Past Simple or Past continuous

Question

I would like to write a letter to my friend. I would like to informa her that I have just returned from my holidays and describe them, What tense should I use here?

I was sunbathing and swimming in the warm sea or Past Simple?
Sometimes I was walking at the seashore or walked at the seashore?

thanks in advance layla

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Use past simple.

Layla1234 · Answer

but why past simple since we use past continuous in narrative? and to desribe an action that was taking place for a longer time in the past

Layla1234 · Answer

how about this page
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/past-tense/past-continuous

to show that something continued for some time:
My head was aching.
Everyone was shouting.

for something that was happening again and again:

I was practising every day, three times a day.
They were meeting secretly after school.
They were always quarrelling.

JohnKeats · Answer

You are at home now. You are writing a letter about your holidays.
You can say, "I was swimming in the warm sea when my mother shouted for help." ( the past progressive refers to a background event, which is longer than the one expressed by the simple past. The simple past refers to an event happening in the middle of what you were doing.)
Sometimes I walked along the seashore. (I don't think a past progressive is correct here.)
You can say, "As I was walking along the seashore, I saw an old friend of mine."
Hope this helps a little.
JK

Past Simple or Past continuous

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions