1. To talk about the circumstances surrounding an event in the past. This meansthat it gives us the context information, or the background of the main narrativeactions.Imagine it as a photograph. It gives us the details of the actions, but there is nomovement.

2. Its used to indicate the events that interrupt the background actions. Actions inSimple Past are the main actions, or the narrative actions. These are the verbsthat make the story advance.Imagine it as a movie. It gives the story movement.