[ ENG ] PAST PROGRESSIVE - vs. PAST SIMPLE

PAST PROGRESSIVE - vs. PAST SIMPLE

USE:
We use the Past Simple to talk about a completed action in the past. We use the Past Progressive to talk about an action that continued over a period of time in the past. We can also use the Past Simple and the Past Progressive together in the same sentence, to show that one short action or event happened during a longer action or event. If we mention the shorter action first, we usually join the two parts of the sentence together with WHILE.

EXAMPLES:
"Tom arrived while we were talking about him."
"She came in while I was doing my homework."



If we mention the longer action first, we usually join the two parts of the sentence together with WHEN.

EXAMPLES:
"We were talking about Tom when he arrived."
"I was doing my homework when she came in."