Past Simple / Past Continuous

Past Simple

USE
- a complet action in the past

IE
[+] He watched TV yesterday
[-] He didn't watch TV yesterday
[?] Did he watch TV yesterday?

COMMON WORDS
- yesterday, ago, last

Past Continuous

USE
- past action interrupted [1]
- actions happening at the same time [2]
- to show what was happening at a specific moment in the past [3]

IE
[+] He was watching TV
[-] He wasn't watching TV
[?] Was he watching TV?

[1] I was reading a book when the telephone rang
[2] While Peter was playing footall, Jane was playing basketball
[3] I was listening to music at 7 o'clock

COMMON WORDS
- while, as
- specific time