2.2.1: Simple Past or Past Progressive
- Page ID
- 257417
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)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 simple past, and which line shows past progressive? Label them.
EXERCISE 3.1 (Created in ChatGPT)
Instructions: Read the story below and choose the correct verb form from the options in parentheses.
Last summer, my family and I (was traveling / traveled) to the mountains for a weekend getaway. While we (were driving / drove) along the winding road, we suddenly (saw / were seeing) a deer standing in the middle of the road. My dad quickly (stopped / was stopping) the car, and we all (got out / were getting out) to take a closer look. The deer (was staring / stared) at us for a few seconds before it (ran / was running) into the woods. It was such an exciting moment!
EXERCISE 3.2
Instructions: 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) at the time.
4. Carlos ____________(say) , “I ________________(receive) a wonderful surprise this morning. A beautiful cat_____________(jump) through my window."
5. "What ______________you ___________ (do) before that _______________(happen)? 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.
Source: “Harmony- A grammar and composition textbook for intermediate students of English for Speakers of Other Languages” by Timothy Krause Student Book Draft Edition 2024 licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License
Exercise 3.3: Writing Questions About the Story
Instructions: Write questions about the story in Exercise 3.2 using the question word, verb, and subject or object provided.
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Who/ call / him?
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Where / Carlos / live?
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What / be / his surprise?
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What / do / he / before that?
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What / happen/ to the cat?
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What / Carlos / send/ him?
Exercise 3.4: Mixed Punctuation Practice with While and When
Instructions: Some of the sentences below have incorrect punctuation, and others are correct. Correct the errors and rewrite the sentences. If the sentence is correct, write "correct."
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While we were eating dinner. The doorbell rang.
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When the teacher entered the room the students stopped talking.
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It started to rain while we were waiting for the bus.
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He tripped over a rock, while he was running in the park.
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She was reading a book. When I called her.
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When I arrived, the meeting had already started.
Exercises 3 and 4 created in Chat GPT