Twents Carmel College

Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Recap

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Slide 1: Slide

EngelsMiddelbare schoolmavoLeerjaar 2

This lesson contains 28 slides, with interactive quizzes, text slides and 1 video.

Lesson duration is: 45 min

Items in this lesson

Recap

Slide 1 - Slide

Past Simple

Past Simple:

+ She played soccer.

- She didn't play soccer.

? Did she play soccer?

Slide 2 - Slide

Past Simple vs Past Continuous

When we use these two tenses together, it shows us that the past simple action happened in the middle of the past continuous action, while it was in progress.

While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy.

We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action.

I broke my leg when I was skiing.

As I was going to work, I saw an old friend.

Can you see a difference in the meaning of these two sentences?

When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner.

When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner.

In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. We know that because it uses the past continuous. In the second sentence, the guests arrived first and then Jane started cooking.

Slide 3 - Slide

The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present. Regular past simple verbs have -ed at the end (e.g. called, played, arrived). Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. wake → woke, break → broke, feel → felt).

We make the negative with didn't and the infinitive verb.

My parents didn't call me yesterday.

I didn't wake up early this morning.

We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb.

Did you wake up early this morning?

Did Sam play basketball when he was at university?

The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past.

What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was studying.

This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m.

The past continuous can also show that an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment.

We were cleaning the house all morning.

We make the past continuous with was or were and the -ing form of the verb.

She couldn't come to the party. She was working.

Three years ago, we were living in my home town.

I tried to give him some advice, but he wasn't listening.

What were you doing this time last year?

Slide 4 - Slide

Past simple vs. past continuous

''I was cooking dinner when my mother called.''

De activiteit die aan de gang was, is de past continuous.

De activiteit die 'erbij komt', is de past simple.

Slide 5 - Slide

Past simple vs. past continuous

zinnen kun je herkennen aan het woordje 'when':

''When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.''

Als het woordje 'while' in de zin staat, gebeuren 2 dingen tegelijk = 2 keer past continuous:

''I was studying while my father was making dinner.''

Slide 6 - Slide

Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

Sheila and I ............. (talk) to the neighbour when the doorbell rang.

talked

were talking

Slide 7 - Quiz

Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

My sister .............. (walk) in while I was making my homework

walked

was walking

Slide 8 - Quiz

I _________ (wait) for the bus when it ________ (start) to rain.

Slide 9 - Open question

I _______ (read) the newspaper, when all of a sudden my cat _____ (jump) into my lap.

Slide 10 - Open question

While we _______ (walk) the dog, the neighbours _____ (wash) their car.