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Past Continuous and Past Simple

1. The most common use of the past continuous tense is to talk about
something that was happening around a particular time in the past.

What were you doing at 8 oclock last night? I was watching television.
I started watching television before 8 oclock and I continued watching it
after 8 oclock.

In 1994 he was working in a small town in Poland.

At 6 oclock on Saturday morning we were travelling to the airport.


2. We often use the past continuous and the past simple tense together.
When this happens, the past continuous describes a longer, background
action or situation and the past simple describes the action or events.

When I woke up this morning it was raining and my father was singing
in the kitchen.

I was walking home, whistling happily, when I saw two masked men
run out of the bank.
Often, the action described by the past simple tense interrupts the
situation described by the past continuous tense.

I broke my leg when I was skiing.

I was playing a computer game when the doorbell rang.


Notice that the past continuous describes situations that go on for some
time skiing and playing but the past simple describes actions that
happen quickly broke and rang.
Notice too the important difference between these two sentences.

When they arrived, Jeff was cooking dinner. Jeff started cooking before
they arrived.

When they arrived, Jeff cooked dinner. Jeff started cooking dinner
after they arrived.
- See more at: http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/quickgrammar/past-continuous-and-past-simple#sthash.RmmP3je9.dpuf

Past Simple

Past Continuous

1) Used to talk about a finished action in the past,


often with time expressions like yesterday, last week,
a year ago etc.

1) Used to express an action in progress at a particular


time in the past

2) used when one action happens after another

2) to give background information


3) for an interrupted action in the past

Examples:
1) We went to Mexico two years ago.

1) I was having dinner at 7 oclock last night

2) When Tom arrived we went to the cinema.

2) When I got to the school, the teachers were talking,


the children were playing and the phone was ringing.
3) I was cooking when the phone rang.

Verbs not normally used in the continuous form


We use the continuous tenses, both past and present, with actions but notwith verbs that refer
to states and feelings. The simple past tense andsimple present tense are used for such stative
verbs. Some of the stative verbs
include: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, believe, doubt, forget, know,understand, wish, like, love, d
esire, notice, remember, and want..
Example: I forget your name. (NOT I am forgetting your name.)
Example: I forgot your name. (NOT I was forgetting your name.)
Example: He believes what I say. (NOT He is believing what I say.)
Example: We understood the instructions. (NOT We were understanding the instructions.)
Example: Do you hear that noise? (NOT: Are you hearing that noise?)
Example: Did you hear that noise? (NOT: Were you hearing that noise?)
Example: I understand the instructions. (NOT: I am understanding the instructions.)

Form
am/is/are + present participle (verb + ing)

Meaning
1.

Present continuous is used to talk about something that is


happening at the time of speaking. The action is not
finished.
o

He is speaking to John.

What is she doing?

Present continuous is used to talk about temporary


situations.
o

I m living in London at the moment.

Why is she moving house?

Present continuous is used to talk about changing


situations.
o

Youre getting taller and taller every day.

The weathers getting warmer.

Present continuous is used to talk about repeated


actions around the time of speaking.
o

Im seeing Jane a lot these days.

Present continuous is used to talk about future


arrangements.

Im meeting my father at the airport at 5 oclock tomorrow.

Were having lunch together at the weekend.

Present continuous is used with words such as


ALWAYS to talk about things that happen repeatedly
(sometimes to say that something is irritating or annoying).

Shes always complaining about how difficult her life is.

When we are talking about how someone looks or


feels, present continuous or present simple can be used.
o

How are you feeling? / How do you feel?

Jenny is looking really good today? / Jenny looks really good today.

Additional points
1.

Some verbs are not normally used with present


continuous because these verbs are not normally action
verbs, for example: believe, belong, depend, hate, know, like, love,
mean, need, prefer, realise, suppose, want, understand.

They know each other very well correct

They are knowing each other very well incorrect

1. She visited me last night.


2. Two days ago, I watched Stand by me, Doraemon movie with her.
3. Did you bring my book that you borrowed last month?
4. Sorry, I didnt bring it. I was in hurry to come here yesterday.
5. I didnt meet her last night, she was in the 3rd floor and I was in the 4th floor.
6. Ronaldo scored one goal against Atletico Madrid in the final of CL last year.
7. They were not at the class when miss Yeni came to teach yesterday.
8. How did you study English? You always get a high score.
9. I learnt it from the site Carabelajarbahasainggrisoke.com
10. It was an awesome website to learn English easily.
2. Contoh kalimat past continuous tense
Past continuous tense untuk aktivitas yang sedang berlangsung di waktu lampau. Time signal
(keterangan waktu) yang digunakan ada dua: menggunakan jam at, when dan while
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1. We were watching football match at 3 am.


2. She was cleaning her room when her mother asked her help.
3. Rere and her father were playing table tennis at 8 am last Sunday.
4. When he visited her, she was having dinner with her friends outside.
5. My brother was reading a novel while my sister was watching the movie.
6. What were you doing at 9 pm last night?
7. I was having conversation with my family at 9 pm last night.
8. Balotelli was listening to his Ipod when Gerrard advised him to practice harder.
9. They were not studying English at 8 am this morning.
10. We were having a trip to Bali when miss Riana got a car accident yesterday.
3. Contoh kalimat past perfect tense

Past Continuous and Past Simple

1. The most common use of the past continuous tense is to talk about
something that was happening around a particular time in the past.

What were you doing at 8 oclock last night? I was watching television.
I started watching television before 8 oclock and I continued watching it
after 8 oclock.

In 1994 he was working in a small town in Poland.

At 6 oclock on Saturday morning we were travelling to the airport.


2. We often use the past continuous and the past simple tense together.
When this happens, the past continuous describes a longer, background
action or situation and the past simple describes the action or events.

When I woke up this morning it was raining and my father was singing
in the kitchen.

I was walking home, whistling happily, when I saw two masked men
run out of the bank.
Often, the action described by the past simple tense interrupts the
situation described by the past continuous tense.

I broke my leg when I was skiing.

I was playing a computer game when the doorbell rang.


Notice that the past continuous describes situations that go on for some
time skiing and playing but the past simple describes actions that
happen quickly broke and rang.
Notice too the important difference between these two sentences.

When they arrived, Jeff was cooking dinner. Jeff started cooking before
they arrived.

When they arrived, Jeff cooked dinner. Jeff started cooking dinner
after they arrived.
- See more at: http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/quickgrammar/past-continuous-and-past-simple#sthash.H0hNW0Zf.dpuf

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