LESSON 1 -PAST SIMPLE vs PAST PROGRESSIVE

PAST PROGRESSIVE

The past progressive tense indicates continuing actions, something that was happening at some period of the past.

Yesterday I was riding my bike all day. Joel was playing a horrible videogame. We were not interrupting the class. Lisa was not watching TV yesterday night.

The structure of the present progressive is:
SUBJECT + TO BE (past simple) + VERB(-ING)
I	was	buying	Some bread.
She	was not	talking	to Anna.

PAST SIMPLE vs PAST PROGRESSIVE

When are talking about the past, an action that happens in the middle of another is expresses in PAST SIMPLE, while the action that is interrupted is expressed with PAST PROGRESSIVE.

The telephone rang when Audrey was eating. I was walking on the street when I saw the accident.

EXPRESSIONS OF TIME COMMONLY USED WITH THE PAST SIMPLE & THE PAST PROGRESSIVE

There are some time expressions quite common in sentences with past simple tenses and past progressive tenses:

AS we were playing, it started to rain. It started to snow WHILE we were playing. He was sleeping WHEN the alarm turned on.

Here is a link of a video you can watch to understand better the use of past simple and past progressive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9t4rt7M6wU

IT’S YOUR TURN!

1.Complete the sentences with the right form of the past progressive.

1-Last night, I _____ (read) a book about painting. 2-Silvia _____ (put) the books in the shelf when I got home. 3-_____ (you/draw) a sketch of the building? 4-Lenna and I _____ (discuss) who is the best pop singer. 5-The boys _____ (children) a lot of noise in class. 6-Fiona _____ (not sleep) when I called her last Sunday afternoon.

2.Choose between the past simple and the past progressive to fill the gaps.

1-I ____ (walk) in the hall when Albert suddenly came out from nowhere. 2-The bomb exploded while the people _____ (pass) near the car. 3-Robert called you when you _____ (take) a shower. 4-I was watching the news when I _____ (receive) the call from my friend. 5-She _____ (not pay) attention when the ball hit her. 6-You _____ (leave) the house while we were working on the project.