Simple Past vs Past Continuous Free Worksheets

This free series of eight worksheets helps students understand and practise the difference between the simple past and the past continuous. Each lesson focuses on a core set of eight target verbs and covers the key uses of both tenses: the simple past for completed actions and sequences of events, and the past continuous for actions in progress and background context. Students also practise combining the two tenses in sentences with when and while, which is one of the most important grammar structures.

Each worksheet contains seven exercises — identify the tense, multiple choice, matching, gap fill, word order, word sort, and a complete-the-conversation activity — giving students practice across recognition, form, and contextualised use. Conversations are set in everyday situations, keeping the language natural and accessible for elementary learners. A teacher answer key is included with every worksheet on a separate page marked Do Not Distribute to Students. The paired interactive HTML lesson is also available free for classroom whiteboard use or as a self-study homework task.