Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

We use the past simple to talk about completed actions in the past. We use the past continuous to talk about actions that were ongoing in the past. When you use past simple and past continuous together, the past simple verb indicates an action that interrupted another.

Examples:

I was eating (past continuous) lunch when my phone rang (past simple).

The first action (eating) was interrupted by the second action (rang).

We were walking to the park when a dog ran across the street.

My brother called when I was doing my homework.

Try this exercise to test your skills and let us know what you think about the Past Simple and the Past Continuous tenses. Do you find them hard? Let us know what you think in the comments, and make sure to check out our other blog posts and English exercises!

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