Sometimes yesterday is a snapshot, and sometimes it’s a live stream of chaos.
That’s the difference between Past Simple and Continuous! Think of it as “Snapshot vs Live Chaos”:
- ✅ Snapshot / Simple → finished actions, “Yesterday Report”: I fell, I ate, I lost my keys.
- ✅ Live / Continuous → ongoing actions, “Yesterday Soap Opera”: I was running, I was cooking, I was screaming at my cat.
Story Snippet (Past Simple vs Continuous)
🐶 The Day Lisa Lost Her Dog (and Met a Boy?)
Last Saturday, Lisa woke up early because the sun was shining and the birds were singing. She was feeling happy, so she decided to take her dog Max to the park.
While they were walking, Max suddenly ran away! Lisa shouted, “Max! Come back!” but he didn’t stop. He was chasing a squirrel.
Lisa was running after Max when she slipped on something — oh no! It was dog poo! She fell on the grass and got it all over her hands. “Ew!” she cried, laughing and groaning at the same time.
A boy nearby was sitting on a bench. He was reading a book and saw everything. He ran over and offered her a tissue. Lisa’s face turned bright red. She thanked him quietly and cleaned her hands.
She didn’t know what to say next… so she just got up quickly and walked away, totally embarrassed.
As she was leaving, she heard the boy say, “Nice dog, by the way!”
Lisa didn’t look back, but she smiled.
Will she see him again?
👉 Notice:
- Bold Simple verbs = finished actions.
- In colour Continuous verbs = ongoing actions happening at the same time.
Quick Explanation
Simple:
- Use for finished actions, facts, or sequences.
- Form: verb + ed (regular) or irregular past.
- Example: “I fell, I laughed, I ate the pizza.”
Continuous:
- Use for actions in progress at a specific time.
- Form: was/were + verb-ing
- Example: “I was laughing while my roommate was dancing on the table.”
Tips:
- Two simultaneous ongoing actions = Continuous (“I was cooking while she was singing”)
- Background vs main event = Continuous background / Simple main event.
Mnemonic:
Snapshot = Simple.
Live Chaos = Continuous. ✅
Mini Exercises
1. Fill in the blanks – Past Simple vs Continuous
2. Multiple-choice – Past Simple vs Continuous
Chaos Prompt – Creative Writing
Write 3–4 sentences about yesterday using at least 1 Simple and 2 Continuous verbs.
Example:
“I was cooking while the cat was dancing on the table, and I spilled the tea everywhere.”
Tip for Memory – Emoji Associations
- 💥 = snapshot accidents → fell, tripped, broke (Simple)
- 😂 = ongoing reactions → was laughing, were shouting, was screaming (Continuous)
- 🐱 = pets chaos → chased, was chasing, jumped, was jumping
- 🍕 = meals → ate, were eating, drank, were drinking
💡 Quick Trick: Past Simple = One moment ✅ Past Continuous = In progress 🔄 Always ask: “Was it a single event that finished, or was it happening while something else was going on?”
Learn English in a fun way. You can check more Hilarious Grammar Bites and practice with English Graded Stories!