Use Past Simple or Past Continuous Tense-Khmer explanation?

                                                                              
                                                                                          Read in English only

In this lesson, you are assumed that you have known the forms of the two tenses.

Read this text to get to know more about the two tenses.

ក្នុងមេរៀននេះ ខ្ញុំគិតថាអ្នកបានចេះទម្រង់របស់កាលទាំងពីរ។

អានអត្ថបទនេះ ដើម្បីដឹងបន្ថែមអំពីកាលទាំងពីរ។

Well, when I was `teaching my students around 4.30 pm, my mother called me. She told me that my ailing grandmother was getting worse and worse, which made my relatives worried. In no time, I left my class to ask permission from the school director and left for my home. While I was riding home, she called me again to tell me that my grandma passed away. I found it very shocking.

ពេលខ្ញុំកំពុងបង្រៀនសិស្សរបស់ខ្ញុំប្រហែលនៅម៉ោង 4:30 នាទីល្ងាច ម្ដាយរបស់ខ្ញុំ បានទូរស័ព្ទមកខ្ញុំ។គាត់បានប្រាប់ខ្ញុំថាយាយដែលមានជំងឺប្រចាំកាយរបស់ខ្ញុំមានសភាពធ្ងន់ធ្ងរឡើងៗ ដែលធ្វើឪ្យសាច់ញាតិរបស់ខ្ញុំបារម្ភ។ភ្លាមនោះខ្ញុំបានចេញពីថ្នាក់រៀនដើម្បីសុំការអនុញាតពីលោកនាយកសាលា ហើយធ្វើដំណើរទៅផ្ទះ។ កំឡុងពេលខ្ញុំកំពុងធ្វើដំណើរ ម្ដាយរបស់ខ្ញុំបានទូរស័ព្ទមកខ្ញុំម្ដងទៀត ដើម្បីប្រាប់ខ្ញុំថា យាយរបស់ខ្ញុំបានទទួលអនិច្ចកម្មទៅហើយ។ខ្ញុំមានអារម្មណ៍រន្ធត់ជាខ្លាំង។

·         Complete these sentences.

The sentences in italic are called past.......................

The underlined sentences are called past............................

           

            Here are the differences between the two tenses.

            ភាពខុសគ្នា

1.      The past simple is used to talk about finished actions that happened at a specific time in the past, but the past continuous is used to express ongoing actions at a specific time in the past.

ប្រើ the past simple និយាយអំពី សកម្មភាពដែលបានបញ្ចប់ នៅពេលវេលាជាក់លាក់ ណាមួយក្នុងអតីតកាល ប៉ុន្តែ the past continuous បញ្ជាក់អំពីសកម្មភាព

កំពុងបន្តនៅពេលជាក់លាក់ណាមួយក្នុងអតីតកាល។

·         Vanna went to school at the age of 6.  (past simple)

វណ្ណាបានទៅរៀននៅអាយុ ៦ឆ្នាំ។

·         Vanna was going to school at 6 pm​ yesterday.  (past continuous)

វណ្ណាកំពុងទៅរៀននៅម៉ោង៦ល្ងាចម្សិលមិញ។

@ Note:

The two actions above happened and finished in the past the same. But the past continuous tense focuses on the duration of that action at a definite time in the past. 

សកម្មភាពទាំងពីរខាងលើបានកើតឡើង ហើយបញ្ចប់ទៅវិញក្នុងអតីតកាល ដូចគ្នា ប៉ុន្តែ 

 the past continuous tense ផ្ដោតទៅលើថេរៈវេលានៃសកម្មភាពមួយ

នោះនៅពេលជាក់លាក់ណាមួយក្នុងអតីតកាល។

2.      We use the past simple to show a shorter action and the past continuous to show a longer action, which happened in the past. The shorter actions interrupt or happen in the middle of the longer actions.

យើងប្រើ the past simple ដើម្បីបង្ហាញសកម្មភាពខ្លីមួយ ហើយ the past continuous បញ្ជាក់អំពីសកម្មភាពដែលកើតឡើងមុនហើយមានរយៈពេលវែងជាង។សកម្មភាពខ្លីកាត់ផ្ដាច់សកម្មភាពវែង។

·         While I was riding home, my mother called me.

(longer action)                         (shorter action)

កំឡុងពេលខ្ញុំកំពុងធ្វើដំណើរទៅផ្ទះ ម្ដាយរបស់ខ្ញុំបានទូរស័ព្ទមកខ្ញុំ។

·         When Thida was reading her favorite book, the light went out.

ពេលធីតាកំពុងអានសៀវភៅដែលនាងពេញចិត្ត ភ្លើងបានដាច់។

3.      For long –term actions, we use the past simple, but we use the past continuous

             for temporary ones.

​

           សម្រាប់សកម្មភាពយូរអង្វែង យើងប្រើ the past simple ប៉ុន្តែយើងប្រើ the past  សម្រាប់
            សកម្មភាពបណ្តោះអាសន្ន។       

·         When Chantrea was a student, he did well at school.   (long –term action)

ពេលចន្រ្ទានៅជាសិស្ស គាត់រៀនបានពូកែ។

·         Chantrea was studying Korean at a center during his vocation in April 2012.( temporary action)

ចន្រ្ទាបានកំពុងរៀនភាសាកូរ៉េនៅមជ្ឈមណ្ឌលមួយ កំឡុងវិស្សមកាលរបស់គាត់នៅខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ២០១២។

4.      We use the past simple to talk about actions that happened in sequence, but we use the past continuous to express two or more actions that were happening at the same time in the past.

យើងប្រើ the past simple ដើម្បី និយាយអំពីសកម្មភាពបានកើតឡើងបន្តបន្ទាប់គ្នា ប៉ុន្តែយើងប្រើ the past continuous ដើម្បីបញ្ជាក់អំពីសកម្មភាពពីរ ឬច្រើនដែលកំពុងកើតឡើងក្នុងពេលដំណាលគ្នា។

·           When Dave opened his book, he saw a letter.

ពេល Dave បើកសៀវភៅរបស់គាត់ គាត់បានឃើញសំបុត្រមួយ។

·           When she got home, she took a bath, ate dinner and went to bed.(actions followed one another)

ពេលនាងមកដល់ផ្ទះ នាងងូតទឹក ហូបអាហារពេលល្ងាច ហើយនាងចូលសម្រាក។​(សកម្មភាពបន្តបន្ទាប់គ្នា)

·           When Dave was reading, his sons were watching TV.

(The two actions happen at the same time)

ពេល Dave កំពុងអានសៀវភៅ កូនរបស់គាត់កំពុងមើលទូរទស្សន៍។         

5.      Use the past simple with both action verbs and non-action verbs, but use the past continuous with action verbs only.

ប្រើ the past simple ជាមួយកិរិយាសព្ទបញ្ជាក់ពីសកម្មភាព និងកិរិយាសព្ទមិនសម្តែងពីសកម្មភាព ប៉ុន្តែប្រើ the past continuous ជាមួយកិរិយាសព្ទបញ្ជាក់ពីសកម្មភាពប៉ុណ្ណោះ។

·           She knew her boyfriend when she was 19. (knew is a non-action verb so we can’t say “she was knowing her boyfriend”.)

·           Mr. Chandorn met Jane at the air port.

·           When Jane and I were meeting for lunch, we saw you.

ពេល Jane និងខ្ញុំកំពុងជួបគ្នាដើម្បីហូបអាហារ យើងបានឃើញអ្នក។

@ Note:

We never use the continuous tenses with state verbs ( non- action verbs).

យើងមិនប្រើកាលទម្រង់កំពុងបន្តជាមួយ state verbs ទេ។

·         Dara knew me when we were at high school together.

(Not: Dara was knowing me)

·           I had my bike in 2010. (Not: I was having my bike in 2010)

Click here for more information about non-actionverbs (state verbs).

Thanks for reading!