Lesson 1 - Grammar - SHOPPING - Page3
Now read this dialogue.
Tim: So how did you get back home last night? Any adventures on the way?
Jack: I simply walked. It was only 15 minutes. Nice and quiet.
Tim: You were lucky then. I wanted to walk home as well but while I was walking I saw some guys fighting outside that bar so I took a taxi – thank God it was there – and got home safely. It was a bit expensive, though.
- Jack says: “I walked” in the simple past but Tim says: “I was walking” in the past continuous. Can you see why? Click on the explanation to see if you were right.
PAST CONTINUOUS
I/He/She/It |
was |
reading writing working |
We/You/They |
were |
Look at some more examples showing the difference between the simple past and the past continuous.
I was watching TV when the phone rang.
I was walking to work when I met David.
While I was helping Tim with the luggage, I hurt my back.
Now look at this example. Can you see the difference between these two sentences? The children a chance to see the whole movie only in one of them. Can you guess in which one and why?
1. When the children arrived, we were watching a movie.
2. When the children arrived, we watched a movie.
- Click on the explanation to see if you were right.