Past Simple and Past Continuous

Past Simple: Irregular Formation

Irregular verbs in the simple past do not follow a predictable formula, instead, they must be learned through practice and exposure.

Past Simple: Statement and Question Formation

For your reference,Table 3.7 summarizes the form of affirmative and negative statements, yes/no questions, and Wh- questions. Note the conjugations for different subjects in each chart.

Past Continuous: Statement and Question Formation

For your reference,Table 3.8 summarizes the form of affirmative and negative statements, yes/no questions, and Wh- questions. Note the conjugations for different subjects.

Imagine you want to present the past simple in context for a class of EFL students. Choose the real-world context below that will best show the use of the past simple. Select one: a. An example cover letter that highlights past experiences b. A description of your everyday habitual actions c. A plan for a future trip

a. An example cover letter that highlights past experiences Explanation: The past simple is often used in cover letters to highlight past experience (e.g. When I was in university, I had the opportunity to volunteer in Mexico. I taught English to children at a summer camp. )

Read the sentence and choose which meaning is represented with the underlined verb and the context of the sentence. I took swim lessons every summer when I was a kid. Select one: a. Past habit that is generally no longer true b. Specific moment completed in the past c. An ongoing action interrupted by another action in the past d. Ongoing annoying habit or action in the past

a. Past habit that is generally no longer true Explanation: The verb "took" refers to a past habit that is indicated by the key words "every summer", and we assume that this person no longer takes swim lessons. This is one meaning of the simple past.

Identify which underlined verb tense is an example of the simple past: Select one: a. I've never eaten sashimi. b. I ate sushi for the first time last week, but I'm not sure I'll like sashimi. c. I've been eating new foods every week for the past few months. d. Before I ate sushi, I had never eaten Japanese food.

b. I ate sushi for the first time last week, but I'm not sure I'll like sashimi. Explanation: In this sentence, the verb "ate" is the irregular form of "eat" in the simple past. It is also an example describing a past event, which is one meaning of the simple past.

Read the sentence and choose which meaning is represented with the underlined verb and the context of the sentence. The first time I saw a sloth, I was so surprised! Select one: a. Past habit that is generally no longer true b. Specific moment completed in the past c. An ongoing action interrupted by another action in the past d. Ongoing annoying habit or action in the past

b. Specific moment completed in the past Explanation: The verb "saw" refers to one very specific moment, which is framed by the key phrase: the first time. This is one meaning of the simple past.

Read the sentence and choose which meaning is represented with the underlined verb and the context of the sentence. The vendor who was passing through town that morning stopped to sell them some jewelry. Select one: a. Past habit that is generally no longer true b. Specific moment completed in the past c. An ongoing action interrupted by another action in the past d. Ongoing annoying habit or action in the past

c. An ongoing action interrupted by another action in the past Explanation: In the context of the sentence, the vendor was in the process of passing through the town, which is noted by the past continuous, "was passing," and then interrupted by the moment that they "stopped", which is expressed in the simple past. This is one meaning of the past continuous.

Identify which underlined verb tense is an example of the past continuous: Select one: a. I visited my friends in China last year. b. I had never visited any place outside of my home country before this trip. c. I celebrated my birthday on this trip, so I was visiting many famous places on my special day. d. I'm sure I am going to visit even more amazing places on future birthdays!

c. I celebrated my birthday on this trip, so I was visiting many famous places on my special day. Explanation: In this sentence, the verb "was visiting" follows the rule of form for the past continuous: Past Tense Be Verb + Present Participle (base form of the verb + ing). It is also an example of an action in progress at a past time, which is one meaning of the past continuous.

One of the following sentences contains a mistake commonly made by people first learning the simple past and past continuous tenses. Identify which underlined phrase is incorrect. I lived in Mexico last summer. I studied Spanish while I was there. I was walking to my school every day when I lived there. Select one: a. lived b. studied c. was walking

c. was walking Explanation: In this sentence, the speaker is talking about a past habit. When we talk about past habits, we use the simple past, "walked", and not the past continuous, "was walking".

Identify which underlined verb tense is an example of the past continuous: Select one: a. My little brother complains all of the time. b. If there is something little wrong with his order at a restaurant, he will complain about it. c. Once, he complained that he didn't have a separate salad fork! I told him that he really only needed one fork. d. Even when we were young, he was always complaining about something!

d. Even when we were young, he was always complaining about something! Explanation: In this sentence, the verb "was complaining" follows the rule of form for the past continuous: Past Tense Be Verb + Present Participle (base form of the verb + ing). It is also an example of the emphasis of an annoying ongoing habit in the past, which is one meaning of the past continuous.

Identify which underlined verb tense is an example of the simple past: Select one: a. I am studying Spanish with my colleague later on today. b. I study on my own every day, but it's nice to get together and study with someone else sometimes. c. We will be studying different verb tenses. d. I studied Spanish every summer as a child, but it's nice to be able to review things now.

d. I studied Spanish every summer as a child, but it's nice to be able to review things now. Explanation: In this sentence, the verb "studied" follows the rule of form for the regular simple past: VERB + -ed. It is also an example of a past habit, which is one meaning of the simple past.

Read the sentence and choose which meaning is represented with the underlined verb and the context of the sentence. On the bus, my seatmate was talking on the phone very loudly, and I couldn't sleep. Select one: a. Past habit that is generally no longer true b. Specific moment completed in the past c. An ongoing action interrupted by another action in the past d. Ongoing annoying habit or action in the past

d. Ongoing annoying habit or action in the past Explanation: The speaker is annoyed by the ongoing action of the seatmate loudly talking on the phone. This is one meaning of the past continuous.

past simple

is the most basic form of the past tense in the English language. What perhaps sets it apart from other forms of the past tense is that it signifies a simple past action that occurred before the present moment and is complete. However long ago it occurred and/or the duration of the action are not significant points. ** Subject + VERB + -ed or irregular form ** 1. In San Joaquin, the sun rose up just as it always did. (rose up, did) 2. I walked all day to the town down a dusty road. (walked) 3. I found the little school and set up to teach the lesson. I taught a 30-minute English lesson. (found, set up, taught)

past continuous

is used to describe ongoing events in the past. In this sense, the ______________ seems unfinished or incomplete in contrast to the completed actions represented by the simple past. ** Subject + Be Verb + Present Participle (base form of the verb + ing) ** 1. The first time I met a parent was when I was walking through town to explore. (was + walking) 2. While it was raining down on the tin roof, we were playing a game, tossing around my participation ball. (was + raining, were + playing) 3. Everyone was inviting me in on the fly for afternoon cafecito. (was + inviting)