Unit 3 - Mystery
Simple Past vs. Past Continuous
Master the contrast between completed past actions and actions in progress at a past moment.
1. Quick Reminder (from B1)
- Past Simple: I visited Rome last year.
- Past Continuous: I was running when I dropped my phone.
2. Key Difference
| Question | Past Simple | Past Continuous |
|---|---|---|
| What kind of action? | Completed and short. | Ongoing or background. |
| What’s the focus? | The result/action itself. | The process or setting. |
| Typical markers | yesterday, last week, in 2010, when | while, when, as, at 7 p.m. |
3. Sentence Patterns
-
Past Simple → Past Continuous (interruption)
- I called while she was cooking.
- The lights went out as we were watching the movie.
-
Past Continuous → Past Simple (cause and effect)
- We were driving through the mountains when a deer appeared.
- He was writing the email when the system crashed.
-
Parallel actions (Past Continuous + while)
- While I was reading, he was preparing lunch.
- The audience was clapping while the singer was bowing.
4. Advanced Tips
| Aim | Tip | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Control tone | Use Past Continuous for politeness. | I was wondering if you could join us. |
| Highlight atmosphere | Stack Past Continuous verbs. | The wind was howling, and the trees were shaking as the storm began. |
| Emphasise sudden change | Combine with Past Simple. | People were chatting quietly when the alarm started to ring. |
5. Common Mistakes
| ❌ Wrong | ✅ Correct | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| I was go to the park yesterday. | I went to the park yesterday. | Use Past Simple for finished actions. |
| While I was cook, he arrived. | While I was cooking, he arrived. | Continuous needs verb(-ing). |
| I dropped the phone when I run. | I dropped the phone when I was running. | Longer action takes Past Continuous. |
6. Practice
- Write five sentences that describe an interruption (one action cutting into another).
- Rewrite a story focusing on atmosphere by replacing some Past Simple verbs with Past Continuous.
- Describe two simultaneous actions that happened last weekend.
Quick Review
- Past Simple = finished actions, clear past times.
- Past Continuous = actions in progress, background scenes, polite openings.
- Use both together to show interruptions or complex past moments.