Download past simple vs past continuous - AlfaCert e

PAST SIMPLE
PAST CONTINUOUS
S.Montanari
PAST SIMPLE
Affirmative Form
Subj.+ Verb (regular or irregular)

e.g.
I worked in a bank.
They lived in Rome
We left yesterday .
Question Form

Did + subj.+verb (infinitive)
e.g.
Where did you work?
Did they understand?
Did she study with you?
Negative Form
Subj+ didn’t +verb (infinitive)

e.g.
We didn’t live in France
You didn’t understand
He didn’t come by car
PRONUNCIATION


Note the different pronunciation
ed suffix
e.g.
We lived in France
He washed his car
They separated in May
of the –
[-d]
[-t]
[-éd]
IRREGULAR VERBS

e.g.
come
-
came
have
get
-
had
got
Sofia came to work late yesterday
I had an accident last night
They got here at 10 p.m.
However in questions and
negatives we use the aux. (did) +
the infinitive

Did she come by car?

Where did they put the book?

Why did you buy the salt?
USE
The Past Simple is used to:

- Express finished action in the past


I got up at 7 a.m. this morning
He met Julia when he was in Greece.
Very often there is a time reference:
yesterday, last week, two months ago etc.

PAST CONTINUOUS
Affirmative Form
Subj.+ was/were+ verb –ing form

e.g.
He was studying Russian
They were watching TV
I was staying in Rimini
Question Form
Was/were+Subj.+verb –ing?

e.g.
Were you listening?
Where was she living in 2001?
What were you talking about?
Negative Form
Subj.+was/were not+ verb -ing

e.g.
We were not travelling together
You were not listening to me
They were not living together
USE




To describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the
past
Mary was working at 10 yesterday
To talk about an action that was in progress when a second action
happened
I was studying when the electricity went off
To talk about two actions that were in progress at the same time in
the past
I was having a bath while my husband was cooking
To give background information in a story
It was getting dark, I was walking down the road when I saw a
strange man …