Past Simple & Past Continuous

Hello, guys! Welcome to Grammar Zone! My name’s Harry Jones. I will be your guide to English grammar.

Meet my best friends – Allan and Kate.

Kate is a smart and curious student. So, every time when you see this sign ______ pay attention to the given information or be ready to answer the question.

Allan will help you practice the rules so that you could feel comfortable and confident in any situation.

Together we’ll make our lessons useful and enjoyable.

Today’s lesson I’d like to start with the true story that happened to me and Allan last year.

One afternoon last summer, I was playing football with some friends at the park while my brother was walking our dog. It was a warm afternoon but the sky was full of dark grey clouds. My best friend, Allan and I were playing for the same team. While Allan was running with a ball, I fell on top of him by mistake. He lost the ball. Allan got really angry and shouted at me. We were still arguing about it when a bright flash of lightning appeared in the sky and it began to rain very hard.

I tried to run home but my knee hurt from the fall, so I stood under a big oak tree to get out of the rain. I called my brother on the mobile phone to see if he was OK.

While I was talking on the phone, someone grabbed me and pulled me away from the tree. I fell on the ground.

When I opened my eyes, Allan was standing over me. “You’re an idiot!” he shouted. I was shocked. I couldn’t believe my best friend was still so angry with me! It was just a silly football game!

Then another flash of lightning hit the big oak tree.

“I was standing there just a few moments ago!” I said. And Allan just repeated “You’re an idiot”. “Don’t you know it is dangerous to stand under a tree or use a mobile phone in a thunderstorm?”

So, now I know that my best friend wasn’t angry with me.

He just wanted to save my life!

Was playing, was walking, were playing, was running, were arguing, was standing. Can you define the tense of these verbs?

Right, the Past Continuous Tense.

Was, fell, appeared, began, tried, hurt, stood, grabbed, pulled, opened, hit, said, repeated and wanted. Can you remember what tense forms they are?

The Past Simple Tense.

In the lesson today we’ll revise the formation and use of the Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses.

First, complete the tables.

Past Continuous

Now check how well you remember the rule.

We form the Past Continuous with the verb to be and the main verb with the –ing suffix.

If we talk about one person (I, he, she it) we take was and we use were for you / we / they.

I was playing. or They were playing.

To make negatives we need to put not after was/were – wasn’t/ weren’t for short.

She wasn’t walking. or They weren’t walking.

We form questions by putting was/were before the subject.

Was he playing? – Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.

Were they walking? - Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.

Past Simple

Complete the tables.

We form the Past Simple with the help of regular verbs by adding –ed to the main verb: grabbed, pulled, opened.

And we form the past simple of irregular verbs differently. That’s why we have to learn them by heart or use the list of irregular verbs in English: fall – fell, begin – began, say – said.

We form questions and negations with the help of auxiliary verb did / didn’t.

We form negations by putting not after did – did not or didn’t for short.

He didn’t pull. or He didn’t begin.

To make a question we put did before the subject.

Did he open? – Yes, he did.

Did they say? – No, they didn’t.

Remember! In questions and negations, we take the first form of the verb.

Now let’s compare the use of Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses.

·                   We use the Past Simple to talk about a complete action in the past.

The plane landed at the airport at nine o’clock yesterday morning.

(The time is stated. The action is complete. The plane landed.)

·                   The past Continuous is used for an action which was in progress at a stated time in the past. We do not mention when the action started or finished.

At five o’clock yesterday morning the plane was flying to Moscow from Rome.

(We do not know when it left or reached its destination)

·                   We often use the Past Simple to talk about the actions which happened one after the other in the past.

I saw a beautiful bird in the garden.

I went to get my camera.

The bird flew away.

I returned with my camera.

·                   Past Continuous shows two or more actions that were in progress at the same time.

I was jogging while my brother was walking our dog.

·                   We use the Past Simple to talk about the lives of people who are no longer alive.

Albert Einstein made a lot of scientific discoveries.

·                   The Past Continuous is used to describe the atmosphere, weather or place before we describe the main event.

The music was playing. Tom was lying on the sofa and doing nothing.

We can use the Past Simple and Past Continuous together to talk about an action that happened while another action was in progress.

We use the Past Continuous for the action in progress (longer action) and the past Simple for the action which interrupted (shorter action).

We were still arguing when a bright flash of lightning appeared in the sky

(Were arguing is longer action, flash of lightning appeared is the shorter action.)

While I was talking on the phone, someone grabbed me and pulled me away from the tree.

(Was talking is longer action, grabbed and pulled are the shorter actions.)

Be careful! We use:

when + Past Simple

while + Past continuous

Do not forget about the time markers that help us to define the tense.

Time expressions used with the Past Simple include:

yesterday

last night/week/month/year

two days/weeks/months ago

then

when

How long ago...?

in 1992/1845

The Past Continuous is used with the following time expressions:

while

when

as

all day/morning yesterday

at noon yesterday

the whole night yesterday

from 5 to 6 yesterday

Allan: Hi, guys! Now it’s my turn to tell the true story and practice the rule.

Complete my story with the past simple or the past continuous.

Let’s check.

Harry was at my house one day. We were playing a computer game when my mum opened the door. When we came to the kitchen, Kate was putting the plates on the table. Harry sat down at the table.

My mum filled a big bowl with spaghetti and tomato sauce and gave it to me. While I was carrying the bowl to the table, I tripped and the bowl flew into the air. Unfortunately, spaghetti landed on Harry!

Harry went back to his house next door and changed clothes, but it wasn’t his lucky day! While he was walking back to my house, it started to rain. He didn’t have an umbrella, so he quickly ran to the house. While he was running, he slipped and fell into a pool of muddy water!

Well, it was another sad and wet experience from Harry’s life!

Can you explain the use of tenses in the story?

1. were playing – longer action, opened – shorter action

2. was putting – longer action, came – shorter action.

3. filled, gave – actions happened one after the other.

4. was carrying is longer action.

5. went, changed – actions happened one after the other.

6. was walking – longer action, started – shorter action

7. was running – longer action, slipped – shorter action.

That`s all for today.

I hope, the information was useful to you.

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