Past continuous

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo t
• Leerjaar 2

Lesson goals

I can tell the difference between past simple and past continuous and know how and when to use them.

past simple and past continuous are both:

past simple and past continuous are both:

verb tenses

(werkwoordstijden)

How to create past simple

= verb + ed

for example:

I walk -> I walked

you turn -> you turned

How to create past continuous

         subject    +  was/were    +    verb    +  ing

He was cleaning the house.

They were doing the dishes.

subjects + was:

I was running

he was running

she was running

it was running

subjects + were

we were running

you were running

they were running

We can use the past continuous and past simple together when an activity in the past that was going on, was interrupted by a short action.

examples: 

I was watching television, when my mother called.

Peter was doing the dishes, when his wife came in.

When do we use which?

Past simple: when something happened at a certain moment and is now finished.

example: This morning I brushed my teeth.

Past continuous: when something was happening for a longer period of time. 

example: Yesterday I was watching television the whole evening 

https:

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