Past Simple
and Past
Continuous
Read the sentences and identify the verb forms.
David enjoyed extreme sports when he was young.
Who was riding a bike yesterday morning?
“enjoyed” is in the Past Simple.
“was riding” is in the Past Continuous.
Let’s find out more about these two verb tenses!
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
PAST SIMPLE
Complete the table with the missing information, based on
the examples.
Past Simple
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
Form Regular verbs: Didn’t +
_______ Did
________ +
-ed
Verb + ______ verb in the subject
__________ +
infinitive
________ verb in the
infinitive
Example I loved history I didn’t like Did you prefer
when I was in maths. history or
school. maths?
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
PAST SIMPLE
Take note…
Regular verbs – general rule:
Verb + -ed play - played
Exceptions:
Verb + -d move - moved
Verb + -ied carry - carried
Verb + -n + -ed plan - planned
Verb + -l + -ed travel - travelled
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
PAST SIMPLE
Irregular verbs - There are a lot of irregular past tenses in
English. Here are some examples:
Past simple Past simple Past simple
be was/were get got run ran
begin began give gave say said
buy bought go went send sent
build built hold held sit sat
come came know knew speak spoke
cut cut leave left stand stood
do did lie lay take took
draw drew lose lost teach taught
eat ate make made tell told
feel felt meet met wear wore
find found pay paid win won
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
PAST SIMPLE
When do we use the Past Simple?
We use the past simple to talk about completed actions and
experiences in the past – things that you did at a specific point
in time.
e.g. I baked a chocolate cake.
It can be used with the expressions: yesterday / last week / last
month / two weeks ago / two months ago…
e.g. I baked a chocolate cake yesterday.
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
PAST SIMPLE
1. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the
Past Simple.
went
a) When she ________ wore
(go) to the interview, she ________(wear)
her new dress.
read
b) I ___________ (read) three books last summer.
was
c) When he _________ (is) here, he never _________
wanted (want) to
play.
Did
d) __________ eat
Anna ____________ (eat) the pasta I made her?
didn’t see
visited (visit) London, I _____________(see/not)
e) When I _________
the London Eye.
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
PAST CONTINUOUS
Complete the table with the missing information, based on
the examples.
Past Continuous
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
Form to be
Verb _______ Verb to be Verb to be
(was/were) + (was/were)
________ + (was/were) +
verb (gerund) _____
not + verb _________
subject +
(gerund) verb (gerund)?
Example He was He wasn’t Were his
playing playing alone. friends
football. playing with
him?
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
PAST CONTINUOUS
Read the sentence and choose the correct option.
She was playing the piano
yesterday morning.
We use the Past Continuous to describe:
an action that happened over a period of time in the past.
a completed action in the past.
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
PAST CONTINUOUS
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the Past
Continuous.
were playing
a) When I called my friends, they _______________ (play)
monopoly.
b) Yesterday at six I ________________
was preparing (prepare) dinner.
was reading
c) He ______________ (read) a book when I came home.
were you ____________
d) What _______ doing (do) yesterday?
was helping
e) I _______________ (help) my mother.
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
PAST SIMPLE
OR
PAST CONTINUOUS?
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
Sometimes, continuous past actions or experiences are
interrupted by or happen at the same time as other sudden
and shorter actions.
Examples: While he was playing football, his mother called him.
He was playing football when his mother called him.
He was playing football
Past Present
His mother called him
past continuous
The longer action is in the _________________ and the shorter action
past simple
is in the _________________.
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
Read the examples again.
Examples: While he was playing football, his mother called him.
He was playing football when his mother called him.
Complete the rule:
when
Short action: __________ + past simple
while
Longer action: ___________ + past continuous
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
1. Complete the sentences with the Past Simple or the
Past Continuous.
a) You were working (work) as a waitress when I ________
____________ met (meet)
you.
saw
b) As soon as I __________ called
(see) the accident I _________ (call) the
police.
slept
c) Last week Maria __________ (sleep) at my place.
arrived
d) When she ___________ was cooking
(arrive) I ______________ (cook) dinner.
Did
e) _______ go
you_________ (go) out yesterday?
was walking (walk) the
f) Were you home when I called? No, I _____________
dog.
Upgrade 8º | Isabel Filipe | Maria Adelaide Rabaça | Paula Simões
