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    • Join Date: Apr 2008
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    #1

    past simple vs past continuous

    I can't decide between past simple and past continuous in the following sentences.

    1. Queen Victoria ruled / was ruling more than a hundred years ago.

    2. He read / was reading a lot when he was a student.

    3. I prepared / was preparing for the report for a whole hour yesterday.


    It looks either of them is possible, but there must be some difference in how the event is pictured. What is it?

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    #2

    Re: past simple vs past continuous

    1. Queen Victoria ruled more than a hundred years ago.

    2. He read a lot when he was a student.

    3. I prepared / was preparing for the report for a whole hour yesterday.



    • Present Simple = fact
    • Continuous, Be -ing + TIME (i.e., ... when ... / At the time, ..., etc.)

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