We use the past progressive to say what was happening at a particular moment in the past, to set the scene and to emphasise duration of a past action. The past continuous and the past simple help us to show how two past actions or situations are connected. Present simple vs present continuous past simple presentation o. I began to study at nine last night and i was still studying at eleven. Comparison of tenses simple past and past continuous with free online exercises, passive rules and passive voice examples. We use the simple past as the narrative form of the past to express completed, sequential actions. Past simple and past continuous cambridge university press. All the tickets had been sold before the concert began. Three simple exercises that help understand the difference between the past simple and past continuous tenses. This ebook is produced and distributed by red river press inc.
Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound e. Simple past vs past continuous linkedin slideshare. Oct 04, 2017 fill in the blanks with an appropriate past tense form. When i left university, i went to work for a private school. Our collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. Past continuous d past simple b fill the gaps using the verb in brackets in the past continuous and past simple. You could use a past simple form in those gaps and have a grammatically correct sentence. This is a powerpoint game on past simple and continuous. I to take took a shower, then i to get dressed got dressed and to leave left.
The past perfect continuous exercise at autoenglish. The past continuous describes an action that was already in progress. Past simple and past continuous interactive worksheets. Fill each gap with a verb in either the past simple or past continuous tense. Past perfect and past perfect continuous choose the past perfect, or the past perfect continuous 1. English grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. I believe that students learn so much faster when they compete, play and generally have fun. Simple present vs present continuous present continuous simple present now at the momentat present this morningevening e. Before we reached the station we saw that we had lost our way. In my experience, presenting this verb tense using the diagram and chart seen here helps students grasp it more quickly.
An intermediate grammar worksheet from anna grammarz 2. Past simple vs past continuous language on schools. We are here with just another english grammar quiz. Past simple or past continuous worksheet 1 grammarbank. Answers to past simple or past continuous exercise 2 1. Multiple choice questions and complete the sentences exercise about past tenses. We were playing volleyball with mary when you called me. Oct 02, 2014 past simple vs past continuous past simple past continuous a.
When the teacher came in, they were studying english. Before the exercise,there is a small tip about these thre. We use the simple past to say what happened in the past. Christine was eating dinner last night when you knocked on the door. The past progressive also known as the past continuous, on the other hand, can be tricky for students to learn because it is not commonly used in english. The difference between the past simple and the past. Fill in the blanks with a correct form, the past simple or the past continuous. The second action is a short action that has interrupted the first. Past continuous v simple past fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb. The past continuous, the past perfect and the past perfect.
Future perfect simple and continuous progressive tense. Home page grammar exercises preintermediate past simple or past continuous exercise. This powerpoint slide is excellent for teachers to explain the difference between simple past and past continuous progressive. Irregular past simple tense verbs do not end in ed. In this lesson, students read two stories that use the simple past and past progressive in context. We use the past simple verb tense to talk about events that happened at a specific time in the past. English esl past simple and past continuous worksheets.
Fill in the blanks with the correct version of wither the past continuous or simple past. Fluent speakers of english know when and how to use past simple and past continuous to talk. I felt sick yesterday morning so i went to the doctor. Past simple vs past continuous interactive worksheet. When the boys arrived at the cinema, the film had already started, 3. The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present.
Choose simple past or past continuous tense to complete the sentences. Usually, in these sentences, there is a word like yesterday or last year which shows the action happened at a time in the past that is finished. Past simple, past continuous exercise 1 was doing, i broke was playing, was doing he drank, he ate i was having, i suddenly heard. While i cycle past some villages, i see some people in their gardens. Past simple or past continuous worksheet 2 grammarbank. Past continuous is used to describe action that were in progress still happening not finished at a certain time in the past. Past simple and continuous the past simple is used. When i met susan she was having a drink at a terrace with a friend. The simple past and the past continuous multiple choice. Peter visited his friends in florida two months ago. Past continuous past continuous past continuous i was talking to our teacher. The first action is a long action it lasted for a period of time.
Simple past vs past continuous exercises learn english. Although they are both past tenses their uses are quite different. The simple past and the past progressive, also past continuous, are used to express actions in the past. Past simple or past continuous worksheet 2 answers. Past continuous and past simple grammar principiante a. The past perfect continuous exercise he had been eating garlic a fill the gaps with the verb in brackets using the past perfect continuous or the past perfect simple. Please note that specific times and dates in the past can also be used.
I was speaking you were speaking he she it was speaking we were speaking they were speaking. For example, the past continuous of the verb to work is conjugated as follows. The simple past tense is only used to say that something happened at some time in the past. The past continuous describes a longer action or situation and the past simple describes a shorter action or event. Past simple vs past continuous linkedin slideshare. When jack dropped by to visit me, i was having dinner. Yesterday i went to the post office, bought some fruit at the supermarket and read a book in the park in the afternoon. Guide to past simple and past continuous verb tenses. Worksheet 2 past simple and past continuous 1 complete the sentences with the correct past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets.
The simple past and the past continuous are two tenses commonly used to make general statements about the past. The past simple in the first sentence expresses a momentary, completed action, whereas the past continuous in the second sentence expresses an action in progress. Learn about the difference between the simple past and the past perfect in english grammar with lingolias online tense comparison chart. Present perfect practice advanced english verb tenses duration.
Pdf present simple vs present continuous past simple. Helen do her weekly shopping when she meet her old friend, june. Simple past and past continuous exercises esl worksheet. Past continuous board game cards page 2 past continuous past continuous past continuous i was riding a horse.
Heres another exercise to practise the verb tenses. English grammar practice exercise, for preintermediate and intermediate level. Put the verbs into the correct tense simple past or past progressive. Simple past vs past continuous exercise grammarbank. I to eat was eating cornflakes while dad to read was reading the newspaper. We can use the past simple and the past continuous in the same sentence. Finally, click here to download this exercise in pdf with answers. The past continuous tense is formed from the simple past of the auxiliary to be, followed by the present participle of the verb. In the first exercise you just have to choose the correct alternative, in the second and third ones you have to use the correct verb tense past simple or past continuous. In each sentence, fill the gaps with one past continuous verb and one past simple verb. English grammar practice exercise, upperintermediate advanced level.
In the free exercises, you can practise using these past tenses. Use the words in brackets to put the following into the correct tense the past simple or past continuous. Oct 21, 2009 two or more verbs in the past simple and the past continuous the action expressed by the past simple interrupts the action expressed by the past continuous while i was driving to work, i had an accident i was having a shower when the phone rang what were you doing when i called you last night. Test comprising exercises with present simlpe, present continuous. Simple past or past progressive english tense comparison. When i was young, i watched lots of television every day after school. Fill in the blanks with an appropriate past tense form.
This exercise focuses on the difference between the past perfect simple and past perfect continuous. Past tense simple is used to describe actions that happened in the past. Past simple and past continuous interactive worksheets language. We use the past perfect to look further back from a past point and say what happened before it. Both are formed by subtracting the infinitive ending ar, er or ir, and replacing it with another.
Live worksheets english english as a second language esl past simple and past continuous past simple past continuous past simple past continuous id. You can do the exercises online or download the worksheet as pdf. Students have to look at the pictures and decide which tense to use. Verb tenses interactive and downloadable worksheet. The television suddenly turn off as i was watching it.
Past simple or past continuous exercise esl lounge student. In this lesson, students study and practise the differences between the past simple and past continuous. In this exercise you will practise the past simple and past continuous tenses. Find out with this exercise if you know when to use the past continuous and when to use the simple past. The past past simple and past continuous 2 an exercise by montse morales for the english learning website. English esl past simple vs continuous tense worksheets. Exercise on simple past and past progressive ex08 ex08. The simple past is a very common verb tense that is learned early on by english language learners. Past continuous v simple past interactive worksheet. Simple past or past perfect english tense comparison. Past simple and past continuous inspiration macmillan.
There are two principal past tenses used to make general statements about the past. Please note, however, that the instructions make it clear that you. A good way to present, practise or consolidate grammar. Two common signal words for the past continuous are, when and while. Complete the sentences below by putting the verb in brackets into the past perfect simple or past perfect continuous.
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