Past Simple versus Past Continuous

(TESOL Worksheets--past simple, past continuous)

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Past Simple versus Past Continuous

Match the words to the boxes:

V2, Ving, past continuous, past simple, was, were

Past Simple:

looked, saw, ate

Past Continuous:

was looking,    was seeing,   was eating

were looking, were seeing,   were eating

I, He, She, It
You, They, We

I was watching TV when the phone rang.

They were walking when they saw the accident.

He was eating when he heard the news.

We use the ___________________ for an action that happened at one moment in the past.

We use the ___________________ for a background action or description in the past. 

Answers:

Past Simple:

looked, saw, ate

V2

Past Continuous:

was looking,    was seeing,   was eating

were looking, were seeing,   were eating

I, He, She, It	was	Ving
You, They, We	were

I was watching TV when the phone rang.

They were walking when they saw the accident.

He was eating when he heard the news.

We use the past simple for an action that happened at one moment in the past.

We use the past continuous for a background action or description in the past.