Lección 19ª: "Past simple" versus "Past continuous"

Gramática

1.- Past simple

El "past simple" describe una acción pasada ya finalizada.

When I was young I lived in Madrid (ahora vivo en Barcelona)

2.- Past continuous

Indica que una acción se estaba desarrollando en cierto momento del pasado al cual se
hace referencia. No dice si la acción ya finalizó o todavía continuaba.

When the mother came home her husband was playing with the kids (no sabemos si
terminó de jugar en ese momento o continuó jugando)

A veces se describen dos acciones simultáneas que tuvieron lugar en el pasado. En

dicho caso, se utiliza el "past imple" para describir aquella que finalizó y el "past
continuous" para aquella otra que estaba ocurriendo cuando la primera tuvo lugar.

Yesterday evening when you called me I was having a shower

When the parents arrived home the children were watching TV

Otra diferencia entre ambos tiempos es que el "past continuous" se utiliza a veces
para indicar que la acción es más casual, menos planificada.

Yesterday morning, from 8 to 10, I was running (algo rutinario, que suelo hacer con
frecuencia, por lo que no lo resalto)

Yesterday morning, from 8 to 10, I ran (algo diferente, un tanto extraordinario, por lo
que quiero destacarlo)
1.- Escribe el verbo entre paréntesis en "past simple" o "past continuous" según
corresponda:

1.   
Last Saturday when my brother
arrived, I ________ TV (to watch)
2.   
The police arrested the murderer
when he ________ an old woman (to
attack)
3.   
My uncle ________ all his fortune
playing in casinos (to lose)
4.   
Yesterday it rained all day and the
river almost ________ its banks (to
burst)
5.   
Last night when I left the party two
gangs of hooligans ________ (to
fight)
6.   
Last Friday my father ________ to
Paris to visit my brother who works
there (to go)
7.   
They ________ the new bridge in
time for the Olympic Games (to
finish)
8.   
My girlfriend didn't come with us to
the cinema because she ________
(to study)
9.   
When the teacher entered the
classroom the students ________
very loudly (to speak)
10.   
That terrible accident ________
yesterday evening (to happen)
11.   
Last night when the thieves
________ into my house I was
sleeping (to break)
12.   
My parents ________ in the
 Cathedral of Seville 40 years ago (to
get married)
13.   
The Socialist Party ________ the
last elections and is now in power
(to win)
14.   
The other day when I ________
tennis I hurt my leg (to play)
15.   
Philip ________ at home in very
strange circumstances (to die)
16.   
Susan ________ Law in the
university of Madrid (to study)
17.   
Yesterday when you came home I
________ the dog (to walk)
18.   
The plane ________ into the
mountains due to the weather
conditions (to crash)
19.   
He ________ late at the station and
missed his train (to arrive)
20.   
The mother went to calm her little
baby because she ________ (to cry)
21.   
My neighbour ________ a heart
attack last year and still hasn't fully
recovered (to have)
22.   
This morning while my friends
played football I ________ my
homework (to do)
23.   
Last summer we ________ to the
south of Spain for our holiday (to
go)
24.   
Yesterday night it was raining when
we ________ the Theatre (to leave)
25.   
This morning the dog ________ the
postman when he was delivering the
mail (to attack)
 

1.- Escribe el verbo entre paréntesis en "past simple" o "past continuous" según
corresponda:
25 Respuestas Correctas

1.  w as w atching  
Last Saturday when my brother
arrived, I was watching TV
2.  w as attacking  
The police arrested the murderer
when he was attacking an old
woman
3.  lost  
My uncle lost all his fortune playing
in casinos
4.  burst  
Yesterday it rained all day and the
river almost burst its banks
5.  w ere fighting  
Last night when I left the party two
gangs of hooligans were fighting
6.  finished  
They finished the new bridge in time
for the Olympic Games
7.  w ent  
Last Friday my father went to Paris
to visit my brother who works there
8.  w as studying  
My girlfriend didn't come with us to
the cinema because she was
studying
9.  w ere speaking  
When the teacher entered the
classroom the students were
speaking very loudly
10.  happened  
That terrible accident happened
yesterday evening
11.  broke  
Last night when the thieves broke
into my house I was sleeping
12.  got married  
My parents got married in the
Cathedral of Seville 40 years ago
13.  w on  
The Socialist Party won the last
elections and is now in power
 14.  w as playing  
The other day when I was playing
tennis I hurt my leg
15.  died  
Philip died at home in very strange
circumstances
16.  studied  
Susan studied Law in the university
of Madrid
17.  w as w alking  
Yesterday when you came home I
was walking the dog
18.  crashed  
The plane crashed into the
mountains due to the weather
conditions
19.  arrived  
He arrived late at the station and
missed his train
20.  w as crying  
The mother went to calm her little
baby because she was crying
21.  had  
My neighbour had a heart attack
last year and still hasn't fully
recovered
22.  w as doing  
This morning while my friends
played football I was doing my
homework
23.  w ent  
Last summer we went to the south of
Spain for our holiday
24.  left  
Yesterday night it was raining when
we left the Theatre
25.  attacked  
This morning the dog attacked the
postman when he was delivering the
mail

 
Make sentences from the words in parentheses. Put the verbs into the correct form: ANSWER
SIMPLE PAST or PAST CONTINUOUS. 

Example:  (I / fall / asleep when I / watch / TV).   I fell asleep when I was watching TV.

 
1. (the phone / ring / while I / take a shower)

The phone  .

2. (it / begin / to rain while I / walk / home)

3. (we / see / an accident while we / wait / for the bus)

1. The phone rang while I was taking a shower.

2. It began to rain while I was walking home.

3. We saw an accident while we were waiting for the bus.

 Put the verb into the correct form: PAST CONTINUOUS or SIMPLE ANSWER
EXERCISE C PAST.

Example:  While Tom was cooking (cook) dinner, the phone rang (ring).

 
1.
George  (fall) off the ladder while he  (paint) the ceiling.

2.
Last night I  (read) in the bed when suddenly I  (hear) a scream.

3.
(you/watch) TV when I called you?

4.
Ann  (wait) for me when I  (arrive).

5.
I  (not/drive) very fast when the accident  (happened).

6.
I  (break) a plate last night. I  (wash) the dishes when it  (slip)
out of my hand.

7.
Tom  (take) a picture of me while I  (not/look).

8.
We  (not/go) out because it  (rain).

9.
What  (you/do) at this time yesterday?

10.
I  (see) Carol at the party. She  (wear) a new dress.

1. fell ... was painting

2. was reading ... heard

3. Were you watching

4. was waiting ... arrived

5. wasn't driving ... happened

6. broke ... was washing ... slipped

 7. took ... wasn't looking

8. didn't go ... was raining

9. were you doing

10. saw ... was wearing