Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Discover the key differences between Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses in English with our straightforward grammar lesson! Whether you’re just starting out or need a quick refresher, we’ve got you covered.

Grammar

Practice how to use Past Simple and Past Continuous correctly.

Transcript

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Introduction:

• Host: Hello and welcome to the English Magnet. Today’s video: Past Simple vs Past Continuous Made Easy! Using past tenses is a daily occurrence whenever you wish to share a story, an experience or an event. Therefore, it’s essential to clearly understand the different roles of the past simple and past continuous. Also, be sure to watch until the end to learn how to combine the two tenses like a pro! Alright, let’s jump right into it!

Part 1: Past simple – formation 

Quick recap, first the past simple is the past of the present simple, it’s a single word verb where we often add ‘-ed’ to regular verbs. For instance, ‘walk’ becomes ‘walked.’ But, and there’s always a ‘but,’ some verbs have their own unique past forms, like ‘go’ turning into ‘went. In addition, the negative form is simply did not + base form (didn’t) such as did not walk or didn’t go. If you want to learn more about the past simple, click on the link. 

Part 2: Past continuous – formation 

Second quick recap, the past continuous is, you guessed it, the past of the present continuous. This tense has two words; the verb to be in the past simple; was or were (was; I, he, she, it – were; you, we, they) and the main verb with ing at the end  (an inflectional ending relating to an ongoing action) such as ‘was walking’ or ‘were walking’. Good news, no irregular forms. Just remember to remove the final ‘e’ before adding ‘ing’ to the main verb (remove-removing) and to double the final consonant of short verbs ending with a vowel and consonant (cut-cutting, drop-dropping). The negative form is pretty straightforward; add ‘not’ between the two words (was not walking, were not cutting). (was not = wasn’t – were not = weren’t). 

Part 3: Usage 

The past simple and past continuous are used in English to describe actions that occurred in the past, but they convey different features of those actions. Let’s explore the differences between the two:

We use the past simple for: 

1. Completed Actions:

• Example: I visited Paris last summer.
• The past simple is ideal for narrating completed actions in the past. It’s a snapshot of a specific event.

2. General Statements:

• Example: The sun set in the west.
• The past simple can be used for statements that describe facts or truths about the past. 

3. Sequential Events:

• Example: I woke up, had breakfast, and went to work.
• It is used to list a series of completed actions in chronological order, one after the other. 

Now, we use the past continuous for:

1. Ongoing Actions in the Past:

• Example: I was watching TV when the phone rang.
• Here, the past continuous is used to emphasize an action that was ongoing at a specific point in the past. It provides a sense of duration. 

2. Simultaneous Actions:

• Example: While she was cooking, he was reading.
• It is used when two or more actions were happening at the same time in the past.

3. Interrupted Actions:

• Example: I was studying when the power went out.
• The past continuous can state actions that were interrupted by another event.

4. Background Info:

• Example: It was raining, and the kids were playing outside.
• The past continuous helps to set the scene by describing activities under way that create the background for the main events.

In short, while the past simple is used for completed actions and general statements, the past continuous is used to highlight ongoing or simultaneous actions. 

Part 4: Combining

Choosing between these two tenses depends on the nuance and context you want to communicate in your narrative or description of past events. They can easily complement each other but be careful especially when emphasizing duration. The past simple focuses on important completed actions done in a short timespan (timeline showing one-off action) while the past continuous centers around actions that unfold over a stretch of time or are in progress. (timeline showing long action). Let’s look at sentences combining the tenses and their underlying logic.

1. While I was reading (ongoing action) a book, a car honked loudly. (completed action) (✓)

Reading a book takes a while, but honking is short. It wouldn’t make much sense if we said: While I read a book, a car was honking loudly. (X) Reading a book isn’t a short affair and for how long can a car be honking?!

2. I was walking (interrupted action)  in the park when I met an old friend. (completed action)

Here walking was ongoing but it had to stop due to meeting a friend which is a punctual and short event. 

3. The sun was rising and birds were chirping (background info) as I opened my eyes, stretched my arms and got up (sequential actions) fresh and alert. 

Rising and chirping set the scene for a sequence of actions leading to someone getting up. 

Wrap up

• Host: There you go! Be sure to blend the past simple and past continuous to paint a more vivid picture of the past. By the way, a link to some free material to practice by yourselves can be found in the description below. Hopefully, this has been helpful. Keep practicing, and you’ll get the hang of it. Thank you for watching. Until next time!