SUPERIOR INSTITUTE OF SCIENCES AND DISTANCE EDUCATION
Faculty of Education Sciences
Bachelor's Degree in Teaching Portuguese
Past simple versus past continuous
Chica Ajunta Luís Ginga: 71230053
Quelimane, May 2023
SUPERIOR INSTITUTE OF SCIENCES AND DISTANCE EDUCATION
Faculty of Education Sciences
Bachelor's Degree in Teaching Portuguese
Past simple versus past continuous
Fieldwork to be submitted to the
Coordination of the Degree in
Teaching Portuguese at
UnISCED.
Teacher: Marely Austácio
Chica Ajunta Luís Ginga: 71230053
Quelimane, May 2023
Index
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1
2. Goals ....................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 General ..................................................................................................................... 2
2.2 Specific .................................................................................................................... 2
3. Simple Past ............................................................................................................. 3
2. Indefinite time expressions ...................................................................................... 3
3. Expressions that indicate how often something happened ........................................ 4
4. How to form the Past in the affirmative sentences, negative sentences and interrogative
sentences: ....................................................................................................................... 4
5. Past Continuous....................................................................................................... 5
5.1 The form of the Past Continuous ............................................................................... 5
5.2 here are at least four ways to use the Past Continuous, which are: ............................. 5
5.3 Actions in progress at the same time in the past ........................................................ 6
5.4 Interrupted Action in the Past.................................................................................... 6
6. Polite question ......................................................................................................... 6
7. Irritation or repetition .............................................................................................. 7
8. Discuss the differences Past Simple versus Past Continuous .................................... 7
9. Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 8
10 Bibliographic references .......................................................................................... 9
1. Introduction
The present work has with the theme simple past and past continuous and to say that, the simple
past or past indefinite, sometimes called the past tense, is the basic form of the past tense in modern
English. It is primarily used to describe events from the past, although it has other uses as well.
The imperfect is a verb form that combines past and imperfective. It may have similar meanings to
the English "was walking" or "used to walk". Contrasts with past tense forms, which refer to a
single event completed in the past.
Past Continuous structure is formed by the verb to be inflected in the Simple Past + the main verb
conjugated in the gerund (-ing). The Simple Past inflections of the verb to be are was and were.
Was is used with the third person singular (he, she and it) and were is used with the other verbal
persons (I, you, we and they.)
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2. Goals
2.1 General
Describe about simple past and past continuous.
2.2 Specific
Identify the past tense expressions, indefinite time expressions, expressions that indicate
how often something happened;
Comment on past continuous;
Talk about the differences between simple past and past continuous.
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3. Simple Past
We use the Simple Past when we want to talk about a finished action in a time before now. It
doesn't matter when the action happened, it can be from a long time ago or in the recent past.
Let's see same examples:
a) My grandfather died in 1996;
b) We did all the homework yesterday;
c) She lived in London in 2012;
d) My daughter learned riding a bike when she was a child.
There are some expressions that appear in the sentences of the “Simples Past” that represent a
definite point in time, an indefinite point, as well as the frequency of some event, among other
situations. See them in detail:
1. Past tense expressions
Some expressions showing a definite point in time:
last week;
when I was a child;
yesterday.
Examples:
We went to the cinema last week.
They arrived yesterday.
I loved riding a bike when I was a child.
2. Indefinite time expressions
Some expressions showing an indefinite point in time:
the other day;
ages ago;
a long time ago.
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Examples:
She left a long a long time ago
We had a dinner at her house the other day.
3. Expressions that indicate how often something happened
Some expressions showing frequency are:
Often;
Sometimes;
Always;
usually.
Examples:
I often walked home after work;
I sometimes watched TV after lunch;
I always brought my lunch to work.
4. How to form the Past in the affirmative sentences, negative sentences and
interrogative sentences:
Affirmative sentences:
Subject + verb + ed
Examples:
a) Present: I Walk / I love / I arrive
b) Past: I Walked / I Loved / I Arrived
She walked away;
He loved you;
My parents arrived
Negative sentences:
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Subject + did not + verb infinitive without 'to'
Examples:
a) Present: I don't walk. / I don't love. / I don't arrive.
b) Past: I didn't walk. / I didn't love. / I didn't arrive.
We didn't walk to her house
They didn't love their friends
She didn't arrive early
5. Past Continuous
We use the Past Continuous mainly to say about something that was happening in the past. We'll
see that the actions can be happening at the same time or it can be interrupted by something.
5.1 The form of the Past Continuous
Subject + Past of the verb to be (was/were) + present participle (base+ing)
Examples:
a) You were reading.
Subject: You
Past of the verb to be: were
Present participle: reading
b) I was waiting
c) My mother was eating
5.2 here are at least four ways to use the Past Continuous, which are:
Actions in progress at the same time in the past;
Interrupted Action in the Past;
Polite Question;
Irritation.
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5.3 Actions in progress at the same time in the past
In sentences like these we usually use “when” and “while” to link the two sentences. Something
that has to be clear is that when we use the Past Continuous with two actions in only one sentence,
it's because both actions were happening at the same time.
Look the exemple:
When I walked into the school, Melissa and Summer were studying again. Lana was reading her
new book with her usual interest. Sam and Alex were talking with each other and Ingrid was
telling the rest of the students one of her strangers habits of live. The outside the school was already
smelling of lunch food and I just felt that it was a great time to eat.
The words in blue indicates the past in the sentences:
Walked;
were studying;
was reading;
were talking;
was telling;
was already;
felt it was.
5.4 Interrupted Action in the Past
In this case we use the Past Continuous to show that a longer action in the past was interrupted.
This interruption occurs by another action in the past, made with expressions in the past simple.
Look the examples above:
I was reading when my brother called me..
He was running when I interrupted his..
While I was walking in the park, it started raining..
Her mother was waiting for her when she got off the airplane.
6. Polite question
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When we want or need to ask something in a very polite way, we use the Past Continuous.
Look the examples above:
a) I was wondering if you could lend me some money.
b) Were you looking for someone??
c) I was wondering if you could open the door.
d) I was wondering if you could help me with this problem.
7. Irritation or repetition
When we use the Past Continuous with “always” this show us that something isn't right, something
is repeating or irritating.
He was always lying all the time. No wonder he was accepted as a truly person. / Ele estava
sempre mentindo o tempo todo. Não há chances de aceitá-lo como uma pessoa verdadeira.
He was always boasting about his career, his relationship, his financial situation. It irritated
us very much. / Ele estava ostentando sua carreira, seu relacionamento, sua situação
financeira. Isso nos irritava muito.
I can't believe that! They were always coming late for lunch and dinner! / Não acredito
nisso! Eles estavam sempre chegando atrasados para o almoço e para o jantar.
She was always leaving the tap running in her home.
8. Discuss the differences Past Simple versus Past Continuous
We use the past continuous to talk about events and temporary states that were in progress around
a certain time in the past. We use the past simple to talk about events, states or habits at definite
times in the past. At 4 pm last Tuesday, I was working in the office.
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9. Conclusion
In concluding this work, I say that it was possible to achieve my general and specific objectives,
We use the Simple Past when we want to talk about a finished action in a time before now. It
doesn't matter when the action happened, it can be from a long time ago or in the recent past.
Past tense expressions Some expressions showing a definite point in time: last week; when I was
a child; yesterday.
Indefinite time expressions Some expressions showing an indefinite point in time: the other day;
ages ago; a long time ago.
Expressions that indicate how often something happened Some expressions showing frequency
are: Often; Sometimes; Always; usually.
We use the Past Continuous mainly to say about something that was happening in the past. We'll
see that the actions can be happening at the same time or it can be interrupted by something.
We use the past continuous to talk about events and temporary states that were in progress around
a certain time in the past. We use the past simple to talk about events, states or habits at definite
times in the past. At 4 pm last Tuesday, I was working in the office.
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10. Bibliographic references
SILVA, L. G. (s.d.). "Simple Past Tense and past continuous"; Brasil Escola Disponível
em:ps://brasilescola.uol.com.br/ingles/simple-past.htm. Acesso em 28 de maio de 2023.
