Past Progressive v. Simple Past

SIMPLE PASTPAST

PROGRESSIVE

DO YOU WANT TO SHOW PROGRESS?

USE PAST PROGRESSIVE

WERE TWO THINGS HAPPENING AT THE

SAME TIME?USE PAST PROGRESSIVE

WAS THE EVENT FINISHED?

(NOT IN PROGRESS)USE SIMPLE PAST

UsesSimple Past•Shows completion •Events happening one after another

Past Progressive•Shows progress•Events happening at the same time

Signal WordsSimple Past•yesterday•last year•last month•two years ago

Past Progressive•While

•While I was working, you were playing.

•While I was working, my mom called.

•When•When my mom called, I was working.

SIMPLE PAST IS MORE COMMON THAN PAST

PROGRESSIVE.We use simple past much more often in

conversation and writing.

Simple PastSome verbs are almost NEVER progressive. They describe states.•Senses (hear, see, taste, smell)•Feelings (want, love, hate, need)•Thinking (be, know, understand)

When I _______________ the picture, the dog _______________.

NOWSimple Past orPast Progressive?

TAKESIT

When I _______________ the picture, the dog _______________.

NOWSimple Past orPast Progressive?

was sittingtook

The “sitting” was in progres

s.

When she _______________ the grammar, he _________________.

NOWSimple Past orPast Progressive?

EXPLAIN

NOT UNDERSTAN

D

When she _______________ the grammar, he _________________.

NOWSimple Past orPast Progressive?

explained did not understand

These events happened one after

another, and “understand

” is never progressive.