Past Simple and Past Continuous

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

Past Continuous & Past Simple

10 November 2020

Today's programme

Lesson goals - 2 minutes

Past continuous video - 5 - 10 minutes

When & How to use the past continuous - 10 minutes

Past simple & continuous video - 5 minutes

Past Simple & Continuous - how these tenses used together -  5 minutes

Lesson goals achieved? - 2 minutes

Lesson goals

By the end of this lesson you can....

1. explain what the past continuous tense is and when to use it

2. explain what the difference is between the past simple and the past continuous tenses

3. recognise past continuous tense signal words vs. past simple tense signal words

Past continuous signal words

While

When

+

Specific dates and times in the past:

- Last… (week, year, month, etc.)

- In 1984, 2015 ….. etc.

- Yesterday…. etc.

Past continuous

The past continuous shows us that the action started and finished in the past and can also show that an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment.

*** What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was studying.

*** I was cooking all day.

*** We were cleaning the house all morning.

This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m.

Was/were the "to be" verb indicates the past. The -ing indicates the continuous. All day/morning indicates duration.

Make this sentence past continuous.
I _____(to be) _____ (work) yesterday.

1. was working
2. am working

Make this sentence past continuous.
We ____ (to be) ____ (watch) TV last night.

1. are watching
2. were watching

Past continuous

To describe multiple actions happening at the same time in the past.

 *** They were eating while she was talking.

*** We were listening to music while I was driving.

Were/was indicates past tense.  The _ing indicates continuous action.  While indicates that these two things are happening at the  same time.

Tom was studying and Susan ____ (to be)_____ (teach).

1. was taught
2. was teaching

While Sara ___ (to be) _____ (sleep), John was watching TV.

1. was sleeping
2. was slept

Past continuous

We use the past continuous to show a past action in progress during another shorter past action or a specific time.

*** When it started to rain, I was walking on the beach.

 *** I was eating breakfast at 7:00.

*** She was drinking coffee when I called. 

The -ed = past simple. The -ing = past continuous.  Was = past. When = shows shorter past action or specific time.  7:00 = specific time

I ____(to be) ____ (work) in an advertising agency in 2010.

1. was working
2. am working

I ____ (to be) ____ (lie) on the beach for two hours before it started to rain.

1. is lying
2. was lying

Past simple & continuous

Can you see the difference in meaning in these two sentences?

When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner.

When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner.

Past simple & continuous

Can you see the difference in meaning in these two sentences?

When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner.

When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner.

In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. We know that because it uses the past continuous. In the second sentence, the guests arrived first and then Jane started cooking.

Past simple & continuous

When we use these two tenses together, it shows us that the past simple action happened in the middle of the past continuous action, while it was in progress.

 *** While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy.

We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action.

*** I broke my leg when I was skiing.

While I was walking home, I _____ a new shop on Green Street.

1. noticed
2. was noticing

While I was washing the dishes, I suddenly ____ a brilliant idea.

1. was having
2. had

____________ what you were looking for in the library yesterday?

1. Were you finding
2. Did you find

Past continuous 

1) Three years ago, we ____ (to be) ____ (live) in my home town.

2) I tried to give him some advice, but he ____ (to be + not)) ____ (listen)

3) What ____ (to be) you ____ (do) this time last year?

4) I saw you driving down Green Street yesterday. Where _____(to be) you _____ (go)?

5) This time last year I ____ (to be) _____ (study) at university.

6) As I _____ (to be) _____ (go) to work, I _____ (see) an old friend.

 7) We ______ (to be) ________ (watch) television when the power _____ (go) off.

Homework

Workbook page 19

Exercise 5

Exercise 6

Lesson goals achieved? 

You can....

1. explain what the past continuous tense is and when to use it

2. explain what the difference is between the past simple and the past continuous tenses

3. recognise past continuous tense signal words vs. past simple tense signal words

End

Past simple

The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present. 

Regular past simple verbs have -ed at the end (e.g. called, played, arrived). 

My parents ______ (call) me yesterday.

Sam ______ (play) basketball when he was at university.

Past simple

The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present. 

Regular past simple verbs have -ed at the end (e.g. called, played, arrived). 

My parents called me yesterday.

Sam played basketball when he was at university.

Past simple

Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. go → went, feel → felt).

I _____ (wake) up early this morning.

I  ______ (break)  my leg yesterday.

We make the negative with didn't and the infinitive verb.

My parents didn't call me yesterday.

I didn't wake up early this morning.

We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb.

Did you wake up early this morning?

Did Sam play basketball when he was at university?

Past simple

Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. go → went, feel → felt).

I woke up early this morning.

I broke my leg yesterday.

We make the negative with didn't and the infinitive verb.

My parents didn't call me yesterday.

I didn't wake up early this morning.

We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb.

Did you wake up early this morning?

Did Sam play basketball when he was at university?

Past simple

We make the negative with didn't and the infinitive verb.

My parents did __________ ( not call) me yesterday.

I did _______ (not wake) up early this morning.

Past simple

We make the negative with didn't and the infinitive verb.

My parents didn't call me yesterday.

I didn't wake up early this morning.

Past simple

We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb.

______ you _____ (wake) up early this morning?

______ Sam _____ (play) basketball when he was at university?

Past simple

We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb.

Did you wake up early this morning?

Did Sam play basketball when he was at university?