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
If I write , I was trying to give him some advice but he didn’t care. Is it correct?
Hello Rona Niki,
I think the second part of the sentence does not sound very natural. I would suggest these:
As far as the first part of the sentence goes, whether 'I tried' or 'I as trying' is correct depends on the context in which the sentence occurs.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
No
Would you use the past continuous tense instead of the past perfect continuous in the following context?
The voices he could hear were ... simply the indignant residents of the neighbourhood who had been cooking or watching television or reading when the lights went out.
(Source: Grammar for English Language Teachers (2nd ed.), by Martin Parrott)
Hello Sefika,
It's hard to tell for sure without knowing the broader context in which the sentences are used, but I think it's possible. However, since there is a clear link between the described situation (the residents' indignance) and the past event (the lights going out) the past perfect seems a better fit. In other words, the lights going out is what made them indignant, and the past perfect makes that connection clearer.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
I totally agree. Thank you for your help.
Hi,
I didn't agrre with few answers from exercise above:
1) They __ the shop when I got there, so I couldn't go in/
Why it proposed me "were already closing" as a right answere?
Although this situation not in progress, it's just show the fact that the shop
was closed.
2) Sam __ basketball when he was at university
Why it proposed me to use simple time? I think that i should to use a continiouse, cos Sam did it during some period and it show a progress.
Isn't it?
I'll be thankful for your help
Hi Perúmarroninca,
1) Actually, that is the intended meaning: the action (closing the shop) was in progress at that moment (when I got to the shop).
If the shop was already closed, i.e., it closed before I got to the shop, then the past perfect should be used (rather than the past simple) to show clearly that it was an anterior action: They had (already) closed the shop when I got there.
2) Many actions happen over a period of time, but that is not a reason by itself to use past continuous. The past continuous is used when you emphasise the duration. So, you could say Sam was playing basketball when he was at university if you wanted to emphasise that he did this for a long time. Or, you could say Sam was playing basketball at 8 o'clock, to show an action in progress at a given moment.
But, if you simply want to say what Sam did in a factual way, then Sam played basketball ... would be the usual way to say it. The duration is less important, so the simple form is used.
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Thank you for the explanation of the first question. I was also considering why it can´t be past simple.
I am also confused why it can’t be