Mastering the Difference between Past Simple and Past Continuous

Mastering the Difference between Past Simple and Past Continuous

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to differentiate when to use past simple and when to use past continuous in sentences.

Explain to the students what they should expect to learn after the lesson.

What do you already know about the difference between past simple and past continuous?

Past Simple

The past simple is used to describe an action that started and ended at a specific time in the past.

Explain the concept of past simple and give examples to the students.

Past Continuous

The past continuous is used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past.

Explain the concept of past continuous and give examples to the students.

Difference between Past Simple and Past Continuous

The main difference between past simple and past continuous is that past simple focuses on the completion of an action, while past continuous focuses on the duration of an action.

Explain the main difference between past simple and past continuous and give examples to the students.

Keywords for Past Simple

Some keywords that indicate the use of past simple in a sentence are yesterday, last night, ago, etc.

Explain to the students some of the keywords that indicate the use of past simple in a sentence.

Keywords for Past Continuous

Some keywords that indicate the use of past continuous in a sentence are while, as, was, were, etc.

Explain to the students some of the keywords that indicate the use of past continuous in a sentence.

Examples of Past Simple and Past Continuous

I ate breakfast yesterday (past simple) vs. I was eating breakfast when you called (past continuous)

Give some examples of past simple and past continuous to the students.

Practice Exercise 1

Choose the correct form of the verb in the sentence: She (play/ was playing) when the phone rang.

Give the students an exercise to practice their understanding of past simple and past continuous.

Practice Exercise 2

Rewrite the sentence in past continuous tense: He wrote a letter yesterday.

Give the students an exercise to practice their understanding of past simple and past continuous.

Common Mistakes with Past Simple and Past Continuous

A common mistake is using past continuous instead of past simple for completed actions or using past simple instead of past continuous for ongoing actions.

Explain to the students some of the common mistakes made when using past simple and past continuous.

Tips for Using Past Simple and Past Continuous

To avoid mistakes, always identify the action and its duration before deciding which tense to use.

Give the students tips for using past simple and past continuous.

More Practice Exercises

Give students more practice exercises to do in class or for homework.

Provide more practice exercises for students to work on their own or in groups.

Review and Recap

Recap the main points of the lesson and ask students if they have any questions.

Review the main points of the lesson and answer any questions the students may have.

Assessment

Evaluate students' understanding of the lesson through an assessment or quiz.

Assess students' understanding of the lesson through an assessment or quiz.

Homework

Assign homework to students to further reinforce their understanding of past simple and past continuous.

Assign homework to students to further reinforce their understanding of past simple and past continuous.

Resources

Provide students with additional resources to use for extra practice and study.

Provide students with additional resources to use for extra practice and study.

Conclusion

Conclude the lesson by thanking the students for their participation and encouraging them to practice using past simple and past continuous.

Conclude the lesson and encourage the students to practice using past simple and past continuous.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.