Past continuous - part 1

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 2

Lesson goals

• To understand how to form the past continuous  
• To understand when the past continuous is used
• To apply the past continuous correctly in a sentence

The present continuous is (am/is/are ww+ing). What do you think the past continuous might look like?

Basic form 

was or were ww+ ing

I, he, she, it - was 

 you, we, they - were

I was watching television.

I wasn't watching television

Was I watching television?

Past continuous - is used for an activity that started and finished in the past and took place  for a period of time.

Some spelling rules

Most verbs    + ing                                   to speak = speaking

Verbs (ww) that end in -e                    to arrive = arriving

Verbs (ww)  that end in -ie                  to die, to lie = dying, lying

Verbs (ww) that end in consonant, vowel, consonant (cvc)

                                                                  to skip, to get = skipping, getting

Verbs (ww) that end in -y, -x, -w        to buy, to fix, to snow =                                                                                       buying, fixing, snowing

 

Only fill in the missing words:
Sharon ..............................(to close) the door when the dog ran into the kitchen.

Only fill in the missing words:
They .........................(to practice) the piano.

Only fill in the missing words:
Gill and Sam ...........................(to listen) to music

Only fill in the missing words:
.................... you ...................(to stay) at Jeff's house?

Only fill in the missing words (no contractions) :
He .........................(to pay, not) any attention at all.

Only fill in the missing words:
We ..................(to study) for 30 minutes.

Make this quiz

You have five minutes to make this quiz. The timer will start as soon as you click on this link.

Continue with....  

First  -  U4:L5 Ex. 8, 9, 10 & 11 

                                                                   Then write sentences using the                               past continuous to describe the 

activities in the pictures.

Finished everything? Then Ex. 13 

I feel confident using the past continuous

😒🙁😐🙂😃

Past continuous vs past simple

He ...........................(to cycle) along when his phone ...................(to drop) onto the ground. 

Of the two activities, which is the longer? 

While and when

Jenny ........................(to cook) dinner when Sam ..................(to arrive) home.

1. is cooking / arrive
2. was cooking / arrived
3. cooked / was arriving
4. was cooking / was arriving

While I ......................(to study) my alarm .....................(to go) off

1. studied / go
2. was studying / go
3. was studying / went
4. studied / was going

While she ..........................(to jog) , it .................... (to start) to rain.

1. was jogging / started
2. jogged / was starting
3. was joging / started
4. joged / was starting

The kids ......................(to kick) the ball around, when their mum ....................
(to call) them in for dinner.

1. was kicking / was calling
2. were kicking / called
3. kicked / called
4. kicked / was calling

I feel confident using the past continuous and past simple together

😒🙁😐🙂😃