Past Simple vs Past Continuous

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Bram Verbeken

murder mystery

Highlight all past continuous and circle all past simples.

Learning Goals

1. I understand the difference between the past simple and past continuous.
   
   
2. I can see in the context which tense I have to use.
   
   
3. I can talk about short(er) and long(er) actions in the past.

Choose the correct forms:
My father ... (work) in the garden when the postman ... (arrive) with a package.

1. worked, was arriving
2. was working, arrived

Kies de juiste vormen:
Dad ... (enter) my room and saw I ... (clean) it, which made him very proud.

1. entered, was cleaning
2. was entering, cleaned

Kies de juiste vormen:
I __ (hear) she ___ (sing) under the shower.

1. heard, was singing
2. was hearing, sang

Kies de juiste vormen:
I ... (know) he ... (lie), because his face turned red

1. knew, was lying
2. was knowing, lied

Kies de juiste vormen:
James ... (tell) a story when all of the sudden someone ... (come) in the room.

1. told, was coming
2. was telling, came

Kies de juiste vormen:
Susan ... (play) the violin. Suddenly a string ... (break).

1. played, was breaking
2. was playing, broke

Kies de juiste vormen:
I ... (hear) a sound when I ... (study).

1. heard, was studying
2. was hearing, studied

Past Simple vs Past Continuous

What is the context of the following sentences?

I was doing the dishes when all of the sudden I heard a noise.
They were working in the garden when a car crashed into them.
Jack was playing on his PS4 when it suddenly broke down.

His mother suddenly realized that he was lying.

Think about short(er) and long(er) actions!

• They are long(er) actions, so what somebody was doing (past continuous) that are interrupted by a short(er) action (past simple)

I understand when to use the past simple or continuous.

Yes

Not entirely, but I don't need any help.

Not entirely and would like some help.

I don't get it at all.

Which tense do we use here?
I ___ (wait) for the bus, but it did not come.

1. past simple
2. past continuous

Which tense do we use here?
My brother was not playing the violin when I ___ (enter) his room.

1. past simple
2. past continuous

Which tense do we use here?
___ you ___ (listen) to music when I called you?

1. past simple
2. past continuous

Which tense do we use here?
The old man ___ (die) in his sleep last night.

1. past simple
2. past continuous

Which tense do we use here?
My aunt and uncle ___ (not - kiss) each other when I saw them.

1. past simple
2. past continuous

Which tense do we use here?
James smelled his brother ___ (bake) a cake.

1. past simple
2. past continuous

I can see in a sentence when to use the past simple or past continuous.

Yes

Not entirely, but I don't need any help.

Not entirely and would like some help.

I don't get it at all.

Past Simple

• Affirmative
  verb + (e)d / irregular form
  
  

• Negative

did not (didn't) + verb

• Questions

did + subject + verb

Remember To be

• Afirmative

was / were

• Negative

was not / were not

• Questions

was not / were not + subject

Past Continuous

• Affirmative
  was/were + present participle (verb + ing)

• Negative
  was / were not + present participle (verb + ing)

• Questions
  was / were + subject + present participle (verb + ing)

Mind the spelling

• lie > lying
• die > dying
  but
• fly > flying
• cry > crying

Mind the spelling

• come > coming
• bake > baking
  
  
• stop > stopping
• run > running

Be careful!

Do not use any shortened forms in the following exercises!

Put the verb in the correct tense:
I ___ (try) to close the window when suddenly the handle broke.

Put the verb in the correct tense:
I ___ (heard) they were talking about me.

Put the verb in the correct tense:
______ (you - listen) to the radio when I entered your room?

Put the verb in the correct tense:
The old man ___ (die) in his sleep last night.

Put the verb in the correct tense:
What ___ (your sister - do) when I called you?

Put the verb in the correct tense:
She ___ (talk) to Mike when her phone rang.

Put the verb in the correct tense:
Our teacher ___ (grade) tests when suddenly he fell asleep.

Put the verb in the correct tense:
He ___ (work) in the garden when the accident happened.

Put the verb in the correct tense:
My aunt and uncle were kissing each other when I ___ (see) them.

I can talk about short(er) and long(er) actions in the past.

Yes

Not entirely, but I do not need any help.

Not entirely and I would like some help.

I don't get it at all.