Past simple and continuous

1
Past simple and continuous

• Mgr. Ema Jarošová

2
Past simple describes actions which are complete.
We use it for

• Past actions or a sequence of past actions
• I woke up very early. Then I got dressed, had
  breakfast...
• A state, evet, action that lasted for a period of
  time in the past
• The sudents waited for a month to get their
  exam results.
• A habit in the past
• When we were children, we often went to the
  cinema.

3
Past continuous describes states, events or
actions which are temporary or incomplete. We use
it

• To emphasise that a past event continued for some
  time
• It was raining all day.
• To describe an action in progress at a particular
  time in the past, or a temporary past situation
  or event
• We were watching TV at nine oclock last night.

4

• To describe two or more past actions happening at
  the same time
• He was cooking the dinner while she was
  talking to him.
• To set the scene in a story
• The sun was rising above distant hills and
  the birds were singing.
• To talk about something we were planning or
  expected to happen
• We were planning to move to Canada but
  decided to stay here instead.

5
We use past simple and past continuous

• With when and as/while to talk about a past
  action or event that was interrupted
• While we were having dinner, they arrived.
• We were having dinner when they arrived.