Past Simple Vs Past Continuous

1. Past simple
Use for actions that happenned in the past and over, done, finished.
Example:
Carmen lost her little kitten last night.
You went at Real Plaza two months ago.
My parents called me yesterday.
I woke up early this morning.
Sam played basketball when he was at university.

2. Past Continuous

WAS/WERE + VERB -ING

Use to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted.

Example:
Naomi was swimming when she saw a black shape in the water.
While Edu was cooking, Juana knocked the door.
Remember
WE/YOU/THEY WERE
I/HE/SHE/IT WAS
3. WHEN
Expresses short duration. It is most often followed by the verb tense in past simple.
Example:
Lucy was listening to music when his father arrived.
4. WHILE

Refer to an activity that occur during or at the same time as another activity. It is most often
followed by the past continuous.

Example:
While I was talking with Mary, the telephone rang.
The accident happened While he was watching TV.
I. Yesterday at 3 pm the following people were in the middle of an action.
Write sentences in past progressive. (+,-, ?)

1. you / play / cards

__You were playing cards._______________________
2. Alice / walk / around the lake
_____________________________________________________
3. Robert / not / buy / flowers
______________________________________________________
4. Rachel / feed / the cat ?
_____________________________________________________
5. we / read / a book about Australia
____________________________________________________
6. Linda / look for / her ring
_____________________________________________________
7. the children / paint / a picture?
________________________________________________________
8. Fiona and Sam / visit / the castle
_________________________________________________________
9. Mandy / not / have / lunch
_______________________________________________________
10.Kim and I / wait / in the park
________________________________________________________
11.My sister / feed / the birds
__________________________________________________________
12.Greg and Phil / count / their money
____________________________________________________________
13.Albert / not / play / tennis
__________________________________________________________
14.Clark / repair / his compute/when ?
_______________________________________________________________
15.Benjamin / not / write / an e-mail
____________________________________________________________________
II. COMPLETE DE SENTENCE THE SIMPLE PAST OR THE PAST CONTINUOUS.

1.The children (play)______________ in the park when it _______________________(start) to rain.

2. I _______________(watch) a movie while I _______________________ (cook) rice with chicken.

3. As soon as the bell ________________ (ring), the students ________________(run) out of the class.

4. I (see) ____________ Paolo Guerrero whileI __________________(walk) on Real Street yesterday.

5. She __________________(drink) too much so she (fall) _____________ . I hope she learnt her lesson!

6.While Camila ___________________(hide) Charles ___________________________(count)

7. When the computer (break down) ___________________, I ________________ (check) my facebook.

8. She__________________( smile) When somebody _________________(push) her.

9. I (live)_________________ in Cuzco when Brad Pitt __________________ (visit) it.

10. As soon as we ______________(hear) the news, we ______________(rush) to the hospital.

11. You_______________ (work) as a waitress in a cocktail bar, when I _________________ (meet) you.

12. Excuse me Sir. Can you tell us what _________ you________________ (do) at 11 o'clock last night?
 WHAT WERE THEY DOING LAST NIGHT?

1._______________________________________ 2.______________________________________________

3.________________________________________ 4._______________________________________________

5._______________________________________ 6._______________________________________

7.__________________________________________ 8._________________________________________