Past Progressive v. Simple Past

Past Progressive v. Simple Past

1. Simple Past Past progressive

2. Do you want to show progress ? USE PAST PROGRESSIVE

3. Were two things happening at the same time? USE PAST PROGRESSIVE

4. W as the event finished? ( not in Progress) USE SIMPLE PAST

5. Uses Simple Past Shows completion Events happening one after another Past Progressive Shows progress Events happening at the same time

6. Signal Words Simple Past yesterday last year l ast month t wo years ago Past Progressive While While I was working, you were playing. While I was working, my mom called. When When my mom called, I was working.

7. Simple past is more common than past progressive . We use simple past much more often in conversation and writing.

8. Simple Past Some verbs are almost NEVER progressive. They describe states . Senses (hear, see, taste, smell) Feelings (want, love, hate, need) Thinking (be, know, understand)

9. When I _______________ the picture, the dog _______________. NOW Simple Past or Past Progressive? TAKE SIT

10. When I _______________ the picture, the dog _______________. NOW Simple Past or Past Progressive? w as sitting took The “sitting” was in progress.

11. When she _______________ the grammar, he _________________. NOW Simple Past or Past Progressive? EXPLAIN NOT UNDERSTAND

12. When she _______________ the grammar, he _________________. NOW Simple Past or Past Progressive? explained did not understand These events happened one after another, and “understand” is never progressive.