Explanation
Exercises

⏳ Past Continuous vs ✅ Past Simple

How to talk about actions in the past — ongoing vs finished, overlap vs sequence, and classic “interruption” cases.
🌊Past Continuous
FORM was / were + verb-ing
  • Affirmative: I was studying.
  • Negative: They weren’t working.
  • Question: Were you watching TV?
at 9 a.m.at middayat lunchtimeall morningall daystill
🎯Past Simple
FORM V2 / -ed   ·   did + base (questions/negatives)
  • Affirmative: We ate out yesterday.
  • Negative: We didn’t go out.
  • Question: Did she call you?
yesterdaythenin 2019last nighttwo hours ago
🧭Past Continuous — Use
ACTIONS IN PROGRESS We use the past continuous to talk about actions that were in progress (not finished) at a specific moment in the past.
  • “What were you doing at 9?” — “I was studying.”
  • When I saw them yesterday, they were arguing.
  • Time expressions: They were swimming at 7 in the morning.
  • At midday, they were still working.
  • They were swimming when I saw them.
  • When she arrived, they were still working.
DESCRIBING A SCENE We often use the past continuous at the beginning of a story to set the scene.
  • It was getting dark, and I was walking fast. Suddenly …
  • People were talking, cars were honking, and music was playing in the distance.
⚖️Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Completed vs In Progress
  • We ate out yesterday. (finished)
  • We were eating at 9. (in progress at that time)

Long action (PC) + short action (PS)

  • When I met Susan, she was having a drink with a friend.
  • We didn’t go out because it was raining.
LONG: was/were + V-ing SHORT: V2 / did

Interruption (classic case)

  • He was playing football when he broke his arm. ⚡
  • When I went to bed, it was raining.
  • 💡 while + past continuous · when + past simple (typical pattern)
Sequence vs Overlap

Overlap (started earlier)

When he arrived, she was having a shower.

The shower had already started.

Sequence (one after another)

When he arrived, she had a shower.

She took the shower after his arrival.

🧪More natural examples
  • I was cooking when the phone rang.
  • She wasn’t listening while we were discussing the plan.
  • They were driving all night, so they were tired in the morning.
  • Did it rain yesterday? — Yes, it rained in the evening.
🚫
Common mistakes
✖︎ I didn’t went → ✅ I didn’t go
✖︎ Did you were watching? → ✅ Were you watching?
✖︎ Using when for both actions in progress → Prefer while + PC for the longer background action.
🌟
Quick checks
⏱ Specific time in the past? → likely Past Continuous
✅ Finished action / fact? → likely Past Simple
⚡ Short event breaks a longer action? → PS + PC
Irregular verbs reminder: go → went, see → saw, break → broke, meet → met, eat → ate … Use did + base for questions/negatives in Past Simple.
Exercises:
1
2
3

Past continuous and past simple

Choose the correct past continuous and past simple forms to complete the sentences below.
1
I my keys while I for the bus.
2
He to music when he the announcement.
3
The sun when we out of the tunnel.
4
I your call because I a shower.
5
This morning I the news when I that my flight was canceled.
6
When I her, she to catch a taxi.
7
Last weekend we a picnic when it to rain.
8
I to you, but you at your phone.
9
We along the river when a swan right next to us.
10
What when I you last night?

Past continuous and past simple

Choose the correct past continuous and past simple forms to complete the sentences below.
1
When I got home, my roommates ____ dinner, so they ____ the doorbell.
A.
B.
C.
2
While we ____ along the beach, we ____ a rainbow.
A.
B.
C.
3
I ____ to text you while you ____ to work.
A.
B.
C.
4
The lights ____ out while I ____ a shower.
A.
B.
C.
5
She ____ when the teacher suddenly ____ her name.
A.
B.
C.
6
They ____ chess when the fire alarm ____ off.
A.
B.
C.
7
As I ____ for the bus, it suddenly ____ to snow.
A.
B.
C.
8
We ____ the news when the earthquake ____.
A.
B.
C.
9
He ____ quietly when someone ____ at the door.
A.
B.
C.
10
While the kids ____ a snowman, their dad ____ to the shop for marshmallows.
A.
B.
C.

Past continuous and past simple

Fill in the gaps with the correct past continuous and past simple forms of the verbs in brackets.
1
When I (arrive) at the museum,
2
the guards (wait) for me at the gate.
3
One of them (hold) a flashlight,
4
and they (talk) quietly about a noise.
5
While we (walk) through the gallery,
6
the lights (go) out suddenly.
7
I (drop) my map
8
and everyone (start) to laugh nervously.
9
Then we (hear) footsteps above us,
10
and a radio (play) somewhere in the dark.
11
As I (climb) the stairs,
12
my phone (ring),
13
but I (ignore) it.
14
We (open) the door to the roof
15
and the wind (blow) hard.
16
A cat (sit) on the railing
17
and (stare) at us.
18
When it (jump) down,
19
the alarm (stop)
20
and everybody (cheer).