2.2.2: Simple Past or Past Progressive
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)From “Harmony- A grammar and composition textbook for intermediate students of English for Speakers of Other Languages” by Timothy Krause STUDENT BOOK - DRAFT EDITION 2024
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Choosing Simple Past or Past Progressive
Use past progressive to focus on an action in progress (happening) at a time in the past. Use simple past to talk about an action that interrupted it, or other actions that started and finished in the past. For example:
Phil wrote an essay last week.
(He started it, and he finished it last week.)
Phil was writing an essay last week.
(The focus is on continuous action. He was busy doing this.)
Phil was writing an essay last week when the power went out.
(He was busy doing this when something interrupted him.)
Look at that last sentence again: Phil was writing an essay last week when the power went out.
Then look at the drawing below. Which line shows past simple, and which line shows past progressive? Label them.
EXERCISE 1:
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the words in parentheses. Choose simple past or past progressive.
1. While we ________________ (eat) dinner, the phone ________________ (ring).
2. It ____________________(be) my neighbor, Carlos.
3. He ____________________ (call) from Cuba where he ______________________(live) for a few months.
4. Carlos ____________(say) , “I ________________(receive) a wonderful surprise this morning. A beautiful cat_____________(jump) through my window.
5. “What ________________ you ________________ (do) ?” I ________________ (ask) him.
6. He ________________ (say) he ________________ (try) to create a new piece of art.
7. “What ________________ you ________________ (make) ?” I ________________ (ask) him.
8. “That is why I ________________ (be) surprised. I ________________ (make) a picture of a cat!”
9. “So what ________________ (happen) to the cat? ________________ he ________________(stay) with you?”
10. Carlos ________________ (laugh). “I ________________ (wait) for you to ask. The answer is yes! I only________________ (want) to make a picture
of a cat, but then the real cat wouldn’t leave!”
11. Carlos ________________ (send) me a picture of the cat.
12. He ________________ (give) it the name Sopresita. That means “little surprise” in Spanish.