Differences - Past Progressive - Past Simple

 

1. If the adverb ago appears in the sentence, it is a sense

of temporality, so the past simple is used, not the past

progressive

Example: He was playing 10 minutes ago

2. If "when" appears, it is past simple (although it will be

necessary to pay attention because not in all cases it is

past simple)

Example: I was in the kitchen when the dog bit me

3. Past progressive is used if "while" appears (although we

must pay attention because it is not a fixed rule).

Example: While cleaning someone called me

The past progressive

expresses the duration of a

past action and does not

indicate if it is finished.

Example: I was playing xbox

The past simple refers to a

specific action that began

and ended in the past.

Example: My dad came out

to play

If the two actions take

place during the same

period, the past continuous

will be used in both..

If the actions are

consecutive, the verbs will

go in the past simple.

Example: When I was

cleaning he was lying down

without doing something

Example : When my mom

arrived I did homework

we can use the past

continuous to emphasize

that the action took place

temporarily.

Example: While I was

playing daily he was

studying three times a

week

To talk about habitual

actions, the past simple is

usually used.

Example: My dad visited

my grandmother all

weekend

The past progressive is

used to set the mood.

Example: The sun was

setting and the wind was

moving the trees

The past simple is used to

talk about a series of

events.

Example: My mom comes

home from work, takes a

bath and falls asleep

The structure of the past

progressive is the subject +

the verb to be in the past +

the gerund (verb ing)

Example:

She was playing soccer

I was taking a shower

The structure of the past

simple is subject + verb + -

ed or -d (if regular)

otherwise, the irregular

verb is placed.

Example:

I walked in the park

She saw