Rast Simple vs Past Progressive

watch ed is the Past Simple:

I/ we/ you/ they/ he/ she/ it

watch e d

I watch ed television yesterday evening .

The Past Simple is often - ed. For example:

word - work ed

clean - clean ed

stay - stay ed

start - start ed

live - liv ed

dance - danc ed

These are regular verbs.

He play ed tennis.

She cook ed .

He smil ed .

He smok ed .

Some verbs are irregular (not regular). The Past Simple is not -ed.

For example:

begin break bring build buy catch come do drink eat

began broke brought built bought caught came did drank ate

-

They ate .

She swam .

They slept.

She read.

We use did in Past Simple negatives and questions:  

NEGATIVE

I we you they he she it

did not ( did n't )

watch clean play do go have begin

NEGATIVE

Questions

Answers

and

D id

Y es

( No )

I we you they he she it

I

we

you

they

h e

she

it

watch ? clean ? play ? do ? go ? have ? begin ?

did

( did n't )

To Be In the PAST SIMPLE

am/is ( present ) - was ( past )

are ( present ) - were ( past )

negative

I he she it

was not ( was n't)

we you they

were not ( were n't)

He was at work.

They were at the seaside.

Questions

Answers

and

W as

W ere

I? he? she? it?

Yes

(No)

we? you? they?

I he she it

w as

we you they

( was n’t)

w ere

( were n’t)

Now it is 6 o'clock. Mary is watching television. Yesterday at 4

s he was play ing tennis.

He was play ing the piano.

They were danc ing .

P ositive

N egative

I he she it

I he she it

was

was not (was n't )

we you they

we you they

V -ing

were

V -ing

were not (weren't)

Questions

Answers

&

W as

Yes

(No),

I he she it

I he she it

W ere

V -ing ?

we you they

w as

(was n’t )

we you they

w ere

(were n’t )

Jack was reading a book . ( Past Progressive)

The phone rang . ( Past Simple ) He stopp ed reading and answer ed the phone. ( Past Simple ) Jack began r eading before the phone rang.

So: When the phone rang , he was reading .

PANINA LYUDMILA

a teacher of English