Grammar, compared
Past simple vs past continuous
The past simple tells what happened. The past continuous sets the scene: what was in progress.
Book a trial classThe short answer
| Past simple | Past continuous |
|---|---|
| It rained all night. (A finished fact.) | It was raining when I woke up. (In progress.) |
| When I arrived, they left. (They left after.) | When I arrived, they were leaving. (They were on their way out.) |
| I walked home and it started to rain. (Two events.) | I was walking home when it started to rain. (Scene, then interruption.) |
When to use each
| Point | Past simple | Past continuous |
|---|---|---|
| Form | worked, went | was or were plus working |
| In a story | The main events, one after another | The scene, what was happening |
| Interruptions | The short action: it started to rain | The long action: I was walking |
| Signal words | yesterday, ago, then, suddenly | while, at 8 last night, all morning |
| Two at once | Not used | I was cooking while he was studying. |
Watch out if you speak Spanish
- The Spanish imperfecto is not always the past continuous. Vivía en Salta de chico is I lived in Salta as a child, or I used to live there.
- Use the past continuous only for something in progress at a moment. Ask: was it happening at that time?
- While usually takes the continuous. When often takes the simple.
- State verbs stay simple: I knew the answer, not I was knowing the answer.
Practice
Grammar practice
Choose or type the answer for each sentence, then check.
0 of 8 checked
Questions
- Can I use two past continuous verbs in one sentence?
- Yes, for two actions at the same time: I was cooking while he was studying.
- Is the past continuous the same as the imperfecto?
- Not exactly. The imperfecto also covers habits and long past states, which English often says with the past simple or used to.
Keep going
Want to practise this with Pili?
Book a trial class. She writes back with times in Buenos Aires time.
Book a trial class