This document outlines the differences between the past simple and past continuous tenses in English. It discusses their formation, uses, and connecting patterns using words like "when", "while", and "as". The past simple is used for completed actions, actions that happened once or several times, or actions that occurred one after another. The past continuous is used for actions that were ongoing or happening at a specific time in the past. It provides examples of sentences using both tenses alone and in combination with connectors.

1. PAST SIMPLE VS
PAST CONTINUOUS

2. OUTLINE GRAMMAR UNIT 1
1. PAST SIMPLE:
FORMATION AND USES
2. PAST CONTINUOUS:
FORMATION AND USES
3. CONNECTORS AND PATTERNS:
WHEN WHILE AS

3. 1 PAST SIMPLE
FORMATION
I spoke English I didn´t speak
English
Did I speak
English?
I worked here I didn´t work here Did I work here?

4. USES
a) action in the past taking place once, never or
several times (finished and completed actions)
He visited his parents every weekend.
b) actions in the past taking place one after the
other .
He came in, took off his coat and sat down.

5. 2 PAST CONTINUOUS
FORMATION
I/he/she/it was reading wasn´t reading Was … reading?
We/you/they were reading weren´t reading Were … reading?

6. Structure
sub+was/were+v1+ing+object.
I was cooking food for my mother.
sub+was/were+not+v1+ing+object.
I was cooking food for my mother.

7. USES
a) Two actions happening at the same time
While he was reading, she was watching TV.
b) An action going on at a certain time in the
past.
Yesterday evening I was doing homework

8. 3 CONNECTORS AND
PATTERNS
The connectors that are used with these
tenses are:
When While As
You have to study the following patterns to
distinguish when to use past simple or past
continuous.

9. ●PATTERNS USING WHEN
WHEN PAST SIMPLE PAST CONTINUOUS
PAST
CONTINUOUS
WHEN PAST SIMPLE
When she came in, they were reading the newpaper
They were reading the newspaper when she came in

10. ●PATTERNS USING WHILE/AS
WHILE PAST
CONTINUOUS
PAST
CONTINUOUS
PAST
CONTINUOUS
WHILE PAST
CONTINUOUS
WHILE PAST
CONTINUOUS
PAST SIMPLE
PAST SIMPLE WHILE PAST
CONTINUOUS
While I was painting the room, my father was repairing the roof.
My father was repairing the roof while I was painting the room.
While I was having a shower, the phone rang.
The phone rang while I was having a shower