Exercise topic: PAST SIMPLE OR PAST CONTINUOUS? 2

level: Beginner (A1/A2)

Answer each question, completing each of the sentences with either the SIMPLE PAST or the PAST CONTINUOUS form of the verb (in parentheses).
EXAMPLE: "Q: Did you like that song? A: Yes I loved (to love) it!"
CHECK = check your answer; SHOW = show the correct answer.

MORE LIKE THIS: SIMPLE PAST/PAST CONTINUOUS 1

GRAMMAR REVIEW! Past continuous or simple past?

PAST CONTINUOUS

Form: was/were + verb-ing

Use it when:
• Describing an ongoing action in the past.
"I was watching TV at 8 PM."
• Showing a background action when something else happened.
"I was cooking when she arrived."
• Talking about two things happening at the same time in the past.
"He was reading while she was writing."
• Adding atmosphere or setting the scene in storytelling.
"The wind was blowing, and the rain was pouring."

SIMPLE PAST

Form: verb in past form (e.g., walked, ate, went)

Use it when:
• Talking about a completed action in the past.
"She left at noon."
• Telling a sequence of events.
"He got up, brushed his teeth, and went out."
• Talking about facts or states in the past.
"They lived in Spain for 5 years."

Together:
Use them together when one action was happening, and another shorter one interrupted it.
Example: "I was walking to work when I saw the accident."

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