He caught a bird in the bushes. moniMee replied on 16 January, 2021 - 05:52 Myanmar. I only found out a few moments ago. Both the past simple and the past continuous refer to completed actions in the past. An action, that continued for some time in past, are expressed in Past Progressive Tense. To indicate time reference “for” and “since” are used and it describes when the action started and how long it continued in the past. Bob ______ his girlfriend when he _______ in France. I hadn’t seen the film before, but Ben had already seen it three times. It is used to show that specific past action was happening, or was in progress at a specific moment in the past. Both examples are from English grammar books. contrast: past perfect continuous vs past perfect simple b2. Past Simple or Progressive. Begin with the subject followed by the auxiliary verb “to have” conjugated in the past simple. 3. Do you know how to use the past continuous and past simple? Complete list of 6 rules as to why we use the past continuous in the passive voice in English along with clear and easy examples. The salesperson _______ them while they _______ dinner. However, there are some simple past tense verbs such as cut, put, set etc which remain the same in the present and past tense. Learn about Simple Present Tense and Simple Future Tense. Reference Practice. ; I was snowboarding. I _________ to my friends when he _________ our conversation. We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb. In the second sentence, only when is possible as the actions are sequential: first Sue leaves and only then does the phone ring. Note that each te… I often brought my lunch to school. It’s useful for setting the scene and describing the background, so it’s great for giving reasons, and explaining why things happened. The past continuous (also called past progressive) is not used that often in English but is helpful in some situations. We _________ research for a school project when the internet _________ down. He was dancing like a Nagin. As she __________ to work, she suddenly _________ that she had forgotten to lock the front door of her house. When the lights went out he was sitting on an armchair. Examples of Past Continuous Tense. Form of Past Continuous Tense: Positive Sentence books. A young lady __________ (travel) on the train. My guests arrived while I was cooking. What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was studying. That sounds good. While is also used when two actions are happening simultaneously. I was writing articles on different topics. The past perfect continuous tense is used to describe the action that was not completed by a certain date or time in the past. Examples: He was waiting for you. Past perfect simple and past perfect continuous. You can see a few sentences here to learn past continuous tense. The continuous form (were cleaning) emphasises the ongoing nature of the activity while the simple form (cleaned) emphasises the action as a completed whole. In this example we have two actions in the past simple and so we assume one precedes the other. And we use the Past Simple to express a short action that happens in the middle of the long action. For example: — “I was not playing football when the phone rang.” = We use past continuous to express an action that didn’t take place when another one occurred. Although the two different tenses past simple (take a look at the explanation) and the past progressive or continuous (explanation here) are both ways to express the past in English, they describe the action or the event that took place in the past in different ways. It is also called Past Progressive Tense. She was writing a letter. I think we need a quick summary. What _______ when you ________ about 9/11? ” = We use … Past Continuous Tense WERE is used with We, You, They and Plural Nouns. 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. Time Expressions - past simple … 10 examples of past continuous tense. Before talking about the differences between the simple past and past continuous, let's review their verb conjugations. You were talking to her. And, most importantly, we need to use the past t… In the first sentence, both when and while are possible but while is more likely as it emphasises that one action (the phone ringing) occurred during another (Sue leaving) which had not finished. As you said, I cannot understand "In the second sentence, the guests arrived first and then Jane started cooking." May I say that "while" use for past continuous and "When" use for past tense? We were watching television when the power went off. Today, we are going to discuss past perfect continuous with examples, formula, and exercises at the end. (the action is finished) We were eating at 9. Use the past continuous to talk about things that were in progress in the past. When I woke up this morning, it was snowing. Peter M. replied on 17 January, 2021 - 08:27 Poland. You have not finished your quiz. We didn’t go out because it was raining. The past perfect continuous (also called past perfect progressive) is a verb tense which is used to show that an action started in the past and continued up to another point in the past. Past continuous in passive - Rule: was/were + being + past participle (enjoyed, helped). We ate out yesterday. The past continuous describes an action that was already in progress: Question: Were you studyingwhen she called? When can also mean this, but it can also mean that one thing triggered (caused or started) another event, so context is important. When the doorbell rang, they were watching TV. Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and was/were. Ask students to comment on what function the past continuous plays in the example sentences. They had always wanted to visit Australia, and finally they made it. When we write in the past tense, the simple past tense is the moment in time we are describing. E.g. I hadn’t seen the film before, but Ben had already seen it three times. She was drinking coffee in that coffee shop. Good luck! While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy. When is followed by a sentence in past simple. Talking about the past. To form the past continuous positive, use subject + (to be) + verb + -ing, To form the past continuous negative, use subject + (to be) + not + verb + -ing, To form past continuous questions, use (to be) + subject + verb + -ing. This means that the journey to work began at 7am. We’ll explore the Past Continuous timeline, form, uses and examples below. You can see a few sentences here to learn past continuous tense. It is time to learn English tenses. ;), DennisT replied on 6 January, 2021 - 07:15 Germany. He _______ his wrist while he _________ to do a handstand. Examples of Past Continuous Tense. Past continuous with past simple - accidents Students watch a video and complete sentences. In English, we often need to talk about the past. To tell a good story you’re going to need the past simple and the past continuous. When I met Susan she was having a drink at a terrace with a friend. Past continuous and past simple. Some verbs are never used in the continuous form: Choose the correct verb tense: Simple past or past continuous. In Spanish, there are two simple past tenses: the preterite and the imperfect. Did you wake up early this morning? The train was on its way to the destination in the morning. Past Continuous Tense usually placed when the action was continued in the past for some time. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and present perfect continuous exercises. While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy. I was needing to find a job. 10 examples of past continuous tense. When the doorbell rang, they were watching TV. For verbs ending in ‘e’, we add ‘-d’ and. He __________ (chew) gum. Reference Practice. They had always wanted to visit Australia, and finally they made it. It expresses past actions having an on-going nature. Please visit using a browser with javascript enabled. 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. Did Sam play basketball when he was at university? What characteristics are typical for the past simple and the past continuous? We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action. contrast: past perfect continuous vs past perfect simple b2. If we are talking about the past tense, and if this event has been going on for a while, we usually have to use past continuous tense.When we talk about the past, we mean that things happen all of a sudden. Three years ago, we were living in my home town. Most of the time when we are talking about such actions, we use the past simple. Past Continuous Tense represents an on-going action of the past. Past continuous or past simple? Statement: You were studyingwhen she called. " Past continuous vs. past simple We can use the past simple and the past continuous in the same sentence structure with different meanings: The past simple describes when the action started: "At 7am, I went to work." Complete list of 6 rules as to why we use the past continuous in the passive voice in English along with clear and easy examples. Sam played basketball when he was at university. 5. I was planning about my studies. Past perfect continuous tense is also one of the forms of verb tenses. For example, "I was walking through the park when I met David." It is also called the Past Progressive tense. We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action. Tom’s Diner: Present Continuous Verbs For Teachers 8th - 11th. Also, we often use the past simple and the past continuous together to say that something happened in the past. ♦ “I did not play football.” = We use past simple to express the idea of an action that didn’t happen in the past… To form past continuous passive we use was / were + being + verb3 (past participle)... See details, example sentences and free exercises online Some questions are very basic, like ‘how was your weekend?’ or ‘what did you do last night?’ We might hear these questions when we’re talking with friends or colleagues, or when we’re making small talk. What were you doing this time last year? The simple past tense always describes events that have been carried out or completed in the past. These were unfinished or incomplete actions which were happening continuously in the past when another action interrupted it. I have one question. He was reading various kinds of books. If this activity does not load, try refreshing your browser. Past perfect simple and past perfect continuous. The past continuous describes an action that was already in progress: I met a friend in the market. My father arrived while I was having dinner. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and past continuous exercises. Simple Past: I went to the store yesterday. In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. The verb tense in... More Uses to Consider. I was writing articles on different topics. The past continuous is often used together with the simple past to show that one thing happened while another thing was in progress: Difference between the simple past and past continuous. It refers to things that occurred before the point in time you are describing. The Past Perfect Continuous structure should be pretty simple for you because it starts in the exact same way as the Past Perfect Tense! This is by far the most common way of talking about the past. It also expresses that two on-going situations were happening at the same time in the past. When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner. You can find information on irregular verbs here: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/irregular-verbs, Rafaela1 replied on 6 January, 2021 - 12:44 Cambodia, The bird started eating on the tree while I was having a meal inside a house. Write various examples on the board of sentences combining the past simple and past continuous to illustrate the idea of an interrupted past. From simple past/past continuous worksheets to simple past/ast continuous videos, quickly find teacher-reviewed educational resources. The past simple is great for describing the main events in a story but the past continuous adds extra information that can bring a story to life. We make the past continuous with was or were and the -ing form of the verb. We use the past continuous, in the interrogative form, to ask for situations that occurred in the past and were in progress at every moment during a period of time. The use of 'when' suggests that the second action was prompted by the first. During an Entire Period of Time "As long as" and "so long as" are similar in use to "while" and "as." I have one Question: Where can I found the irregular verbs? You were smiling to see me. Often, the story starts with the Past Continuous tense and then moves into the Past Simple tense. Tina ________  while she __________ for her son to come home from the party. Why does this sentence mean "Jane started cooking", not "already finished cooking before the guests arrived" ? To make questions in the Past Continuous, put ‘was’/’were‘ before the subject and add the ‘-ing’ form of the verb: What were you doing when you broke your leg? Which you use depends upon the context and the speaker's intention or focus, neither of which we have here as your sentence is presented in isolation. Examples of Past Perfect Continuous Tense - I had been writing articles on various topics for three hours. Sara hadn’t been working there long when she was promoted. To refer to things that happened before, we use the past perfect tense. He was driving his car. Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. The simple past tense is used to describe things that happened in the past or things that were true in the past. If you leave this page, your progress will be lost. Can I use "We cleaned the house this morning" ? Ask students to complete the activity by … 2. Page one provides several examples with positive, negative, and question formations.... Get Free Access See Review. The past simple is great for telling the main events in a story but the past continuous adds extra information that can bring a story to life. Past Continuous Tense. It is also called the Past Progressive tense. I needed to find a job. Could somebody explain to me why the past continuous is used in the first one and the past simple in the second? Look at these examples to see how the past continuous and past simple are used. WHEN/WHILE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE & PAST SIMPLE 1. Past Continuous Tense is used to mention an ongoing action of the past. I especially want to know why native speakers recognise this as "started cooking", Peter M. replied on 24 January, 2021 - 09:15 Poland. Before yet I thought, 'while' goes with past continuous and 'when' with past tense. But that sentence proved me wrong and confused..... © British Council The following are basic examples of the past continuous tense. A man __________ (stand) near to her. This lesson is the sixth in a series of tenses. The past tense refers to an event or an action that has happened in the past. Students take two cards at random and try to make a sentence including those words or expressions with the Past Simple and Past Continuous. A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). Past Continuous Tense. While (When) Sue was leaving, the phone rang. Other questions are more complex, like: ‘and what exactly were you doing on the 17thApril when the robbery happened?’ Or, ‘can you tell me about your diary for last week?’ In these situations, we need to be more precise. An action which occurred on regular basis in past. 7 Simple past, Past Continuous, and Past Perfect Simple past, Past Continuous, and Past Perfect . main verb (V +ing ) + “ BE” + Subject + 3. Past Continuous Tense represents an on-going action of the past. He was reading various kinds of books. We often use the Past Continuous tense with the Past Simple tense. This means that the journey to work began at 7am. My parents didn't call me yesterday. 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. When expressed in its interrogative form, it is used to ask questions about things that were happening in a past period of time. 4. Improve your grammar skills with LearnEnglish Grammar, the #1 educational mobile app. It focuses on SIMPLE PAST AND PAST CONTINUOUS. Definition. OK, to tell a good story you’re going to need the past simple AND the past continuous.