How do you use past simple and past continuous?
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How do you use past simple and past continuous?
We use the past simple to talk about events, states or habits at definite times in the past. At 4 pm last Tuesday, I was working in the office. The past continuous emphasises the action or event in progress around a time in the past. The event (working) was in progress at 4 pm.
What is the formula of simple past continuous tense?
The past continuous of any verb is composed of two parts : the past tense of the verb “to be” (was/were), and the base of the main verb +ing….Forming the past continuous.
| Subject | +was/were | +base + ing |
|---|---|---|
| She | wasn’t | reading |
| Interrogative | ||
| Was | she | reading? |
| Interrogative negative |
What is the difference between simple past tense and continuous past tense?
The simple past tense is commonly used with past time adverbs like yesterday, last week, last year etc. The past continuous tense is mainly used to talk about past events that were in progress at a particular point of time in the past. I was reading at 6 yesterday evening.
What is the difference between past continuous and past simple?
We use the past continuous to talk about events and temporary states that were in progress around a certain time in the past. We use the past simple to talk about events, states or habits at definite times in the past.
How do you use tenses correctly?
As a general rule, the verb tense you are using should be consistent throughout your sentence and your paragraph. For example, the sentence “We had eaten (past perfect tense) dinner, and then we talked (simple past tense)” should be written as “We ate (simple past tense) dinner, and then we talked (simple past tense)”.
What is simple past example?
An example of a simple past tense verb used in a sentence would be: “I went to the park.” The speaker completed their action of going to the park, so you use the verb “go” in the simple past tense.
What is the difference between past simple and past continuous?
How do we use past simple?
Using the past simple
- We use it with finished actions, states or habits in the past when we have a finished time word (yesterday, last week, at 2 o’clock, in 2003).
- We use it with finished actions, states or habits in the past when we know from general knowledge that the time period has finished.
