE

• Afirmative

Personal pronoun + verb in past + complement

• Negative

Personal pronoun +didn't (auxiliary) + verb + complement

• Questions

Did/ Didn't + personal pronoun + verb + complement + ?

• Short Answers

Yes, + personal pronoun + did

No, +personal pronoun + didn't

EXAMPLES:

1. I saw a movie yesterday.
2. I didn't see a play yesterday.
3. Last year, I traveled to Japan.
4. Did you have dinner last night?
5. I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.
6. He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.
7. Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?
8. I lived in Brazil for two years.
9. I studied French when I was a child.
10. She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.

PAST CONTINUOUS

• Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past.
• Can also use a specific time as an interruption.
• When we use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.
• The Past Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often happened in the past.

STRUCTURE

• Afirmative

I/ He/ She / It + was + verb ing+ complement

We/You/They + were + verb ing + complement

• Negative

I/ He /She / It + wasn't +verb ing + complement

We/ You / They + weren't + verb ing + complement

• Questions

Was/ Wasn't + I/ He/ She / It + verb ing + complement + ?

Were/ Weren't + We / You / They + verb ing + complement+ ?

• Short Answers

Yes, + I/ He / She/ It + was

Yes, + We/ You / They + were

No, + I/He / She / It + wasn't

No, + We/ You / They + weren't

EXAMPLES:

1. I was watching TV when she called.
2. While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
3. What were you doing when the earthquake started?
4. Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
5. At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
6. I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes.
7. Were you listening while he was talking?
8. She was always coming to class late.
9. He was constantly talking. He annoyed everyone.
10. I didn't like them because they were always complaining.