Past simple vs. past continuous
SIMPLE vs. CONTINUOUS
PAST CONTINUOUS is used
- to say we were doing something, or something was happening, at a specific time in the past
What were you doing at seven o'clock last night? – I was listening to the radio.
When I came in the door, the dog was barking and the cat was chasing a mouse in the kitchen.
- to say that an activity was in progress at every moment during a period of time
I was working all day yesterday.
She was crying the whole way home from the funeral.
PAST SIMPLE and PAST CONTINUOUS are used together
- to say that one action happened in the middle of another
As I was walking down the road, I saw a horse.
The phone rang while we were eating dinner.
He dropped his wallet while he was running from the dogs.
In these cases, the Past Continuous describes the longer "background” action, and the Past Simple describes the action or event that interrupted or happened in the middle of it.
BE CAREFUL!!!
The Past Continuous IS NOT USED to talk about repeated, normal, or habitual activities from the past. In these cases, use Past Simple.
For Example…
I called you five times yesterday. (NOT…I was calling you five times yesterday.)
When we were young, we made our own ice cream. (NOT…When we were young, we were making our own ice cream.)
Many verbs are not normally used in the Past Continuous (or any Continuous form).
For example…
KNOW We knew each other for years. (NOT…We were knowing each other for years.)
WANT I wanted to talk to you yesterday. (NOT…I was wanting to talk to you yesterday.)
REMEMBER, you will often see the Past Continuous with…
AS I dropped the cake as I was taking it out of the oven.
DURING Those annoying people were talking during the entire film.
WHILE The couple held hands while they were walking.