Form: Subject + verb (past form)
Use: Completed actions in the past (e.g., "I visited London last summer").
4. Text Analysis: Recognizing Tenses (15 minutes)
Objective: Practice identifying and understanding the past tenses in context.
Materials: Printed or projected text.
Activity: Provide students with a short text (see below) in which they need to underline or highlight the verbs in the Past Simple, Past Continuous, and Past Perfect. Afterward, ask students to work in pairs or small groups to discuss the tense use.
Sample Text:
"Last weekend, I went to a party. When I arrived, everyone was dancing and having fun. I had just finished my homework when my friend invited me. I had never been to such a party before. I was talking to some people when I noticed my old school teacher was there too! I didn’t expect that."
Follow-up Questions:
What action happened first in the text? (Past Perfect: "I had just finished my homework.")
What were the ongoing actions in the past? (Past Continuous: "was dancing," "was talking")
Which events are completed actions? (Past Simple: "went," "arrived," "noticed")
Class Discussion: Have the students explain their answers. If necessary, clarify any misunderstandings and reinforce tense rules.