1. I’m Holmes…
…Sherlock Holmes

2. I investigate the past…

3. Past Simple
and Past Continuous

4. Past Simple
We use the past simple to talk about an action or situation in the past which is finished. We often say when it happened.
I enjoyed the film we saw last night.

5. Past Simple
We can also use the past simple to talk about habitual actions in the past.
Every day we got up early and went to the beach.

6. Past Simple
We use the past simple to say that one thing happened after another.
He got up, had a shower, got dressed and left for work.

7. affirmative negative interrogative
Past Simple
affirmative
Subject + past tense form
He investigated the incident.
negative
Subject + did + not + infinitive
He didn’t investigate the incident.
interrogative
Did + subject + infinitive
Did he investigate the incident?

8. Past Continuous
Use the past continuous to talk about actions in progress at a certain time in the past.
What were you doing at 7.30 yesterday?

9. Past Continuous
Use the past continuous for a background action or description.
As they were getting near the Earth, four of the spaceships caught fire.

10. Past Continuous
The past continuous can be used to describe several situations in progress, happening at the same time.
While mum was cooking, dad was reading a book.

11. Past Continuous Affirmative Negative Interrogative
Subject + was/were + ing
He was opening the safe when
the police arrived.
Negative
Subject + was/were + not + ing
He wasn’t opening the safe when
the police arrived.
Interrogative
Was/were + subject + ing
Was he opening the safe when
the police arrived?

12. Past Continuous
There are some verbs (for example, be/ know/ want/ believe) that are not normally used in the continuous forms:
We were good friends. We knew each other well.
I was enjoying the party but Chris wanted to go home.

13. Past Continuous Past Simple
The phone rang
Past simple and past continuous are used together to say that something happened in the middle of something else.
I was having a shower

14. Past Continuous Past Simple Compare:
When Karen arrived, we were having dinner (we had already started dinner before Karen arrived).
When Karen arrived, we had dinner. (first Karen arrived and then we had dinner)

15. Past Continuous Past Simple Compare:
Past continuous (in the middle of an action)
Past simple (complete action)
I walked home after the party last night. (=all the way, completely)
I was walking home when I met Dave (= in the middle of walking home.)

16. Now, tell me…
What were you doing when your teacher came into the classroom?