# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Past Simple and Past Continuous - English grammar tutorial video lesson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Exercises Explanation Downloads

Past continuous and past simple

Exercise 1

Choose the correct past continuous and past simple forms to complete the sentences below.

The past continuous - Form

The past continuous - Use

Actions in progress

We use the past continuous to talk about actions that were in progress (not finished) at a specific moment in the past.

'What were you doing at 9?' 'I was studying.'

The specific moment in the past can be described by a time expression (at 9 a.m., at midday, at lunchtime, all morning, all day, etc.):

Or by a simple past sentence:

Describing a scene

We often use the past continuous at the beginning of a story to describe the situation.

Past simple vs Past continuous

We use the past simple for completed actions in the past, and we use the past continuous for actions in progress (not finished) in the past.

The past continuous describes a longer action or situation and the past simple describes a shorter action or event.

When I met Susan she was having a drink at a terrace with a friend.

We didn't go out because it was raining.

The short action in past simple often interrupts the longer action in past continuous.

We use the past simple for completed actions that happened one after the other. Compare:

(The action of having a shower started before he arrived)

(The action of having a shower started after he arrived)

We are working on this!

We're developing a NEW LEARNING PLATFORM with a subscription plan that includes additional features at an affordable price. One of those features will be PDF downloads.

Learn more!

Personalized English Lessons

Test-English is delighted to announce our partnership with Gymglish to deliver short, personalized and fun online English lessons.

Learn more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Past continuous and past simple - Test-English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Past continuous and past simple. We use the past continuous to talk about longer actions in progress at some point in the past, and we use past simple to talk about shorter finished actions in the past. English grammar and exercises.

# data[].attributes.headline
Future : to be + V-ing, going to or will?

# data[].attributes.subject
Future : to be + V-ing, going to or will?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Future arrangements

Present continuous

We often use the present continuous to talk about future events that are already planned and decided, when a date and/or a place have been chosen.

Be going to

We can also use be going to for future arrangements.

Present continuous vs be going to

We can normally use both present continuous and going to to talk about future plans, but the present continuous emphasises the fact that we have already decided a place and/or time, whereas be going to emphasises our intention to do something.

Future continuous

We can also use the future continuous instead of the present continuous for future events that have already been planned or decided.

We often use the future continuous to ask politely about future arrangements.

And of course, we use the future continuous to talk about situations or actions that will be in progress at a certain time in the future.

Present simple

We use the present simple for future events that are scheduled or timetabled.

Predictions

Will

We use will to talk about something we think will happen:

Be going to

We use be going to to talk about something that is very near to happen or that we see is going to happen (there is present evidence)

Future perfect

Future perfect simple

We use the future perfect simple for actions that will be finished before a certain time in the future.

We can also use the future perfect simple to talk about the duration of a situation until a certain time in the future (with stative verbs).

Future perfect continuous

We use the future perfect continuous with dynamic verbs to talk about the duration of a situation until a certain time in the future.

Future time clauses (when, as soon as, until, before, after)

Use present simple to talk about the future in sentences with when, as soon as, until, before, after

Other uses of will

Instant decisions

We use will for decisions that we make at the moment of speaking ( instant decisions).

Promises and refusals

Future facts

Offers

When we offer to do something for somebody, we use I will in statements or shall I in questions.

Suggestions

We use shall we to make suggestions.

Requests

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Future forms - expressing future time - Test-English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Future forms - expressing future time. Advanced English grammar exercises. Will, be going to, present continuous, be about to, be to, be due to, etc.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Let's do English ESL deep listening: focus on meaning. Listen to a short news report on negotiating for a raise and answer the questions that follow.