Past Simple vs Past Continuous in English

Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Past Simple

For completed past actions, sequences, past states. Form: Subject + past tense (regular -ed, irregular).

• She visited Paris last year.
• He entered, sat down, and started reading.
• I lived in London when I was a child.

Past Continuous

For actions in progress at a past time, interrupted actions. Form: was/were + verb-ing.

• At 8 PM, I was watching TV.
• I was sleeping when the phone rang.
• While she was cooking, he was setting the table.

Exercise

Choose the correct tense:

1. I (was reading / read) when you called.
2. They (played / were playing) every weekend.
3. While we (had / were having) dinner, the lights went out.

See Simple Past vs Past Continuous and Comparative and Superlative.