So sánh Simple Past và Past Continuous

PAST CONTINUOUS
PAST SIMPLE

OR
Compare:

1) A: I didn’t see you at the party last night.
B: No, I stayed at home and watched football.

2) A: I didn’t see you at the party last night.
B: No, I was watching football at home.
The Past Simple focuses on past actions as simple facts.
The Past Continuous focuses on the duration of past situations and activities.
When the war broke out, Peter was studying
medicine at medical school. He decided that
it was safer to go home to his parents and
postpone his studies.

What was Peter doing when the war broke out?
=> He was studying.
What did Peter do when the war broke out?
=> He went home to his parents.

Questions in the Past Simple and the Past Continuous refer to different time periods:
the Past Continuous asks about activities before.
the Past Simple asks about what happened after.