PAST SIMPLE VS CONTINUOUS

USE

Used to talk about FINISHED
actions in the PAST.

FORM

Subject (He/She/It) + VERB-ED /IRREGULAR FORM
He LISTENED to music yesterday. / He WROTE a book last year.

Subject (He/She/It) + DIDN'T + VERB INFINITIVE
He DIDN'T LISTEN to music yesterday. / He DIDN'T WRITE a book last year.

DID + Subject (You/We/They)+ VERB INFINITIVE?
Do you listen to music?

TIME EXPRESSIONS

YESTERDAY
LAST (WEEK MONTH, YEAR...),
(TWO DAYS , ONE MONTH...) AGO
WHEN...

USE

Used to talk about actions IN PROGRESS at a specific moment in the past.

FORM

Subject + WAS / WERE + Ving
She WAS PLAYING basketball yesterday afternoon.
You WERE LISTENING to music when I came in .

Subject + WASN'T / WEREN'T + Ving
She isn't playing basketball.
You aren't listening to music.

WAS / WERE + Subject + Ving?
Is she playing basketball?
Are you listening to music?

TIME EXPRESSIONS

WHILE... / At that moment / / Yesterday at ... (7/8/10) o'clock