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Past continuous (Il was doing) and past simple (1 did) To talk about a temporary situation that exisred ar or around a particular time in the past, we use the past continuous: + Arthc time of the robbery, they werc staying with my parents. + My head was aching again, so 1 went home. Compare the use of the past continuous and the past simple in these sentences: + She was shaking with anger as she left the hotel, + + When he realised I was looking at him, he turned away. a Erika dropped her bag while she was getiing into her car. We often use the past simple to talk about a completed past event and the past continuous to describe the situation that existed at the time. The completed event might have interrnpted the situation, or just occurred while the situation or event was in progress. We don't normally use the past continuous with certain verbs describing states (see Unit 2): + This honse belonged to the King of Sweden. (ot ...was belonging to...) When we talk about two past actions or events that went on over the same period of timo, we can often nse the past continuous for both: « Sally was reading to the children while Kevin was washing up. + Mario was working in a restaurant when l was living in London. However, we can often use the past simple to express a similar meaning: « Mario worked in a restaurant while he lived in London. (or ...was living in London.) When we talk about two or more past completed events that follow each other, we use the past simple for both. The first nay have caused the second: + She gotup when the alarm clock went off. + He jumped out of bed and ran to see who the parcel was for. When we talk about a permanent ox long-term situation that existed in the past, we use the past simple rather than the past continuous: 2 a When lwasa child I played the violin. (20% ...1 was playing...) However, if the situation was temporary, we can also use the past continuous, Compare: + Twas working in a car factory during the summer of 1976. (or I worked...) and + He worked hard all his life. (mot He was working...) We use the past simple rather than the past continuous when we are talking about repeated actions or events in the past: + We visited Spain three times last year. (no! We were visiting...) » Twent past her house every day. (102 1 was going...) > She slept very badly whenever she stayed with her grandparents. (mot ...was sleeping...) However, the past continuous can also be used when we want to emphasise that the repeated actions only went on for a limited and temporary period of past time (See also Unit 2C..): + When Carlo was in hospital, we were visiting him twice a day. (or ...we visited...) e "To get fit for the race, 1 was going to the sports centre every day. (or ...] went...) We use the past continuous when the repeated actions or events provide a longer background to something else that happened (sce A): 2 During the time 1 started to get chest pains, | was playing tennis a lot. Present porfectand past simple > REA Past pertect and pasl simple > 
