PAST PROGRESSIVE AND SIMPLE PAST

PAST PROGRESSIVE

The past progressive tense indicates continuing action, something that was happening, going on, at some point in the past. This tense is formed with the helping "to be" verb, in the past tense, plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending):

• I was riding my bike all day yesterday.
• Joel was being a terrible role model for his younger brother.

The past progressive indicates a limited duration of time and is thus a convenient way to indicate that something took place (in the simple past) while something else was happening:

• Carlos lost his watch while he was running.

The past progressive can express incomplete action.

• I was sleeping on the couch when Bertie smashed through the door.

(As opposed to the simple past, which suggests a completed action:

• I slept on the couch last night.

The past progressive is also used to poke fun at or criticize an action that is sporadic but habitual in nature:

• Tashonda was always handing in late papers.
• My father was always lecturing my brother.

SIMPLE PAST

The past tense indicates that an action is in the past relative to the speaker or writer.

·         When the time period has finished: "We went to Chicago last Christmas."

·         When the time period is definite: "We visited Mom last week."

·         With for, when the action is finished: "I worked with the FBI for two months."

Regular verbs use the verb's base form (scream, work) plus the -ed ending (screamed, worked). Irregular verbs alter their form in some other way (slept, drank, drove).

Students for whom English is a second language sometimes (quite understandably) have trouble distinguishing between the Simple Past and the Present Perfect tenses. There is more information about the difference between these two tenses available under the Present Perfect description.