Welcome to the third exercise on tenses! Today, we will focus on distinguishing between the Past Simple and the Past Continuous tenses. These tenses are often confused because they both describe past actions, but they have different meanings and uses.
What is the Past Simple?
The Past Simple is used to describe actions or states that happened at a specific time in the past. It is also used to describe repeated actions or habits in the past.
Examples:
- I visited the museum yesterday.
- They studied for the exam last night.
- He played football every weekend.
What is the Past Continuous?
The Past Continuous is used to describe actions that were happening at a specific time in the past. It is often used to talk about background actions or to describe ongoing actions at the moment of a past event.
Examples:
- I was watching TV when you called.
- They were eating dinner when the storm started.
- She was reading a book when she heard the doorbell.
Exercise
Now, let's practice! Choose the correct tense for each sentence.
I ______ (watch TV) when you came in.
- A. watched
- B. was watching
They ______ (go to the movies) when I saw them.
- A. went
- B. were going
I ______ (sleep) when the alarm went off.
- A. was sleeping
- B. slept
For more exercises and information on tenses, check out our Grammar Exercises section!
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