SIMPLE PAST TENSE AND PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

Simple Past Tense and Past Continuous Tense

A.Simple Past Tense

Simple Past Tense is a kind of tense which is used to describe an event or action that happened already in a certain time in  the past

 

The pattern   : 

(+) Subject + verb II + complement

(-)  Subject + did not + verb II +   complement

(?)  Did + subject + verb I

The examples :

–  (+)  I went to Tangkiling yesterday

–  (-)  I did not go anywhere last night

–  (?) Did you go last week?

Adverbs used : yesterday, last night, last week, two days ago, a few  minutes ago, last weekend, last month, last year, in 1984, etc.

 

B. Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous Tense is a kind of tense that is used to describe an event or an action which was happening in a certain time in the past

The pattern: 

(+) Subject + was/were +verb-ing+ complement

(-)  Subject + was not/were not+verb-ing+ complement

(?)  was/were+ subject + verb-ing+complement

The examples :

(+) He was writing a letter at eight  o’clock last night

(-) He was not writing a letter at seven o’clock last night

(?)  Were you writing a letter at eight last night?

 Adverbs used : at the time like this yesterday, at seven o’clock  last   night.