Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Let's start!
Present Simple vs Present Continuous
Past Simple vs Past Continuous vs Used to
Uses Uses Uses
Structure Structure Structure
Keywords Keywords Examples
Examples Examples
Past Simple
1. USES
To express past actions. I broke my leg. To say what was done at a particular time in the past. We had tea at 6 p.m. To talk about consecutive past actions. I had dinner and went to bed. To tell the story of how things used to be. In the past, women didn't vote.
Past Simple
2. STRUCTUREAffirmative
IYou He/She/It We You They
played gave
Inf. + -ed 2nd column
Regular Irregular
Past Simple
2. STRUCTURENegative
IYou He/She/It We You They
didn't + Inf.
didn't play
Past Simple
2. STRUCTUREInterrogative
IYou He/She/It We You They
Inf. ?
Did you play?
Did
Short answers
+ Yes, Subj. + did. - No, Subj. + didn't.
Past Simple
3. Keywords
3.1. Time expressions
- They can be placed at the beginning or at the end of the sentence, but they are usually placed at the end.
Ex.: Her parents visited Rome last year.
Past Simple
3. Keywords
3.2. Adverbs of Frequency
As in the Present Simple, if any adverb of frequency appears, the verb will be in the Past Simple.
Ex.: She often played cards with her friends.
Past Simple
4. Examples
She didn't live in Poland.
Last summer, I went to London.
Did you have dinner eggs last night?
I arrived five minutes ago.
Where did you study yesterday?
He loved his husband.
Past Continuous
1. USES
To talk about something that was happening at the moment of speaking. I was riding my bike then. To describe two or more extended and simultaneous actions in the past, linked by while or as. She was reading while he was sleeping. When the two tenses appear together, they indicate that one action in progress was interrupted by another. The interrupting action usually has 'when' and a Past Simple verb; while the interrupted action usually has 'while' or 'as' and Past Continuous. We were listening to music when the phone rang.
Past Continuous
2. STRUCTUREAffirmative
IYou He/She/It We You They
was were
playing
was
were
Past Continuous
2. STRUCTURENegative
IYou He/She/It We You They
wasn't weren't
playing
wasn't
weren't
Past Continuous
2. STRUCTUREInterrogative
Was Were
IYou He/She/It We You They
Were you playing? Was she playing? Was they playing?
+ inf. + -ing
+ inf. + -ing
Was
Were
+ inf. + -ing
Short answers
+ Yes, Subj. + was/were - No, Subj. + wasn't/weren't
Past Continuous
3. Keywords
3.1. Time expressions
They can be placed at the beginning or at the end of the sentence, but they are usually placed at the end.
Ex.: He was making dinner at seven o'clock yesterday.
Past Simple
4. Examples
She wasn't eating at home.
He was crying.
Were they watching TV?
We were meeting at 12.00.
You weren't studying.
Lisa and Ann weren't playing tennis.
The Game Show
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
USED TO (solía)
1. USES
To express facts or actions that were once common and then they ceased to be so. I broke my leg.
2. STRUCTURE
Affirmative Subject + used to + vb. inf. She used to play tennis. Negative Subject + didn't use to + vb. inf. She didn't use to play. Interrogative Did + Subject + use to vb. inf.? Did she use to play?
WOULD
1. USES
For past habits, particularly for the distant past. The ancient Greeks would rely on the power of slaves. 'Would' is not usually used to refer to past states.
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Past Simple/Past Continuous/Used to
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Transcript
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Let's start!
Present Simple vs Present Continuous
Past Simple vs Past Continuous vs Used to
Uses Uses Uses
Structure Structure Structure
Keywords Keywords Examples
Examples Examples
Past Simple
1. USES
To express past actions. I broke my leg. To say what was done at a particular time in the past. We had tea at 6 p.m. To talk about consecutive past actions. I had dinner and went to bed. To tell the story of how things used to be. In the past, women didn't vote.
Past Simple
2. STRUCTUREAffirmative
IYou He/She/It We You They
played gave
Inf. + -ed 2nd column
Regular Irregular
Past Simple
2. STRUCTURENegative
IYou He/She/It We You They
didn't + Inf.
didn't play
Past Simple
2. STRUCTUREInterrogative
IYou He/She/It We You They
Inf. ?
Did you play?
Did
Short answers
+ Yes, Subj. + did. - No, Subj. + didn't.
Past Simple
3. Keywords
3.1. Time expressions
Ex.: Her parents visited Rome last year.
Past Simple
3. Keywords
3.2. Adverbs of Frequency
As in the Present Simple, if any adverb of frequency appears, the verb will be in the Past Simple.
Ex.: She often played cards with her friends.
Past Simple
4. Examples
She didn't live in Poland.
Last summer, I went to London.
Did you have dinner eggs last night?
I arrived five minutes ago.
Where did you study yesterday?
He loved his husband.
Past Continuous
1. USES
To talk about something that was happening at the moment of speaking. I was riding my bike then. To describe two or more extended and simultaneous actions in the past, linked by while or as. She was reading while he was sleeping. When the two tenses appear together, they indicate that one action in progress was interrupted by another. The interrupting action usually has 'when' and a Past Simple verb; while the interrupted action usually has 'while' or 'as' and Past Continuous. We were listening to music when the phone rang.
Past Continuous
2. STRUCTUREAffirmative
IYou He/She/It We You They
was were
playing
was
were
Past Continuous
2. STRUCTURENegative
IYou He/She/It We You They
wasn't weren't
playing
wasn't
weren't
Past Continuous
2. STRUCTUREInterrogative
Was Were
IYou He/She/It We You They
Were you playing? Was she playing? Was they playing?
+ inf. + -ing
+ inf. + -ing
Was
Were
+ inf. + -ing
Short answers
+ Yes, Subj. + was/were - No, Subj. + wasn't/weren't
Past Continuous
3. Keywords
3.1. Time expressions
They can be placed at the beginning or at the end of the sentence, but they are usually placed at the end.
Ex.: He was making dinner at seven o'clock yesterday.
Past Simple
4. Examples
She wasn't eating at home.
He was crying.
Were they watching TV?
We were meeting at 12.00.
You weren't studying.
Lisa and Ann weren't playing tennis.
The Game Show
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
USED TO (solía)
1. USES
To express facts or actions that were once common and then they ceased to be so. I broke my leg.
2. STRUCTURE
Affirmative Subject + used to + vb. inf. She used to play tennis. Negative Subject + didn't use to + vb. inf. She didn't use to play. Interrogative Did + Subject + use to vb. inf.? Did she use to play?
WOULD
1. USES
For past habits, particularly for the distant past. The ancient Greeks would rely on the power of slaves. 'Would' is not usually used to refer to past states.
CONGRATULATIONS! yOU HAVE ARRIVED AT THE NEXT STOp: what happens when two actions happened in the past?