so we wound normally use a past tense. Compare the following: When did Brenda phone? ~ Not long ago. About ten minutes ago, I think. Merlin was a wizard who lived long ago in the reign of King Arthur.

because the past simple is the most important tense, and it's at the point that we want to focus on. Did you get it? Alright guys. Dan for BBC Learning English, signing off. Use past continuous to ...

Whether you're just starting to learn English or looking to ... Story Writing Format Informal Letter Format Tenses indicate when an action takes place: in the past, present, or future.