6 Minute Grammar - Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

Introduction

Definition: Used for completed actions in the past.
Example: "Last night, I saw the film Titanic."
Formation of Past Simple:
- Irregular Verbs: Must be memorized (e.g., see → saw)
- Regular Verbs: Add "-ed" to infinitive (e.g., jump → jumped)
  - Example: "Hundreds of passengers jumped into the sea."
Negative Form:
- Use "didn't" + infinitive
  - Example: "Sandra Bullock didn't win an Oscar for Gravity."
Questions:
- Structure: did + subject + infinitive
- Example: "Did you see the news last night?"
- Short Answers:
  - Yes: "Yes, I did."
  - No: "No, I didn't."

Definition: Used for activities that were ongoing in the past.
Examples:
- "I was watching a movie on TV."
- "It was raining."
- "We were feeling very bored."
Use Case: Describes an ongoing activity interrupted by another action:
- Example: "Dad was cooking dinner when the police arrived."
Formation of Past Continuous:
- was/were + verb + ing
  - Example: "Dad was cooking dinner."
  - Example: "The children were watching TV."
Negative Form:
- Use "wasn't" or "weren't" + verb + ing
  - Example: "The baby wasn't sleeping."
  - Example: "The children weren't playing games."
Questions:
- Structure: was/were + subject + verb + ing
  - Example: "Was Mum cooking dinner?"
  - Short answers: yes + subject + was/were

Question 1: "When the phone rang, we... a film.
- Options: A) watched, B) were watching
- Answer: B) were watching
Question 2: "Cate Blanchett... an Oscar for Best Actress.
- Options: A) was winning, B) won
- Answer: B) won
Question 3: "When the police... Dad was cooking dinner.
- Options: A) arrived, B) were arriving
- Answer: A) arrived