PAST: SIMPLE, CONTINUOUS AND USED TO

PAST
SIMPLE	CONTINUOUS	USED TO
Ÿ to talk about actions or events in the past ex. He came to London last year.	Ÿ to talk about an activity started before and continued until an event in the past ex. He was walking and phoning Maria when he bumped into a tree.        (the activity of phoning and walking was interrupted by the problem with the tree)	Ÿ to talk about situations or states in the past (not now) ex. Helen used to belong to the chess club.
Ÿ also actions or events happened one after another ex. He saw the London Bridge and then he bought tickets to saw the tennis tournament in Wimbledon.	Ÿ also activity started before and continued after an event in the past ex. I was spending my free time with Anna when Muriel was elected president of the club.      (I continued to spend my free time afterwards)	Ÿ also about repeated activities or habits in the past (not now) ex. When I was a teenager I used to go to the swimming-pool with my friends every afternoon.     Did you use to compete in swimming?
Ÿ things which happened for a long time in the past ex. They worked in Sevilla for five years from 1998 to 2013.		NOTE: Ÿ about habits in the present we use present simple + adverb ex. I usually drink coffee instead of milk.