To talk about a finished action in the past when

there is a clear reference to a specific time or when Did you watch the documentary yesterday?
the time is understood from the context. We often
use a time phrase (yesterday, last week, ten yers
ago). I visited France last year

Past Simple Uses To describe a sequence of actions in a story I jumped into the wáter and swam to the shore

I went to the lake. I saw a huge crocodrile

For a single or repeat action in the past

He got the bus every day

Afirmative Subject + 2nd form of verb I, you,he, she, it, they, we Worked

Forms Negative Subject + auxiliary “didn’t” + first I, you,he, she, it, they, we didn’t Work
form of verb

Question Did I work?

Auxiliary “did” + subject + first form
Did she work
of verb
Did he work?
Did you work?
 To describe an action in progress in -Last Friday we were swimming in the sea
the past.
-We were lying in the sun
The past period (yesterday, last

Past Progressive
week, last Monday) has finished
uses - I was writing a letter to my friend (I probably didn’t finish
the letter)
To talk about an unfinished action in the - I wrote a letter to my friend (I finished the letter)
past.

To describe a situation or the background The sun was shining in throught the window
to a story

Afirmative -I was working

Subject + past of verb to be + verb + ing
-She was working
-They were working

-I wasn’t working
Negative Subject + past negative form of verb to be (wasn’t, -She wasn’t working
Form weren’t) + verb + ing
-They weren’t working

Interrogative Patst form of verb to be + subject + verb + ing -Was I working?

- Was she working?
- Were they working?