In my experience, presenting this verb tense using the diagram and chart seen here helps students grasp it more quickly. Tell students they are going to work in groups to put sentences from a story in the correct order. Learn the difference between the simple past and the past progressive in english grammar online with lingolia. To view and print this lesson, youll need to purchase a. Both actions took place simultaneously over a longer period of time past progressive when i walk down fifth avenue, i discover a wonderful boutique. Past progressive story 1, page 1 past progressive story 1. She came into the room, sat down and lit was lighting a cigarette. Past progressive and simple past cambridge university press. Fill in the blanks with a correct form, the past simple or the past continuous. We use the past progressive to set the scene and emphasise the process or duration of a past action. I to take took a shower, then i to get dressed got dressed and to leave left. They had been driving drive down a dirt road when they heard a strange noise.
Past tense or past perfect free english online grammar exercise. When mary saw the question, she had known the answer. May be freely copied for personal or classroom use. Read each situation below and answer the following questions. Past progressive story 1 past continuous by really learn english visit the past progressive continuous section for more resources who was she. Students learn the two main functions of the past progressive also called the past continuous. Past progressive story 1 past continuous really learn english. Which time do you have to use in the following sentences. I looked out of the window and saw that people were walking in the park. I began to study at nine last night and i was still studying at eleven.
Josh was coughing a lot, so his mum gave was giving him some medicine. Christine was eating dinner last night when you knocked on the door. When the boys arrived at the cinema, the film had already started, 3. Past simple we use the past simple to talk about completed actions in the past we ate out yesterday. 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. When jack dropped by to visit me, i was having dinner. We use the simple past to express completed, sequential actions.
The car came out of the side road and then the van drove into the back of it. The simple past is a very common verb tense that is learned early on by english language learners. English grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. Past simple or past continuous worksheet 2 answers. Although they are both past tenses their uses are quite different. Simple past or past progressive english tense comparison. Fill in the blanks with the past perfect progressive form of each verb in parentheses. Complete the following sentences using the correct form past progressive or simple past of the verbs provided. The simple past and the past continuous are two tenses commonly used to make general statements about the past. We use the past progressive to talk about actions were in progress at special time in the past. Past simple or past continuous worksheet 1 grammarbank. Before we reached the station we saw that we had lost our way. Elle had a puncture when she was driving on the motorway.
The past progressive describes actions or events in a time before now, which began in the past and is still going on at the time of speaking in other words, it expresses an unfinished or incomplete action in the past uses of the past progressive. After reading the grammar explanation, students try the practice exercises. Past simple and past continuous inspiration macmillan. The simple past tense is only used to say that something happened at some time in the past. Exercise on simple past and past progressive ex06 ex06. It was raining when we came out of the shopping centre. Simple past or past progressive, online exercise learning english. Often the context or the time markers are enough to make the timing clear. Test yourself with our free english language quiz about past simple, progressive perfect. As we be only three players, i try to ring you to ask if you would like to come as well. The past continuous and the past simple help us to show how two past actions or situations are connected. Continue until all students have had one or two turns each, with you making corrections as needed.
While i cycle past some villages, i see some people in their gardens. This worksheet will help you to drill past simple and past progressive. Past perfect progressive story 1, page 1 past perfect. The teacher can explain the lesson based on the given examples and the time lines, which makes the students understand very fast. The past progressive and the simple past ernst klett verlag. When she opened the door, she pretended that we werent there and she went to her room. Past simple past continuous past perfect simple answers a 1. During a longerlasting action, something new took place1st space.
In the free exercises, you can practise these tenses. Entscheide, ob past progressive oder simple past stehen muss. I know some rules about interrupted actions that are always. Ive got a question concerning the use of simple past and past progressive. I to eat was eating cornflakes while dad to read was reading the newspaper. Past simple and past continuous cambridge university press. English online test test the simple present and the present progressive. Past simple i worked past simple or present perfect. The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present. Past simple or present perfect placement test 1 modal. We use the past perfect continuous to show that an event or action in the past was still continuing.
This worksheet has a lesson on past progressive and past simple with exercises. Dan explains about using past progressive to show one action in progress when another action occurs. Fill in the blanks with the correct tense simple past or past progressive. Donald and elizabeth had been driving drive to church before they stopped. The past continuous describes an action that was already in progress.
Past simple, past continuous, past perfect test english. We use the simple past as the narrative form of the past to. Ive been noticing in conversations that people often use past or present or future progressive where i would normally use past, present or future simple. Twitter share english exercise simple past or past progressive created by anonyme with the test builder.
This is a free intermediate english grammar quiz and esl worksheet. Rewrite the following sentences as negative sentences, yesno questions, whquestions using the underlined word or phrase and tag questions. Simple past or past progressive, grammar exercise for free. All the tickets had been sold before the concert began. I drive to the sports centre at that time to play squash with a few friends. Put the verbs into the correct tense simple past or past progressive. Start test test the simple present and the present progressive. Complex test simple past or present perfect author. Use your imagination to answer the questions in the simple past. The simple past and the past progressive, also past continuous, are used to express actions in the past. There are some very interesting pictures in order to understand these two tenses. Exercise on simple past and past progressive ex08 ex08. Past simple, past continuous, past perfect grammar chart. Past continuous and past simple grammar beginner to.