Past Simple or Continuous?
NEGATIVES
Past simple vs. continuous
Correct the mistake
Past simple vs past perfect
Rules
100

As they __________ (watch) a commet crossed the sky.

were watching



100

I _____ (not talk) on the phone when you arrived.

wasn't talking

100

I knew he done the right thing.

he had done

100

We ___ already _____ (eat) when John ______ (come) home.

We had already eaten when John came home.

100

We use the ___________ for actions that started and finished in the past.

past simple

200

George ______ (clean) his room while his mother ______ (cook) dinner.

was cleaning / was cooking 



200

He ______ (not meet) his girlfriend while he ______(live) in London.

didn't meet / was living

200

It hasn't rained last week.

didn't rain

200

When I ______(get) to the airport I discovered that I ________ (forget) my passport.

When I got to the airport I discovered I had forgotten my passport.

200

We use the _____________ for past actions in progress when another past action happened. 

Past continuous

300

The children ______ (forget) their lunch at home every day last week.

forgot

300

I ____ (not date) my friend's girlfriend while he ____ (recover) in hospital.

wasn't dating / was recovering

300

We were really good friends. We had knew each other for years.

had known

300

I _______ (open) my handbag to find that I _________ (forget) my credit card.

I opened my handbag to find that I had forgotten my credit card.

300

We use the ___________ to talk about a sequence of finished actions in the past.

past simple

400

We ______ (talk) about the movie while we ______ (walk) home.

were talking / were walking

400

It ____ (not rain) yesterday morning so we decided to hang out the laundry.

didn't rain

400

At first I thought I had done the right thing, but I soon realised that I made a big mistake.

I had made a big mistake

400

I ________ (know) my husband for three years before we ________ (get) married.

I had known my husband for three years before we got married.

400

We often use the _________ and ___________ together when one action interrupts another in the past.

past simple and past continuous

500

Every time I ________ (see) her I ______ (love) her more and more.

saw / loved

500

He ________(not go) to any museums when he _____ (visit) London.

didn't go / visited

500

I couldn't see anything because I lost my glasses.

I had lost

500

By the time I ___________(arrive) at the station, the train _______________ (leave)

By the time I arrived at the station, the train had left.

500

We use the _________with the _________ together in a sentence to describe an action that happened before another past action.

past perfect / past simple