Past Simple and Past Continuous: razlika, when/while i vežbe sa rešenjima

Past simple vs past continuous: razlika u jednoj rečenici

Oba vremena govore o prošlosti, ali iz različitog ugla. Past simple gleda na radnju kao na celinu koja se desila i završila: I called you yesterday. Past continuous nas stavlja usred radnje, dok ona još traje: I was calling you when the battery died.

Zato se ova dva vremena najčešće pojavljuju zajedno. Duža radnja u toku je pozadina priče, a kratka radnja u past simple je događaj koji je tu pozadinu prekinuo. British Council u svojim materijalima za nivo A1–A2 navodi upravo taj obrazac kao osnovnu upotrebu: We were watching television when the power went off.

Kako se gradi past continuous (i podsetnik za past simple)

Past continuous se gradi od prošlog oblika glagola to be (was ili were) i glagola sa nastavkom -ing. Was ide uz I, he, she i it, a were uz you, we i they. Pravila za past simple, nastavak -ed i nepravilne glagole detaljno su objašnjena u članku Past Simple: pravila, nepravilni glagoli i vežbe sa rešenjima, pa ovde dajemo samo kratak pregled.

Potvrdni, odrični i upitni oblik

• Potvrdni: She was reading. / They were playing. — She read. / They played.
• Odrični: She wasn't reading. / They weren't playing. — She didn't read. / They didn't play.
• Upitni: Was she reading? / Were they playing? — Did she read? / Did they play?
• Kratki odgovori: Yes, she was. / No, they weren't. — Yes, she did. / No, they didn't.

Pazite na pravopis kod -ing oblika: write → writing (gubi se nemo e), swim → swimming (udvaja se suglasnik), lie → lying (ie prelazi u y).

Kada se koristi past continuous

Past continuous ima nekoliko jasnih upotreba. Ako rečenica ne odgovara nijednoj od njih, gotovo uvek je tačan past simple.

1. Radnja u toku u tačno određenom trenutku

At 8 p.m. last night I was studying. Učenje je počelo pre osam i nastavilo se posle toga. Pitanje What were you doing at…? je klasičan način da se proveri ovo vreme.

2. Pozadina koju prekida kraća radnja

I was cooking when the phone rang. Kuvanje je trajalo, telefon je zazvonio jednom. Kraća radnja je u past simple, duža u past continuous.

3. Dve radnje koje su tekle paralelno

While I was cooking, my brother was setting the table. Kada obe radnje traju istovremeno, obe mogu biti u past continuous, najčešće povezane rečju while.

4. Opis atmosfere na početku priče

It was raining and people were hurrying home. Pisci i učenici u sastavima koriste past continuous da naslikaju scenu, a zatim događaje nižu u past simple.

5. Situacije koje su se menjale i ponavljanje uz always

The town was changing quickly. They were always quarrelling. Uz always ili constantly ovo vreme često nosi i ton negodovanja.

When ili while: kako da izaberete

Najviše grešaka u testovima nastaje oko ove dve reči. Opšte pravilo je da while najčešće uvodi dužu radnju u past continuous, a when kraću radnju u past simple. Obe rečenice ispod su tačne i znače isto:

• While I was walking home, I met an old friend.
• I was walking home when I met an old friend.

When može da stoji i uz past continuous (When I was walking home…), pa to nije greška. Ali while uz kratku, trenutnu radnju zvuči pogrešno: While the phone rang nije prirodno, jer zvono traje sekundu.

Kada niste sigurni, prođite kroz ova tri koraka:

1. Pronađite koja radnja je trajala duže, a koja se desila u trenutku.
2. Dužu radnju stavite u past continuous (was/were + -ing), kraću u past simple.
3. Ispred duže radnje stavite while, ispred kraće when. Ako obe radnje traju, obe su u past continuous i povezuje ih while.

Kako izbor vremena menja smisao rečenice

Ponekad su obe varijante gramatički tačne, ali ne znače isto. British Council daje odličan primer:

Za radnju koja se završila pre neke druge prošle radnje koristi se treće vreme, past perfect (The shop had closed when I got there). O njemu više u vodiču Past Perfect Simple.

Glagoli koji ne idu u past continuous

Glagoli stanja (stative verbs) opisuju mišljenje, osećanje, posedovanje ili percepciju, a ne aktivnost. Oni se po pravilu ne koriste u trajnim vremenima, pa ih i za radnju koja je trajala stavljamo u past simple.

• znanje i mišljenje: know, believe, understand, remember, think (u značenju „smatrati“);
• želje i osećanja: want, need, like, love, hate, prefer;
• posedovanje: have (u značenju „posedovati“), own, belong;
• percepcija: see, hear, smell, seem.

Dakle: I needed a shower, a ne I was needing a shower; She knew the answer, a ne She was knowing.

Zašto srpskim učenicima ova razlika zadaje muke

U srpskom jeziku perfekat pokriva oba engleska vremena: „čitao sam“ može biti i I read i I was reading. Razliku kod nas nosi glagolski vid. Svršeni glagoli (pročitao, zazvonio, pao) gotovo uvek odgovaraju past simple. Nesvršeni (čitao, spavao, trčao) često odgovaraju past continuous, ali ne uvek: „Živeo sam u Nišu tri godine“ je I lived in Niš for three years, jer gledamo na ceo period kao celinu.

Ključni savet: pre nego što izaberete vreme, zapitajte se „da li me zanima trenutak usred radnje ili radnja kao celina?“. Ako je odgovor „usred radnje“, birate was/were + -ing; ako je „celina“, birate past simple.

Past simple and past continuous exercises sa rešenjima

Uradite vežbe bez gledanja u rešenja, pa tek onda proverite. Rešenja su ispod svake vežbe.

Vežba 1: stavite glagol u past simple ili past continuous

1. I ___ (read) a book when the phone ___ (ring).
2. While we ___ (walk) in the park, it ___ (start) to rain.
3. What ___ you ___ (do) at nine o'clock last night?
4. She ___ (finish) her homework, ___ (have) dinner and ___ (go) to bed.
5. The sun ___ (shine) and the birds ___ (sing) when we ___ (leave) the house.
6. Marko ___ (break) his leg while he ___ (ski).
7. They ___ (not / listen) while the teacher ___ (explain) the rule.
8. When she ___ (hear) the news, she ___ (call) her mother.

Rešenja: 1. was reading, rang; 2. were walking, started; 3. were … doing; 4. finished, had, went (niz radnji); 5. was shining, were singing, left; 6. broke, was skiing; 7. weren't listening, was explaining (dve paralelne radnje); 8. heard, called (prvo je čula, pa pozvala).

Vežba 2: when ili while?

1. ___ I was cooking, my brother was setting the table.
2. I was having a shower ___ the doorbell rang.
3. ___ the film ended, everyone stood up.
4. ___ I was a child, I lived in Niš.
5. She cut her finger ___ she was chopping onions.

Rešenja: 1. While; 2. when; 3. When; 4. When (stanje, nema -ing oblika); 5. while (when je takođe moguće, ali while je prirodniji uz dužu radnju).

Vežba 3: pronađite i ispravite grešku

1. I was knowing the answer.
2. What did you doing at 8 p.m.?
3. They was playing football in the yard.
4. She wasn't hear the phone because she was sleeping.
5. When I was arriving home, I saw the letter on the table.

Rešenja: 1. I knew the answer; 2. What were you doing at 8 p.m.?; 3. They were playing; 4. She didn't hear the phone; 5. When I arrived home (dolazak je trenutna radnja).

Vežba 4: prevedite na engleski

1. Čitala sam kad je nestalo struje.
2. Dok je on spavao, mi smo spremali večeru.
3. Juče sam pročitao celu knjigu.
4. Šta si radio u ponoć?
5. Pao je dok je trčao.

Rešenja: 1. I was reading when the power went off. 2. While he was sleeping, we were making dinner. 3. I read the whole book yesterday. 4. What were you doing at midnight? 5. He fell while he was running.

Kako da utvrdite gradivo za nedelju dana

1. Prvi i drugi dan: ponovite građenje oba vremena i napišite po deset rečenica o tome šta ste juče radili u tačno određeno vreme.
2. Treći dan: vežbajte when i while na kratkim pričama od tri do četiri rečenice.
3. Četvrti dan: prevodite rečenice sa srpskog, obraćajući pažnju na svršene i nesvršene glagole.
4. Peti i šesti dan: napišite kratak sastav „A day I will never forget“ sa pozadinom u past continuous i događajima u past simple.
5. Sedmi dan: ponovo uradite vežbe iz ovog članka i uporedite rezultat.

Zaključak: završeno ili u toku

Razlika između past simple i past continuous svodi se na pogled na radnju: kao na završenu celinu ili kao na nešto što je bilo u toku. Past continuous daje pozadinu i trajanje, past simple nosi događaje. Kada to pravilo povežete sa when i while i sa glagolima stanja, većina zadataka u testovima postaje rutina.