#3 B1/2 Past simple vs Past continuous Welcome back to podcasts at English for French, with me, Alison. In today’s episode, we’re looking into two major tenses of English storytelling: the Past Simple and the Past Continuous. If you’ve ever found yourself asking, "Do I say 'I was walking' or 'I walked'?" or wondered where words like when, while, and as fit into the puzzle, this episode is made for you. Past Simple vs. Past Continuous: The Foundations The Past Simple Think of the Past Simple as a snapshot or a completed event in history. We use it for actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past. Structure: Regular verbs end in -ed (walked, played); irregular verbs take their own past forms (went, ate, bought). Negation/Questions: Use did / didn't + base form of the verb ("Did you see?" / "I didn't see"). Key Use Case: Main actions, finished events, or chronological steps in a story. Example: "I woke up, grabbed my coffee, and left the house." The Past Continuous Think of the Past Continuous as a video recording in progress. It describes background activities, temporary situations, or ongoing actions taking place at a specific moment in the past. Structure: was / were + verb-ing ("I was waiting", "They were talking"). Negation/Questions: Use wasn't / weren't + verb-ing ("Were you sleeping?" / "She wasn't listening"). Key Use Case: Setting the scene or showing an action interrupted by another event. Example: "At 8:00 AM, rain was falling softly outside." Direct Comparison Feature Past Simple Past Continuous Action Type Completed action / Snapshot Ongoing action / Background activity Duration Short or viewed as a whole unit Extended over a period of time Function in Stories Moves the narrative forward (main events) Sets the mood or describes background context Formula Verb + -ed / Irregular past was / were + Verb-ing Example "The alarm rang at 7 AM." "I was dreaming about space travel." Connecting the Tenses: When, While, and As When we combine ongoing background actions with sudden events, time connectors act as glue. When Usually followed by the Past Simple (the shorter, interrupting action). Pattern: Past Continuous + when + Past Simple Example: "I was studying for my exam when the phone rang." While Usually followed by the Past Continuous (the longer, ongoing action). Pattern: Past Simple + while + Past Continuous Example: "The phone rang while I was studying for my exam." As Functions similarly to while, but often emphasizes two actions happening simultaneously or at the exact moment of progression. Pattern: As + Past Continuous, Past Simple Example: "As I was walking through the park, I noticed a strange blue bird." Using the Tenses in Narratives In storytelling, the Past Continuous creates the atmosphere, while the Past Simple delivers the action: "The wind was howling through the trees and rain was pounding against the glass (background scene). Suddenly, Sarah dropped her keys (main action). While she was searching for them on the wet pavement (ongoing action), a mysterious light appeared in the distance (interruption)." In English grammar, verbs are divided into two main categories: action (dynamic) verbs and state (stative) verbs. Understanding this distinction is the key to knowing which verbs can—and cannot—be used in the Past Continuous tense. Action Verbs vs. State Verbs Action (Dynamic) Verbs Action verbs describe physical activities, processes, or events that have a clear beginning and end. Because these actions happen over time and can be seen or measured, they can be used in both the Past Simple and the Past Continuous. Examples: run, eat, write, build, drive, speak, paint. Past Simple: "She wrote an email." (Completed action) Past Continuous: "She was writing an email when I called." (Action in progress) State (Stative) Verbs State verbs describe conditions, states of mind, emotions, relationships, or senses that are static or unchanging. They do not involve a physical action or a process happening moment-by-moment. Core Rule: Pure state verbs are generally not used in continuous tenses (including the Past Continuous). Instead, we use the Past Simple to express past states. Incorrect: "I was wanting a coffee." Correct: "I wanted a coffee." Categories of Common State Verbs Here is a guide to the main groups of verbs that stay in the Past Simple: Category Verbs Examples Emotions & Feelings like, love, hate, prefer, want, wish, dislike "She wanted to leave early." (Not: was wanting) Mental States & Thoughts know, understand, remember, forget, believe, mean, think (opinion) "I knew the answer right away." (Not: was knowing) Possession & Relationships have (own), possess, belong, own, contain, depend "They owned a small cottage." (Not: were owning) Senses & Perception see, hear, smell, taste, feel, seem, appear "The house seemed quiet." (Not: was seeming) Measurements & States cost, weigh, measure, consist of, fit, need "The ticket cost $20." (Not: was costing) The "Dual-Meaning" Verbs: Action vs. State Some verbs can act as either state or action verbs depending on their meaning in the sentence. When they express a physical action or process, they can be used in the Past Continuous. Have State (Possession): "He had a green car." (Not: was having) Action (Experience / Consumption): "He was having lunch when the bell rang." Think State (Opinion / Belief): "I thought the movie was great." (Not: was thinking) Action (Mental process / Consideration): "I was thinking about moving to Spain." See State (Perception / Understanding): "I saw what you meant." (Not: was seeing) Action (Meeting / Dating): "She was seeing a doctor about her back pain." Taste / Smell State (Quality of something): "The soup tasted delicious." (Not: was tasting) Action (Physical act of tasting): "The chef was tasting the sauce." Summary Tip for B1/B2 Learners If a verb describes something happening in the brain (thoughts, feelings), a relationship (ownership), or a permanent property (cost, weight), stick to the Past Simple. If it's something you can record on a video camera (moving, eating, working), you can safely use the Past Continuous. That’s all for today’s episode of Podcasts at English for French, with me, Alison. I hope you enjoyed this episode and remember the key to learning is to practice. So, try writing your own short story to check how you use the past simple and continuous to talk about an event in the past.You will find exercises and their answers at the end of this podcast.Cheers. Grammar Exercises Exercise A: 8-Question Gap-Fill Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets (Past Simple or Past Continuous). I ____________ (read) an interesting article when the power suddenly went out. While we ____________ (drive) down the coast, it started to pour with rain. As the conductor ____________ (raise) his arms, the audience went dead silent. What ____________ (you / do) at 9:00 PM last night when I called you? She lost her purse while she ____________ (shop) at the street market. The dog barked loudly, running across the yard, and ____________ (jump) over the fence. As I ____________ (walk) out the door, the mail carrier handed me a package. They ____________ (not / hear) the doorbell because the TV was playing too loudly. Exercise B: Comprehension Text Gap-Fill & Questions Read the narrative below and fill in gaps 1–6 with the correct verb form (Past Simple or Past Continuous). Then answer the questions that follow. The Night on Oak Street Last Tuesday, Mark had a evening he will never forget. At 10:00 PM, he 1. ____________ (walk) back to his apartment. The streets were quiet, and a cold fog 2. ____________ (roll) over the city. 3. ____________ he was crossing the street, he 4. ____________ (notice) a strange red envelope lying under a street lamp. He picked it up carefully. While he 5. ____________ (examine) the sealed wax mark on the back, a loud scream 6. ____________ (echo) from the dark alley behind him. Text Comprehension Questions: Which continuous action was happening to the weather as Mark walked home? What specific event interrupted Mark while he was looking at the sealed wax mark? Which time connector (when, while, or as) introduces the moment Mark spotted the envelope? Answer Key Exercise A Answer Key was reading (interrupted long action) were driving (action in progress with "while") raised (short completed action) were you doing (question about an action in progress at a specific time) was shopping (ongoing action during which something was lost) jumped (sequence of completed actions) was walking (background action with "as") didn't hear (completed past state/result) Exercise B Answer Key Text Gap-Fill: was walking was rolling As (or While) noticed was examining echoed Text Comprehension Answers: Cold fog was rolling over the city. A loud scream echoed from the dark alley behind him. As (or While).
