Past simple: regular verbs + -ed (worked, lived, stopped); irregular verbs have their own form (went, saw — see the tables). Same form for all persons. Questions and negatives: did + base verb: Did you see it? I didn't go.
Pronunciation of -ed: /t/ after voiceless sounds (worked, stopped), /d/ elsewhere (lived, played), and an extra syllable /ɪd/ only after t or d (wanted, needed).
Past continuous (was / were + -ing): an action in progress at a moment in the past, often interrupted by a short action in the past simple.
| pattern | example |
|---|---|
| background + event | I was cooking when the phone rang. |
| two actions at the same time | While she was reading, he was watching TV. |
| moment in the past | At 8 o'clock I was having breakfast. |
| sequence of events | He opened the door, looked around and left. |
when usually introduces the short action, while the long one.
Translate the words from your reading, review them as flashcards and practise with gap-fill sentences.
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