Past simple, past continuous and used to
Telling stories about the past: I walked, I was walking and I used to walk.
You need past tenses for Writing Part 2 stories, for Speaking ('What did you do last weekend?') and in many Reading texts. Let's get them right!
Past simple
For finished actions at a time in the past.
Past continuous
For a longer action in progress when something else happened.
Used to
For past habits and states that are not true now.
How it comes up in Part 6
In Reading Part 6 you write one word in each gap. The missing words are often small grammar words like these.
A longer action in progress: was + watching.
A past habit that is not true now: used to + go.
A question in the past simple: Did + you + verb.
Common mistakes
- ✗ I didn't went to school yesterday.✓ I didn't go to school yesterday.After 'didn't', use the infinitive.
- ✗ When I arrived, they were have dinner.✓ When I arrived, they were having dinner.The past continuous is was / were + -ing.
- ✗ I use to play football when I was young.✓ I used to play football when I was young.In positive sentences it's 'used to', with -d.
In a story, use the past continuous for the background ('The sun was shining…') and the past simple for what happened ('Suddenly, the phone rang'). It makes your writing much more interesting!
Quick check
Write one word in each gap.
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