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Past simple or past continuous
Past simple or Preterite continuous (BE + -ING)?
1) Preterite
How to use: Short actions in the past.
How to build:
regular verbs : V + -ed
Jordan locked the door
irregular verbs : you should learn them on the site :)
Then, he left (forme irrégulière du verbe to leave)
-Questions: use DID
Did + subject + verb
Did he smile?
except for the auxiliary BE:
Was he happy?
-Negation: use "didn't".
Subject + didn't + Verb
Mike didn't understand the lesson.
except for the auxiliary BE:
He was not sick. He wasn't sick.
2) Past continuous
How to use: a longer action in the past was interrupted.
How to build: to be (past simple) + verb ending in -ING
I was sleeping when the phone rang.
Questions:
Were you sleeping when the phone rang ?
Negation:
I wasn't sleeping when the phone rang.
Caution : 1-syllable verb ending in: consonant+vowel+consonant = 2 final consonants
Example : sitting
But NOT with: helping
EXERCISE - Complete these sentences with one of these two tenses.
English exercise "Past simple or past continuous" created by lucile83 with The test builder. [More lessons & exercises from lucile83]
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