Seminar no. 3Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

Past Simple – Introduction

Past Simple expresses an action in the past taking place once, never or several times. It can also be used for actions taking place one after another or in the middle of another action. It puts emphasis on the completion of the action.

Positive Negative Interrogativeno differences

between 1st & 3rd

pers.

I held a press conference.

I did not hold a press conference.

Did I hold a press conference?

OBS: For the correct use of irregular verbs, consult the list of irregular verbs, which can be retrieved at http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/irregular-verbs/irregular-verb-list.pdf

Past Continuous – Introduction

Past Continuous puts emphasis on the duration or course of an action taking place in the past.Positive Negative Interrogative

I / he / she / it

I was preparing lunch. I was not preparing lunch. Was I preparing lunch?

We / you / they

We were preparing lunch.

We were not preparing lunch.

Were we preparing lunch?

FORM

Past Simple Past Continuousregular verbs: verb (root) + ‘ed’e.g. I served champagne to the gentlemen in the corner.

past form of aux. vb. 'be' + verb (root) + ‘ing’I was speakingyou were speakinghe / she / it was speaking

we were speakingthey were speakinge.g. They were drafting a new media pitch.

irregular verbs: see 2 nd column of irregular verbs e.g. The PR officer held a press conference last Friday.

ExceptionsExceptions when adding 'ed' : when the final letter is e, only add d.

Example: love - loved after a short, stressed vowel, the final

consonant is doubled Example: admit - admitted

final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel - travelled

after a consonant, final y becomes i. (but: not after a vowel) Example: worry - he worried

but: play - he played

Exceptions when adding 'ing' : silent e is dropped (but: does not apply for -ee)

Example: come - coming but: agree - agreeing

after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: sit - sitting

final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel - travelling

final ie becomes y. Example: lie - lying

USE

After another or at the same time?Do you want to express that the actions in the past happened one after another or at the same time?

Past Simple Past Continuousone after another

e.g. She came home, switched on the computer and checked her e-mails.

at the same time e.g. Simon was playing on the computer while his brother was watching TV.

New action or already in progress?If you want to express that a new action happened in the middle of another action, you need both tenses: Simple Past for the new action and Past Continuous for the action already in progress.

Past Simple Past Continuousnew action

e.g. My mobile phone rang [while I was sitting in a meeting]

already in progresse.g. While I was sitting in a meeting, [my mobile suddenly rang].

Only mentioning or emphasizing progress?

Do you just want to mention that an action took place in the past (also used for short actions)? Or do you want to put emphasis on the progress, e.g. that an action was taking place at a certain time?

Past simple Past continuousonly mentioning an action in the paste.g. Colin played football yesterday.

putting emphasis progress e.g. Yesterday at six o'clock, Colin was playing football.

Signal words

Past Simple Past Continuous first when

then type-II conditional sentences

while as long as

Certain verbs

The following verbs are usually only used with Past Simple (not in the progressive form).

state: be, cost, fit, mean, suitExample: We were on holiday.

He didn’t mean to bother you.

possession: belong, haveExample: Sam had a cat.

That house belonged to his family.

senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touchExample: He felt the cold running up his spine.

Jane heard the song she loved.

feelings: hate, hope, like, love, prefer, regret, want, wishExample: Jane hated George for leaving her.

Marissa wanted to change her phone number.

brain work: believe, know, think, understandExample: I did not understand him.

OBS: We use the verbs ‘think’ and ‘wonder’ with Past Continuous if we want to make a proposal or suggestion to someone and we do so politely.Example: I was thinking we might go to the cinema on Sunday.

introductory clauses for direct speech: answer, ask, reply, sayExample: “I am watching TV,“ he said.

She declared the following: ‘We cannot raise your salary, the company is on the verge of bankruptcy.’