CERMIN HATI

Simple Past Tense Vs Past Continuous Tense

(Source: Mulyono. 2010. English Alive. Yudhistira: Jakarta.)

A) Simple Past Tense

FORM

(Verb-ed) or irregular verbs. Example:

                Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished a specific time in the past. Example:

                We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed action in the past. These actions happen 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and so on. Examples:

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.

Example:

B) Past Continuous Tense

FORM

(was/were+ present participle)

Example:

Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interrupted is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Example:

In USE 1, described above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption. Example: