Past Simple vs Past Progressive

Teaching points

• • Past simple:
• • completed event
• • sequence of completed events
• • Past progressive:
• • action in progress at a past time
• • background action
• • interrupted action
• • Common pattern:
• • while + past progressive
• • when + past simple

الماضي البسيط لحدث مكتمل. الماضي المستمر لحدث كان جارياً في وقت معين بالماضي أو كخلفية. غالباً: while + past progressive when + past simple

Practice

Answer the 3 questions, then check — أجب عن الأسئلة الثلاثة ثم تحقق

1. 1. While the engineers _____ the system, the power suddenly failed. A. tested B. were testing C. have tested D. had tested
2. 2. I _____ the report and then emailed it to the manager. A. was finishing B. finish C. finished D. had been finishing
3. 3. At 9:00 last night, the team _____ the final presentation. A. prepared B. was preparing C. has prepared D. prepares