USE
1.
| Past Simple | Past Continuous |
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We describe a finished action that happened in the past.
We watched TV yesterday.
I travelled last year.
We know when the action happened (yesterday, last year, etc.) but we do not mention a particular time (e.g. yesterday at 9 o'clock).
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We describe an unfinished action that was happening at a particular time in the past.
We were watching TV yesterday at 9 o'clock.
I was travelling this time last year.
We describe a continuous action in the past.
We were watching TV all day yesterday.
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2.
| Past Simple | Past Continuous |
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We describe different finished actions that happened in the past, often one after another.
Yesterday morning we had a shower and then (after that) we watched TV.
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We describe different actions that were happening at the same time in the past.
Yesterday morning I was having a shower while my sister was watching TV.
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3.
| Past Simple | Past Continuous together with Past Simple |
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When Ann came, we watched TV.
We describe two finished actions in the past. One action (we watched TV) happened after the other action (Ann came). In other words: Ann came and then we watched TV.
We cannon change the order of the words!
When Ann came, we watched TV.
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When Ann came, we were watching TV.
We describe two actions in the past. One action happened when the other action was in progress.
We use Past Continuous for the longer action that was in progress (we were watching TV).
We use Past Simple for the shorter action that happened (Ann came).
We can change the order of the words:
When Ann came, we were watching TV.
We were watching TV when Ann came.
When we were watching TV, Ann came.
Ann came when we were watching TV.
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Notice when we use and do not use a comma (,):
When his mum came, he was playing a computer game.
He was playing computer game when his mum came.
4. While and When
| Past Simple | Past Continuous | |
| when |
can be used
When Ann came, we watched TV.
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can be used
When we were watching TV, Ann came.
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| while |
cannot be used
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can be used
While we were watching TV, Ann came.
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5. Non-continuous verbs (look here for more information).
| Past Simple | Past Continuous | |
| Most verbs |
can be used
We watched TV.
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can be used
We were watching TV.
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| Non-continuous verbs |
can be used
We knew the answer.
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cannot be used
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6. Use and time expressions
| Past Simple | Past Continuous |
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yesterday
last (last month)
ago (two days ago)
in ... (in 2015)
when (when I was 5)
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while
when
as
all day yesterday
yesterday at 4 o'clock
this time yesterday
etc.
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7. At the beginning of a story...
| Past Continuous | Past Simple |
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...we use Past Continuous to give a background information,
"It was early morning. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. I decided to..."
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and we use Past Simple to say about main actions.
"It was early morning. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. I decided to..."
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