Past Continuous vs Past Simple

Past Simple vs. Past Continuous
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Slide 1: Slide
EngelsMiddelbare schoolvwoLeerjaar 1

This lesson contains 27 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.

time-iconLesson duration is: 45 min

Items in this lesson

Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

Slide 1 - Slide

When something was going on for a period of time in the past (ongoing action). 

We were doing the dishes yesterday.
Past Continuous 

Slide 2 - Slide

Past tense of the verb 'to be' and verb + ing
I was playing
You were playing
He was playing
We were playing
You were playing
They were playing
Past Continuous 

Slide 3 - Slide

Past Continuous
Quiz time!

Choose the correct form of the past continuous

Slide 4 - Slide

Boris ... English
A
was learning
B
is learning
C
has learned
D
will learn

Slide 5 - Quiz

They ... swimming in the lake
A
are swimming
B
were swam
C
were swimming
D
have swum

Slide 6 - Quiz

Your father ... the car
A
will have been repairing
B
is repairing
C
repaired
D
was repairing

Slide 7 - Quiz

I ... a magazine
A
read
B
was reading
C
am reading
D
will read

Slide 8 - Quiz

You ... your bag
A
am packing
B
were packing
C
packed
D
will have packed

Slide 9 - Quiz

My friends ... the match on TV
A
have been watching
B
watched
C
were watching
D
are watching

Slide 10 - Quiz

Past Simple AND Past Continuous 

Slide 11 - Slide

I was walking yesterday.
I fell off my skateboard.
Past Continuous
Past Simple

Slide 12 - Slide

Past continuous vs. past simple

Slide 13 - Slide

Past continuous vs. past simple


Past Simple = Something that has already happened. 
Past Continuous = Something that is going on. 


Slide 14 - Slide

Past continuous vs. past simple
 'when':
''When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.''
'' What were you doing when the earthquake started?''

 'while' 
''What were you doing while you were waiting?''
''I was studying while my father was making dinner.''

Slide 15 - Slide

Past continuous vs. past simple
''I was cooking dinner when my mother called.''


The activity that was going on is the past continuous.
The activity that 'happened after' is the past simple

Slide 16 - Slide

Present simple: always / every / sometimes / often / regularly / ..
Present continuous: (right) now / at the moment / Listen! / Look!
Past simple: yesterday / last / ago / in 1492 / the other day / ...



You have to know this BY HEART

Slide 17 - Slide

Fill in the past simple: I .............. to my neighbour yesterday.
timer
0:20
A
talk
B
talks
C
talked
D
were talking

Slide 18 - Quiz

What are the signal words for the past simple?

timer
0:20
A
for, yet, never, ever
B
yesterday, last year, ago, when
C
always, often, usually, never
D
right now, at the moment

Slide 19 - Quiz

Fill in the past continuous: We ................... a good movie when the phone rang.
timer
0:20
A
watched
B
have watched
C
were watching
D
are watching

Slide 20 - Quiz

What are the signal words for past continuous?
timer
0:20
A
when, while
B
always, never, ever, often
C
right now, at the moment
D
yesterday, last week

Slide 21 - Quiz

Past continuous vs. past simple
You use the past continuous in combination with the past simple to indicate that something happened (short action = past simple) while something was already going on 
(long action = past continuous).

 I was reading a book when the phone rang
I was washing my car when the accident happened

Slide 22 - Slide

Make a sentence with the Past Continuous

Slide 23 - Open question

Make a sentence with Past simple

Slide 24 - Open question

Make a sentence with the Past Continuous AND Past Simple

Slide 25 - Open question

Past Continuous vs. Past Simple

Slide 26 - Mind map

I understand the difference between the Past Simple & Past Continuous ....
A
Perfectly!
B
Quite well, need to study a bit more
C
Not really, I need to study a lot
D
Not at all! Can you help me?

Slide 27 - Quiz