Lesson 16: Unit 75 - Past Continuous. Past Simple
Learn when to use the Past Continuous and the Past Simple to tell stories and describe past situations in English.
About this lesson
In this lesson you will learn the difference between the Past Continuous and the Past Simple in English. You will understand how to use the Past Continuous for actions that were in progress at a given moment in the past, and the Past Simple for completed actions that follow one after another. Through dialogues, stories and practical exercises you will practise using the two tenses correctly. The lesson is based entirely on authentic texts and exercises from the Kabinata curriculum.
40 minutes
What you'll learn
- Recognise and form the Past Continuous (was/were + verb-ing).
- Distinguish between the use of the Past Simple and the Past Continuous in a sentence.
- Use 'while' and 'when' correctly with both tenses.
- Tell stories with a sequence of past actions.
- Describe a background situation in the past with the Past Continuous.
- Choose the correct verb tense in context.
Lesson vocabulary
- examine The doctor examined me and told me I had the flu.
- prescribe He prescribed me some medicines and told me to stay at home.
- flu The doctor told me I had the flu.
- GP (general practitioner) I decided to see my GP.
- crash When a friend was driving me home, he crashed his car.
- get hurt Did anyone get hurt?
- proposal She didn't accept his proposal.
- heartbroken Heartbroken, he went to Scotland.
- introduce She introduced him to her friend Theresa.
- curtains I got up, pulled the curtains and looked through the window.
- familiar I couldn't hear any familiar noises in my flat.
- raincoat People were wearing raincoats and carrying umbrellas.
- umbrella They were carrying umbrellas.
- miss (the bus) I didn't see where the bus stop was, so I missed the bus.
- rush I have to rush now.
In other languages: Български