Quick comparison
| Tense | Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past Simple | verb + -ed / irregular | Short, completed action that interrupted the scene. | The phone rang. |
| Past Continuous | was/were + verb + -ing | Longer background action already in progress. | I was reading a book. |
Scene: I was reading (background) when the phone rang (interruption).
She was cooking dinner when he arrived.
They were playing football when it started to rain.
When vs. While
Two simultaneous actions:
If two long actions were happening at the same time, use while + Past Continuous for both: "She was cooking while I was setting the table." Both were in progress simultaneously.
Exercises
Choose the correct form.
1. I ___ TV when my mum called.
2. She dropped her phone while she ___ down the stairs.
3. ___ they watching a film when you arrived?
4. The lights ___ off while we were having dinner.