SIMPLE PAST & PAST CONTINUOUS

Sim P s
&

Pas t u

MPU 3022 ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
LECTURER: SIR ABD AZIZ BIN ARSYAD
PREPARED BY: GROUP 1 (PAI 2)

01

Sim P s

Definition of Simple Past

The simple past is a verb tense that is used to talk about
things that happened or existed before now.

Can be used to 1. “Be” v n e p s le s
describe a past Subject + was/were + object
general state - I was bored.
- Ali was a doctor.
I was - He was happy.
He were - My cat was hungry.
She - You were a good listener.
It - Your sisters were at the library.
- We were at hospital for 3 hours.
You
We
They

Reg ve s s im Ir e l er p si l

Subject + verb (-ed, -d) + object Change the verb in a diffrent way

Can be used Subject+ verb (irregular) + object
to show past
habits - I drank with my friend.
- Nadia wrote a letter.
- Abu played a football. - You often came home late.
- The motorcycle needed - We threw a stone.
gas. - My parents sent me money
- We watched a drama. for a year.
- You exercised for 2 hours.
- They usually worked after
school.

NE VE M NE VE M
“BE” B NO “ ” V

Sub t + a /we + t + o c Sub t + i + n + r + o j
}
}

wasn’t/weren’t didn’t

REMEMBER!!! Verb= don’t make any changes

EXAMPLE: EXAMPLE:

-She was not/wasn’t hungry -I did not/didn’t like him

-The children were/weren’t not quite -They did not/didn’t catch the ball

Qu s o f p si l W U S O F

(Questions word) + did + person + base “WH” + did + subject + verb + object
verb

● When did you watch the movie ? ● What did you do last week?
Not : did you watched ● When did you text him ?
● Where did you live 10 years ago?
● Did they write their project ? Why did she move to London?
● How did she fix her computer ? Who did all the cakes?
How did you get the pen?
Use did to make questions ●
Don't change the verb after did ●

● Did people watch TV a hundred years ago ? ●

● What did Billy drink last night ?

02

Pas t u

Definition of Past Continuous:

Past Continuous describes actions that were in progress in the past.

Past Continuous tense is formed by combining the past tense of to
be (was/were) + verb’s present participle (-ing)

1. Action ongoing in the past 2. Action ongoing in the past that were interrupted
Formula: Subject + was/were + present participle by another action
Examples:
Formula: Subject + was/were + present participle +
interrupted action

- Ara was going to a market just now. Examples:
- The boys were playing the football - My cat was eating the food when Emma came
home.
yesterday. - We were singing when John arrived.

Parallel Actions Negative form past continuous

When you use the past continuous with two actions in the same

sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening - subject + was/were + not + verb (ing)

at the same time. The actions are parallel.

While + subject + was/were + verb (-ing) + another Exa l :
subject + was/were + verb (-ing)
● I was not reading last night
Exa l : ● I wasn’t running while she was

● I was studying while he was making dinner. walking.
● While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching ● She wasn’t practising sport while

television. her mother was cooking.

Pas n u s u t o

“Be” verb question WH questions

- To make a yes/no question, put - Put the question word at the beginning.
was/were in front of the subject. - WH + was/were + subject + verb

Examples: (+ing)

● Was I snoring? Examples:
● Was she working?
● Were they playing in the ● What were they eating?
● Where were you going?
evening? ● When was he leaving?

Ref ce

● Irena Nikolayeva. (2012 January 9). Past Tense of Verb “to be”.
Retrieved from
http://eslblogirena.blogspot.com/2012/01/past-tense-of-verb-to-be.ht
ml?m=1

● Shaw English Online. (2020 May 2). Learn Past Simple Tense English
Grammar Course. Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rv9jKwC-cs

● Shaw English Online. (2020 May 30). Learn Past Continuous Tense
English Grammar Course. Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y5bbgo8-HE&t=478s

Tha !