The document contrasts the past simple and past continuous tenses in English. It provides examples of their forms, uses, and how they can be used together. Specifically, it notes that the past simple is used for finished or short past actions, while the past continuous is used for longer ongoing actions happening in the past. It also gives examples of using while and when to indicate if one past action interrupted or occurred simultaneously with another ongoing past activity.

1. PAST CONTINUOUS
VS
PAST SIMPLE
Àlex Usieto Martínez

2. PAST SIMPLE FORM
 I
 HE/SHE
 IT
 WE
 YOU
 THEY
WAS + ING
Verbs ending in E = ING
Take = taking
Verbs ending in Y = YING
Stay = staying
1 syllable CVC = we double C
Stop = stopping
WERE +
ING

3. PAST CONTINUOUS USES
 We use the past continuous to talk about a
specific situation in the past and images...
 AFFIRMATIVE
 NEGATIVE
SB+was/were+ING+complement
EX: He was eating an apple.
They were playing with the computer.
SB+wasn’t/weren’t+ING+complement
EX: I wasn’t swimming in the pool.
We weren’t buying a car.

4. PAST CONTINUOUS USES
 We use the past continuous to talk about a
specific situation in the past and images...
 INTERROGATIVE
INVERSION
Was/were+SB+ING+complement?
EX: Was your mum cooking a soup?
Were we talking about the exam?

5. AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...
 Gerard was playing with his scooter.

6. AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...

7. AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...
 Gerard was playing with his scooter.
 Maria was playing with her brother & her dog.

8. AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...

9. AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...
 Gerard was playing with his scooter.
 Maria was playing with her brother & her dog.
 Mario wasn’t sleeping in the tree.

10. AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...

11. AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...
 Gerard was playing with his scooter.
 Maria was playing with her brother & her dog.
 Mario wasn’t sleeping in the tree.
 Willy wasn’t planting a tree with his friend
Albert.

12. AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...

13. AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...
 Gerard was playing with his scooter.
 Maria was playing with her brother & her dog.
 Mario wasn’t sleeping in the tree.
 Willy wasn’t planting a tree with his friend
Albert.
 Was Javier playing with his little yellow car?

14. AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...

15. AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...
 Gerard was playing with his scooter.
 Maria was playing with her brother & her dog.
 Mario was sleeping in the tree.
 Willy was planting a tree with his friend Albert.
 Was Javier playing with his little yellow car?
 Was Alex playing with his friends?

16. AT MY BROTHER’S PARTY LAST WEEK...

17. PAST SIMPLE
 USES:
 we use past simple to talk about past finished actions
PAST EXPRESSIONS:
last week, last summer, last year, last month... a go ( at the
end)
EXAMPLES:
I did a tennis camp last summer
He enjoyed his weekend last week
My sister played basketball 3 years ago
FINISHED
ACTIONS

18. FORMS OF SIMPPLE PAST
 AFFIRMATIVE: SB+ verb in past + comple.
REGULAR & IRREGULAR VERBS
I forgot my folder in the train (irregular)
The film started at 9:00 (regular)
NEGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE DID/DIDN’T

19. QUESTION
 QASI
 (question word)+auxiliary(DID)+ SB+inf?
 Where did he play last summer?
 When did you eat a soup las night?
 Negative
 SB+didn’t+infinitive+complement
 We didn’t play a game last weekend.
 They didn’t watch the last year.

20. PAST SIMPLE&PAST CONTINUOUS
TOGETHER
 past CONTINUOUS=LONG ACTIVITY
 past SIMPLE=interrumpted/short ACTIVITY
WHEN+past SIMPLE
WHILE +past CONTINUOUS
You were playing with the ball WHEN the teacher
came into the room.
They were listening to the music WHEN my mum
talked to me.

21. WHILE=LONG ACTION
I studied for the exam while my brother was
playing with the PS4.
My father arrived home while my mum was cooking
a cake.
My brother was playing with the ball while I was
listening to music.
(2 actions going at the same time)

22.  Power point created by:
 Àlex usieto