Past simple vs. past continuous
tried vs. was trying
1. Past simple vs. past continuous.
Read a news story about a tourist who got lost. When you are finished, close the text window.
Without looking at the text, decide which sentence about the tourist
is better.
We use the past continuous to talk about actions in progress at a moment in the past.
- I was working in the garden yesterday morning.
- They were living in Spain when I saw them.
It is often used in narratives to describe scenes in the past.
- The birds were singing and the sun was shining.
- The market was busy. People were buying vegetables and children were playing.
It is also used to describe an action or situation which was in progress when another event interrupted it.
- The Brahman was walking in the forest when he saw the tiger.
- She was watching TV when the telephone rang.
