Free English Lessons - #3, Grammar - Past Simple Vs Past Continuous, used to and would

Past simple

• Use past simple to talk about completed actions in the past
• To form negatives and questions in the past simple, use the auxiliary verb did

Past continuous

• Use the past continuous for actions in progress in the past or temporary situations in the past
• Can be used as a background or context to another event in the past simple
• Use the past continuos for activities that are interrupted by a completed action. It is used in contract with the past simple

We often use when before the past simple and while before the past continuous

Used to and would can both be used to talk about habitual action in the past
Would is not very common in questions and used to is also used to talk about habitual states in the past

Free English Lessons - #2, Grammar - Questions