Tenses: past simple and past continuous

PAST SIMPLE and PAST CONTINUOS

FORM:

Simple Past	Past Progressive
irregular verbs: see 2nd column of irregular verbs I spoke regular verbs: verb + ed I worked	past form of 'be' + ing form of verb   I was speaking you were speaking he / she / it was speaking we were speaking they were speaking
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 'ed' : when the final letter is e, only add d. Example: love - loved after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: admit - admitted final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel - travelled after a consonant, final y becomes i. (but: not after a vowel) Example: worry - he worried but: play - he played	Exceptions when adding 'ing' : silent e is dropped (but: does not apply for -ee) Example: come - coming but: agree - agreeing after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: sit - sitting final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel - travelling final ie becomes y. Example: lie - lying

USE:

Simple Past	Past Progressive
after another She came home, switched on the computer and checked her e-mails.	at the same time Simon was playing on the computer while his brother was watching TV.

Simple Past	Past Progressive
new action My mobile rang (when I was sitting in a meeting.)	action already in progress While I was sitting in a meeting, (my mobile suddenly rang.)

Simple Past	Past Progressive
just mentioning Colin played football yesterday.	emphasising progress Yesterday at six o'clock, Colin was playing football.

Past simple and past continuous (español)

1.- Past simple

El "past simple" describe una acción pasada ya finalizada.

When I was young I lived in Madrid (ahora vivo en Barcelona)

2.- Past continuous

Indica que una acción se estaba desarrollando en cierto momento del pasado al cual se hace referencia. No dice si la acción ya finalizó o todavía continuaba.

When the mother came home her husband was playing with the kids (no sabemos si terminó de jugar en ese momento o continuó jugando)

A veces se describen dos acciones simultáneas que tuvieron lugar en el pasado. En dicho caso, se utiliza el "past imple" para describir aquella que finalizó y el "past continuous" para aquella otra que estaba ocurriendo cuando la primera tuvo lugar.

Yesterday evening when you called me I was having a shower
When the parents arrived home the children were watching TV

Otra diferencia entre ambos tiempos es que el "past continuous" se utiliza a veces para indicar que la acción es más casual, menos planificada.

Yesterday morning, from 8 to 10, I was running (algo rutinario, que suelo hacer con frecuencia, por lo que no lo resalto)
Yesterday morning, from 8 to 10, I ran (algo diferente, un tanto extraordinario, por lo que quiero destaca.

Time expressions

Simple Past	Past Progressive
first then If-Satz Typ II (If I talked, …)	when while as long as

EXERCISES:
http://www.aulafacil.com/Ingejerc/Lecciones/Ejerc19.htm

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-paspro/exercises?ex07

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-paspro/exercises?ex08