To express actions that happened in the past, we use two main tenses: the Past Simple and the Past Continuous.
Past Simple:
This tense is used for actions that are completed and happened at a specific time in the past. The structure is:
- Regular verbs: add -ed (e.g., play → played).
- Irregular verbs: change the word (e.g., go → went).
Examples:
- I played soccer yesterday.
- She visited her grandmother last week.
Past Continuous:
This tense is used for actions that were happening at a specific moment in the past. The structure is:
- was/were + verb + -ing.
Examples:
- I was playing soccer when it started to rain.
- They were watching TV at 7 PM.
When to Use Each Tense:
1. Use Past Simple for completed actions.
2. Use Past Continuous for actions in progress at a particular time or when interrupted by another action.
Conditions:
- Use Past Simple for specific time indicators: yesterday, last week, in 2010, etc.
- Use Past Continuous to describe actions that were happening when another action occurred, often used with words like "when" and "while":
Examples:
"I was reading when she called."
"He was sleeping while they were playing."
