Look at these examples to see how the past continuous and past simple are used.
When I woke up this morning, it was snowing.
I was sleeping when you called me.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
The past continuous and the past simple help us to show how two past actions or situations are connected.
Past simple
The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present. Regular past simple verbs have -ed at the end (e.g. called, played, arrived). Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. wake → woke, break → broke, feel → felt).
My parents called me yesterday.
I woke up early this morning.
Sam played basketball when he was at university.
We make the negative with didn't and the infinitive verb.
My parents didn't call me yesterday.
I didn't wake up early this morning.
We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb.
Did you wake up early this morning?
Did Sam play basketball when he was at university?
Past continuous
The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past.
What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was studying.
This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m.
The past continuous can also show that an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment.
We were cleaning the house all morning.
We make the past continuous with was or were and the -ing form of the verb.
She couldn't come to the party. She was working.
Three years ago, we were living in my home town.
I tried to give him some advice, but he wasn't listening.
What were you doing this time last year?
Past continuous and past simple
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.
While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy.
We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action.
I broke my leg when I was skiing.
As I was going to work, I saw an old friend.
We were watching television when the power went off.
Can you see a difference in the meaning of these two sentences?
When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner.
When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner.
In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. We know that because it uses the past continuous. In the second sentence, the guests arrived first and then Jane started cooking.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hello Vanya,
There are a few different forms that could work here -- which one is best depends on the situation. Two forms that could work in different situations, though, are 'left' or 'had left'.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello,
Can we use the following structures to show the same thing?
While she was cooking in the kitchen, Ben fell and hurt himself.
// When she was cooking in the kitchen, Ben fell and hurt himself.
Ben fell and hurt himself while/ when she was cooking in the kitchen.
Please reply. Thanks
Hello eager2know,
Yes, you can use either while or when in those examples.
Both 'when' and 'while' can be used when one action happens during another action, but 'when' can also have other uses, such as showing a sequence.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
That really helped. Thanks.
Hello Mike210801,
The idea is that when you arrived at the store, the people who work there were in the process of closing it and so you couldn't go in. In this situation, you could say 'had already closed' or 'were closing'.
We've changed the sentence a little bit to try to make this clearer.
Sorry for any confusion!
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Maahir,
You can change the order of the clauses - there is no rule about which must come first. However, we need a conjunction to join them. In your second sentence you have a conjunction (while). In your first sentence you also need one:
Generally, we use while before past continuous and when before past simple in these kinds of sentences.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team