Unit 3: Grammar: Past simple, past continuous & used to

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• Middelbare school
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• Leerjaar 2

Unit 3: Grammar

Past simple, past continuous & used to

What do you remember of the Past Simple?

Past simple

When do you use it?

• Actions or events in the past.                                                                He visited his grandmother yesterday.
• Actions or events which happened one after another.           First he visited his grandmother, then he went to school.
• Things which happened over a long period in the past.           All the time he was at school, he rebelled against the rules.

Complete the sentence:
Last week, my grandparents ... (go) on holiday.

1. goed
2. went
3. were going
4. was went

Past continuous

When do you use it?

An action that started before another action in the past.

I was cycling to school, when I fell off my bike.

My parent were working from home, when the power went off.

Complete the sentence:
The mayor ... (open) the ceremony, when the lightning struck and lights whent out.

1. opened
2. were opening
3. was opening
4. had opened

He ... (serve) behind the counter in a fast food restaurant, when I first ... (notice) him.

I ... (win) the tennis match, when my opponent ... (claim) the light was too dark to continue.

We ... (put) the plates on the table, when the guests ... (ring) to say they were not coming.

Used to

What can you use 'used to'?

When do you use it?

• Situations in the past that are no longer true.                              I  used to go running once a week in the summer.
• Repeated activities or habits in the past which no longer happen.                                                                                                              She used to go to school by bus every day, but now she walks.

I always ... about making grammatical mistakes in English, but now I just ask my teacher to help me.

1. used to worry
2. was worrying

During her five years at university, she seldom ... with other students.

1. socialised
2. was socialising

She ..., when a shark suddenly appeared.

1. used to scuba dive
2. was scuba diving

She impatiently unwrapped the parcel, quickly examined the contents and then ... it.

1. used to discard
2. discarded

She regularly used to participate in races until her health ...

1. was deteriorating
2. deteriorated

She was gazing out of the window, when the postman ... the bell.

1. rang
2. used to ring

Get to work

Page 31

Do: Ex. 1, 2, 4, 5

Time: 10 minutes

Done? Think of a story of exercise 3. It doesn't have to be true.

Exercise 1

1. were checking out                                started
2. used to travel

Exercise 2

1. was walking
2. used to spend
3. got               jumped               rode
4. used to visit
5. were walking                      began
6. used to visit                        was

Exercise 4

1. C
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. B
6. D
7. C

Exercise 5

1. developed                                      10. stopped
2. enjoyed                                            11. studied
3. happened                                       12. travel(l)ed
4. liked                                                   13. tried
5. mentioned
6. occurred
7. opened
8. planned
9. preferred
10. stopped

Speaking

Book ex. 3

Think of a story beginning with: "when I was younger..." or "I was ... when suddenly ..."

Your classmate has to ask questions to find out if the story is true.