15 min La grammatica inglese ha tante verb tenses per esprimere il passato: Past simple e past continuous, past perfect e perfect continuous, anche il present perfect. Ma ahi ahi ahi: non sempre questi tempi verbali sono facili per noi italiani che quindi…dobbiamo fare tanti, tanti, tanti esercizi di inglese sui passati per venirne a capo! 😵💫🤔😵💫
Oggi ci occupiamo di Past Simple vs Past continuous: test, soluzioni e spiegazioni ti stanno aspettando! Novakid, ha preparato per te ben 100 esercizi di inglese Past continuous e Past simple da fare online, per conto tuo, con amici o con i tuoi compagni di scuola o di corso.
Novakid è una scuola di inglese per bambini online presente in 49 paesi: che tu abbia bisogno di imparare l’inglese da zero, di un corso di inglese scuola primaria o di qualsiasi altra didattica per bambini dai 4 ai 12 anni… Novakid c’è! 💪
Ma adesso entriamo nel vivo del nostro argomento. E prima di lanciarci nei nostri esercizi Past simple e Past continuous, diamo una rinfrescatina alla grammatica inglese.
Simple Past e Past continuous in breve
Il past simple ci mostra che un’azione o un evento appartengono al passato e non al presente, come negli esempi:
- My grandmother visited us every Saturday
- Last Christmas, I gave you my heart 🎵
Il Past continuous indica invece che un’attività è stata in corso nel passato per un certo periodo, non solo per un momento:
- We were studying all day.
Oppure che l’azione era già in corso in un determinato momento del passato:
- We were sleeping when the thieves entered the house.
Come si formano
✔️ I verbi regolari hanno il Past simple con –ed alla fine (per esempio: worked, lived, arrived). Poi ci sono i verbi irregolari che hanno forme diverse (per esempio: go> went; get > got; break > broke ecc.).
✔️ Il passato continuo o progressivo si forma invece con was / were + ing form del verbo principale (ad esempio I was working, she was going).
Past simple e past continuous schema
In questa tabella trovi un ripassino delle regole di formazione delle frasi affermative, negative e interrogative nei due tempi del verbo.
| Moment | Progress | Statement | Negative | Question | |
| Simple | ✔️ | -ed o irregolare
He worked |
Didn’t + forma base
He didn’t work |
Did + soggetto + forma base
Did he work? |
|
| Continuous | ✔️ | Was/were + ing form He was working |
Wasn’t/Weren’t + ing form He wasn’t working |
Was / were + soggetto + ing form
Was he working? |
Past simple e Past continuous usati insieme
Quando sono nella stessa frase, il Past continuous e il Past simple ci aiutano a mostrare come due azioni o situazioni passate siano collegate. L’azione al passato semplice è avvenuta nel mezzo dell’azione al passato continuo, mentre era in corso:
- When I woke up this morning it was raining.
- I was working when you called me, I couldn’t answer.
Oppure l’azione al Simple Past ha interrotto quella al Past continuous ⛓️💥:
- We were downloading data when the internet crashed and we had to stop.
Se ti è venuta voglia di approfondire la differenza tra i due tempi, puoi farlo leggendo il nostro articolo Past Simple o Past Continuous: quale utilizzare.
Ma ora cominciamo. Past simple vs Past continuous: quiz a gogò!!!
10 Esercizi Past simple e Past continuous quiz Vero o Falso
E a proposito di quiz, cominciamo con un esercizio classico: ❓ Vero o Falso❓Le dieci frasi che seguono contengono altrettante affermazioni sulla grammatica. A te il compito di decidere se sono vere o false.
Past simple vs Past continuous esercizi: i primi 30
Entriamo nel vivo: scegli con quale forma verbale completare ogni frase.
We __________ to a new apartment in June. Moved / were moving 
Moved
Charles __________ when he twisted his ankle. Ran / was running
was running
They __________ TV during the storm. Watched / were watching
were watching
Pam __________ a new car last week. Bought / was buying
Bought
We _______________ in the mountains all day. Hiked / were hiking
were hiking
I _____________ dinner while he set the table. Cooked / was cooking
was cooking
Anna _____________ her grandparents last weekend. Visited / was visiting
Visited
Tom and Lily _____________ to Paris for their honeymoon. Went / were going
Went
hey _____________ a small bakery downtown. Opened / were opening
Opened
Laura _____________ for the exam all night. Studied / was studying
was studying
My cousin _____________ from college last May. Graduated / was graduating
Graduated
They _____________ when the lights went out. Danced / were dancing
were dancing
John _____________ soccer after school. Played / was playing
Played
She _____________ her bedroom last month. Painted / was painting
Painted
I _____________ reading that book yesterday. Finished / was finishing
Finished
They _____________ a movie on Saturday night. Watched / were watching
Watched
Joanna _____________ a delicious meal for dinner. Cooked / was cooking
Cooked
I_____________ a sweater the entire weekend. Knitted / was knitting
was knitting
I _____________ my teeth when I heard the news. Brushed / was brushing
was brushing
Michael _____________ his keys at the gym. Lost / was losing
Lost
They _____________ for the performance all afternoon. Practiced / were practicing
were practicing
I _____________ my room in the morning. Cleaned / was cleaning
Cleaned
We were playing soccer when it _____________ raining. Started / Was starting
Started
She _____________ when the phone rang. Read / was reading
was reading
Tom _____________ the car all weekend. Fixed / was fixing
was fixing
I _____________ to bring my umbrella today. Forgot / was forgetting
Forgot
Pamela _____________ for his thesis for hours. Researched / was researching
was researching
The team _____________ the championship last year. Won / was winning
Won
I _____________ the garage for hours. Cleaned / was cleaning
was cleaning
We _____________ lunch when the fire alarm sounded. Had / were having
were having
Past simple e Past continuous esercizi con soluzioni: altri 30
Ancora e ancora esercizi past simple e past continuous: come nell’esercizio precedente, decidi qual è la forma giusta per completare la frase 🤩 e poi controlla il risultato.
hey ____________ a surprise party for Sarah. Organized / were organizing
Organized
He ____________ a treehouse for hours. Built / was building
was building
She ____________ a presentation for work. Prepared / was preparing
Prepared
They ____________ while we were making dinner. Talked / were talking
were talking
Yesterday I ____________ a letter to my friend abroad. Wrote / was writing.
Wrote
We ____________ a concert on Friday. Attended / were attending
Attended
He ____ yoga all morning. Practiced / was practicing
was practicing
I ____________ for my finals the whole day. Studied / was studying
was studying
I ____________ the dog for a walk after lunch. Took / was taking
Took
She ____________ her room for hours. Painted / was painting
was painting
He ____________ his bike on Saturday. Repaired /was repairing
Repaired
They ____________ a garden in their backyard. Planted / was planting
Planted
They ____________ at a funny story. Laughed / were laughing
were laughing
I ____________ my parents last night. Called / was calling
Called
She ____________ to the countryside last Sunday. Drove / was driving
Drove
They ____________ the project on time. Finished / were finishing
Finished
I ____________ errands all afternoon. Run / was running
was running
We____________ our cousins all afternoon. Babysitted / were babysitting
were babysitting
I ____________ to music while cleaning. Listened / was listening
was listening
He ____________ a book on the train. Read / was reading
was reading
They ____________ the city from sunrise to sunset. Explored / were exploring
were exploring
He ____________ the museum yesterday. Visited / was visiting
Visited
She ____________ pizza for the party. Ordered / was ordering
Ordered
What ____________ at 7 p.m last night? Did you do / Were you doing
Were you doing
He ____________his car when I visited. Repaired / was repairing
was repairing
We ____________ the hall all evening. Decorated / were decorating
were decorating
We ____________ for the play all evening. Rehearsed / were rehearsing
were rehearsing
They ____________ in the lake during their trip. Swam / were swimming
Swam
They ____________ on the project all week. Worked / were working
were working
They ____________ the new project all afternoon. Discussed / were discussing
were discussing
30 Esercizi Past continuous e Past simple nella stessa frase
Adesso facciamo un passo in più! Completa le frasi seguenti: noi ti abbiamo indicato soggetto e verbo ma che tempo usare – se Past continuous o Past simple – deciderlo tu 🤓. Poi controlla le risposte.
- He (study) ________ when his friend (arrive) ________.
- I (relax) ________ on the beach when they (go) ________ swimming.
- I (go) ________ to work when I (see) ________ the accident.
- She (talk) ________ to a client when her boss (call) ________.
- He (fix)________ his bike when it (start) ________ to rain.
- I (write) ________ an email when my computer (crash) ________.
- She (sleep) ________ when the alarm clock (go off) ________.
- I (nap) ________ when my boyfriend (call) ________.
- She (drive) ________ when her car (break down) ________.
- I (study) ________ in the library when he (arrive) ________.
- We (have) ________ dinner when the doorbell (ring) ________.
- I (work) ________ on a project when the power (go out) ________.
- She (practise) ________ the piano when her mum (come in) ________
- I (cook) ________ when the phone (ring) ________.
- They (discuss) ________ the project when the manager (come in) ________.
- Anna (water) ________the plants when she (see) ________ a big spider under a stone.
- I (leave) ________when I (realise) ________ I had forgotten my keys.
- While I (study) __________, I suddenly (have) _______________ an idea.
- I (take) ________ notes when the professor (ask) ________ a question.
- We (play) ________ outside when it (start) ________ to rain.
- She (drive) ________ when her tyre (burst) ________.
- They (practice) ________ when the fire alarm (go off) ________.
- I (clean) ________ windows when the ladder (slip) ________.
- I (read) ________ when my girlfriend (text) ________ me.
- She (walk)________ her dog when it (start) ________ to snow.
- They (hike) ________ when they (see) ________ a rare bird.
- I (write) ________ my essay when my computer (crash) ________.
- Sarah ________ her leg when she________.
- I (talk) ________ on the phone when someone (knock) ________ at the door.
- We (prepare) ________ dinner when the guests (arrive) ________.
Mostra risultati
- He was studying when his friend arrived.
- While I was relaxing on the beach, they went swimming.
- I was going to work when I saw the accident.
- She was talking to a client when her boss called.
- He was fixing his bike when it started to rain.
- I was writing an email when my computer crashed.
- She was sleeping when the alarm clock went off.
- I was napping when my boyfriend called.
- She was driving when her car broke down.
- I was studying in the library when he arrived.
- We were having dinner when the doorbell rang.
- I was working on a project when the power went out.
- She was practicing the piano when her mum came in.
- I was cooking when the phone rang.
- They were discussing the project when the manager came in.
- Anna was watering the plants when she saw a big spider under a stone.
- As I was leaving, I realized I had forgotten my keys.
- While I was studying, I suddenly had an idea.
- While I was taking notes, the professor asked a question.
- We were playing outside when it started to rain.
- She was driving and her tyre burst.
- They were practicing when the fire alarm went off.
- I was cleaning the windows when the ladder slipped.
- I was reading when my girlfriend texted me.
- She was walking her dog when it started to snow.
- They were hiking when they saw a rare bird.
- I was writing my essay when my computer crashed.
- Sarah broke her leg when she was skiing.
- I was talking on the phone when someone knocked at the door.
- We were preparing dinner when the guests arrived.
Consigli, dubbi, domande…se c’è qualcosa in cui possiamo aiutarti scrivi nei commenti!
E se hai ancora voglia di fare esercizi di inglese sui passati e su tutti gli altri tempi, abbiamo quello che fa per te! 😋
✏️ Esercizi Present Simple
🖋️Esercizi Present Continuous
✏️Esercizi Present Perfect Continuous
✏️Esercizi sul Past Perfect
✍️ Esercizi sul Passivo in Inglese
✍️ Esercizi sulle Mixed Tenses
🖊️ Esercizi sul Future progressive
