Past simple past continuous english grammar

english grammar

1. Past continuous - long action in the past - t he actions described by the past continuous tense do not have a known beginning or end . P ast simple – single event happened in the past - finished past action with no result in the present - telling a story, describing something that happened to you a year ago

2. How do you use past continuous tense ? - to say that someone was doing something in the past, usually in the middle of an action. E.g. – Last Friday Sue went swimming. She started to swim at 9.00 a.m. and finished at 10.30 a.m. What was Sue doing at 9.30 a.m.? Sue   was swimming  at 9.30 a.m. She had not finished swimming at 9.30 a.m. She was in the middle of swimming at 9.30 a.m .

3. How do you use past continuous tense ? - to say something was happening repeatedly: E.g. – She  was always singing  in the bath. They  were helping  each other all the time . - to say something continued for sometime: E.g. – All the employees  were demanding . His arm  was aching . to say any change, growth or development that was happening in the past: E.g. – Our little town  was rapidly growing . The past continuous tense can also refer to a habitual action in the past . E.g. – She was interfering in everyone’s lives.

4. Also, we often use the past simple and the past continuous together to say that something happened in the past . E.g. –

5. CONTINUOUS