[Grammar] The past

[Gunner1999]

Hi. I must ask you 2 questions or rather give 2 examples connected with the past.
- How was your yesterday's show at school?
- It was good. The audience was delighted. They must've enjoyed the performance.
- I see. What did you do/What were you doing?
- I sang/I was singing
I suppose that the past simple is better because it shows what happened in the past but in my language these tenses sound the same and that's why I'm asking.
Here's the last favour:
- I played football yesterday/ I was playing football yesterday. Thanks for your help.

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi. I [STRIKE]must[/STRIKE] would like to ask you 2 questions (or rather give 2 examples) connected with the past.

- How was your yesterday's show at school?
- How was your school show yesterday?
- How was your show at school yesterday?

- It was good. The audience was delighted. They must've enjoyed the performance. :tick:

- I see. What did you do/What were you doing? Both are possible.

- I sang/I was singing. Both are possible.


I suppose that the past simple is better because it shows what happened in the past but in my language these tenses sound the same and that's why I'm asking.

Here's the last favour:

- I played football yesterday/ I was playing football yesterday. Both are possible.

Thanks for your help.

See above.

 

[Tdol]

I played football yesterday/ I was playing football yesterday.

Both are possible, but what is the wider context? The wider context will determine which works better.

 

[Gunner1999]

I just want to inform that this action was finished yesterday. The same with the first example of my question.

 

[Tdol]

The continuous/progressive form is usually used for other reasons. If you simply want to locate a finished action in the past, use the simple past.