This document provides information about the past simple and past continuous tenses in English. It explains the forms of each tense and gives examples of their uses, such as using the past simple for completed actions and the past continuous for actions happening at the same time in the past. It also includes exercises with multiple choice questions testing understanding of when to use each tense.

1. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS

2. PAST SIMPLE OR PAST
CONTINUOUS?
1. I saw a movie yesterday.
2. We didn´t walk to school this
morning.
3. I was having a shower at 7 pm.
4. Did you like the film?
5. They weren´t sleeping this morning.
6. Was she listening to the radio just
now?

3. PAST SIMPLE
A) FORM
REGULAR VERB IRREGULAR VERB
+ I worked I ate
- I didn´t work I didn´t eat
? Did you work? Did you eat?
WATCH!! Regular verbs:
dance: danced stop: stopped
cry: cried

4. PAST CONTINUOUS
A) FORM: was/were + verb+ing
+ I was working / You were working
- She wasn´t working / They weren´t
working
? Was he working? / Were you working?
WATCH!
Sit: sitting come: coming
Lie: lying
STATIVE VERBS CAN´T BE USED IN PAST
CONTINUOUS!!!

5. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
 PAST SIMPLE
- An action (Past Simple)
which interrupts another
action in progress (Past
Continuous)
The teacher was explaining
when somebody knocked
on the door.
MY MOTHER CALLED ME
(new action which happens
in the middle of another
action)
 PAST CONTINUOUS
- An incomplete action
(Past Continuous)
interrupted by another
action.(Past Simple)
I was having a shower when
the phone rang.
WHILE I WAS STUDYING
IN THE LIBRARY
(action in progress)

6. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
 PAST SIMPLE
- Actions in the past that
happened one after
another
She came home, switched
on her computer and
checked her e-mails.
 PAST CONTINUOUS
- Actions in the past that
happened at the same
time.
Simon was playing on the
computer while his
brother was watching TV.

7. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
 PAST SIMPLE
- A completed action in the
past.
I lived in Barcelona in 2002.
- Short actions
The phone rang a few
minutes ago.
 PAST CONTINUOUS
- An action in progress at a
specific time in the past.
You want to emphasize
that an action was taking
place at a certain time.
Yesterday at 6 o´clock, Colin
was playing football.
- Long actions
I was watching TV at 8
o´clock.

8. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
 PAST SIMPLE
- In a narrative, it is used to
narrate events and
actions.
She opened the door and
saw a stranger in her
living room.
WHEN I WOKE UP THIS
MORNING,
 PAST CONTINUOUS
- In a narrative, it is used to
describe the situation, to
set the scene.
James Bond was
driving through town.
It was raining. The
wind was blowing hard.
Nobody was walking in
the streets.
IT WAS RAINING AND MY
DAD WAS SINGING.

9. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
 What´s the difference between..?
1. When they arrived, Jeff was cooking
dinner.
2. When they arrived, Jeff cooked
dinner.

10. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
1. The receptionist …..(welcome) the guests
and …..(ask) them to fill in the form.
2. The car ……(break) down and we ….. (have) to walk
home.
3. The boys …..(swim) while the girls …..(sunbathe) .
4. My father …..(come) in, ……(look) around
and ……(tell) me to tidy up my room.
5. While one group ……(prepare) dinner, the
others …..(collect) wood for their campfire.
6. While the parents ….(have) breakfast, their
children ……(run) about.
7. Martha …..(turn) off the lights and …..(go) to bed.

11. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
8. I ….(jog) in the park, when two squirrels ….(cross) my
way.
9. Robert ….(fall) off the ladder while he ….
(pick) cherries.
10. Archimedes …. (discover) the theory of buoyancy
while he …. (take) a bath.
11. While we ….(travel) around Ireland, we …
(meet) some very nice people.
12. While she … (speak) on the phone, the milk ….
(boil) over.
13. When I …. (leave) the house this morning, the
sun …. (shine) .
14. Caroline …. (burn) her hand while she ….(iron) her
clothes.

12. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
15. A: What ….(do / you) yesterday at 8 pm?
B: I …..(sit) in the pub with Sam. Why?
16. A: I ….(drive) to the sports centre at that time to play
squash with a few friends. As we….. (be) only three
players, I ….(try) to ring you to ask if you would like
to come as well. But I …..(reach / not) you at home.
B: Why ………..(ring / not / you) my mobile?«
A:I actually …..(want) to ring your mobile, but by
accident I ….(dial) William's number. He ….(do /
not) anything special at that moment and
really ….(like) the idea of playing squash with us.

13. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
17. When I ….(get) up yesterday, the
sun ….(shine) .
18. So I ….(decide) to cycle around a little.
19. I ….(go) to the shed and …...(take) out my
bike.
20. While I ….(cycle) past some villages,
I …(see) some people in their gardens.
21. One man …(mow) the grass while his
wife …(pick) strawberries.

14. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
23. After one hour of cycling in sunshine, a big fat
raincloud suddenly …(appear) and
it …(start) to rain.
24. Luckily, a farmer … (notice) me
and …(tell) me to come in.
25. While it …(rain) outside, I …(sit) in the
farmer's house.
26. After a while, the sun …. (come) out again.
27. I …(thank) the farmer for his hospitality
and ….(move) on

15. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
1. The receptionist welcomed the guests and asked them
to fill in the form.
2. The car broke down and we had to walk home.
3. The boys were swimming while the girls were
sunbathing .
4. My father came in, looked around and told me to tidy
up my room.
5. While one group was preparing dinner, the
others were collecting wood for their campfire.
6. While the parents were having breakfast, their
children were running about.
7. Martha turned off the lights and went to bed.

16. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
8. I was jogging in the park, when two
squirrels crossed my way.
9. Robert fell off the ladder while he was
picking cherries.
10. Archimedes discovered the theory of buoyancy while
he was taking a bath.
11. While we were travelling around Ireland, we …
met some very nice people.
12. While she was speaking on the phone, the milk
boilt over.
13. When I left the house this morning, the sun was
shining .
14. Caroline burnt her hand while she was ironing her
clothes.

17. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
15. A: What were you doing yesterday at 8 pm?
B: I was sitting in the pub with Sam. Why?
16. A: I was driving to the sports centre at that time to
play squash with a few friends. As we were only
three players, I tried to ring you to ask if you would
like to come as well. But I didn´t reach you at home.
B: Why didn´t you ring my mobile?«
A:I actually wanted to ring your mobile, but by
accident I dialled William's number. He wasn´t doing
anything special at that moment and really liked the
idea of playing squash with us.

18. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
17. When I got up yesterday, the sun was
shining .
18. So I decided to cycle around a little.
19. I went to the shed and took out my bike.
20. While I was cycling past some villages,
I saw some people in their gardens.
21. One man was mowing the grass while his
wife was picking strawberries.

19. PAST SIMPLE VS.
PAST CONTINUOUS
23. After one hour of cycling in sunshine, a big fat
raincloud suddenly appeared and it started to
rain.
24. Luckily, a farmer noticed me and told me to
come in.
25. While it was raining outside, I was sitting in
the farmer's house.
26. After a while, the sun came out again.
27. I thanked the farmer for his hospitality
and moved on