Module 3
Grammar
The Past Simple and the Past Continuous
Present continuous = present progressive
We use the past simple to talk about events, states, or habits at definite times in the past. At 4 pm last Tuesday, I was working in the office. The past continuous emphasises the action or event in progress around a time in the past.
Do you know how to use the past continuous and past simple?
Look at these examples to see how the past continuous and past simple are used.
When I woke up this morning, it was snowing.
I was sleeping when you called me.
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.
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Note: The simple past of the verb (be) = was / were
Negative = wasn't / weren't
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SB page 25 / exercise 1
1 Complete these sentences using was, were, was not (wasn’t), were not (weren’t).
Adel: Where were you yesterday afternoon? Farid: I (1) _____ out cycling.
Adel: Was your cousin Omar with you? Farid: Yes, he (2) _____, but he (3) _____ cycling. His sister Ghada (4) _____ teaching.
Adel: (5) _____ they spending the day at your house? Farid: No, they (6) _____. They only came for an hour. We (7) _____ having so much fun.
Farid: (8) _____ you playing with someone? Adel: No, I (9) _____. I (10) _____ reading an interesting book.
Answers 1. was; 2. was; 3. was not (wasn’t); 4. was; 5. Were; 6. weren’t; 7. were; 8. Were; 9. was not (wasn’t); 10. was
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SB page 25 / exercise 2
2 Work in pairs. Tell your partner what you were doing at these times. Use the Past Continuous.
Students’ own answers
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SB page 25 / exercise 3
3 Look at the sentence from the article. What two tenses can you identify? Find other examples in the article.
“While the robbers were threatening his parents, he locked himself in the bathroom with his little sister and called the police.”
Answers
“While he and his little sister were playing in the garden, the boy realised something unusual was going on.” ;
“While he was talking to the police, one of the robbers broke down the door and grabbed the phone.
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SB page 25 / exercise 4
4 Use the clues to write sentences in the Past Simple or the Past Continuous about how Raed crashed his red car.
1. talk on the phone
_________________________________
2. look at the sky
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3. not stop at red light
__________________________________
4. drive fast
___________________________________
5. not listen to traffic policeman
___________________________________
Suggested answers
1. Raed was talking on the phone when he crashed his car.
2. Raed was looking at the sky when he hit another car.
3. Raed did not stop at the red light so he drove into another car.
4. Raed was driving too fast to see the yellow car coming.
5. Raed did not listen to the traffic policeman who said he should get his lights fixed, so the driver of the yellow car didn’t see him coming.
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SB page 25/ exercise 5
5 Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
| Mrs Jones: Good morning, class. I hope you all had a nice weekend. Have any of you experienced anything interesting that you want to share with us? … Yes, Jack? Jack: Well, something unusual (1) _____ (happen) to me. My parents said I did a kind thing. Mrs Jones: When did it happen? Jack: Yesterday morning, while I (2) _____ (go) to visit my cousins. Mrs Jones: What happened? Jack: I (3) _____ (walk) in the street when I (4) _____ (hear) an old woman asking people about a boy called Bill. She wanted to see him play football but was lost and didn’t know where to go. Mrs Jones: What happened next? Jack: I remembered I (5) _____ (go) to watch my cousins play football later that afternoon. So, I decided to take her to their house to see if they knew who she was. Mrs Jones: (6) _____ (they/recognise) her? Jack: Yes. She was the grandmother of one of the players. She was going to buy a gift for him when she got lost. |
Answers 1. happened; 2. was going; 3. was walking; 4. heard; 5. was going; 6. Did they recognise
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SB page 25 / exercise 7
Make sentences using the Past Simple and the Past Continuous.
1. walk to work / find a wallet full of money (they)
2. shop / lose wallet (she)
3. jog in the park / the car theft happen (we)
4. study for my exam / have a terrible headache (I)
5. read the paper / hear the baby cry (he)
Suggested answers
1. They found a wallet full of money while they were walking to work.
2. She lost her wallet while she was shopping.
3. We were jogging in the park when the car theft happened.
4. I was studying for my exam when I had a terrible headache.
5. He was reading the newspaper when he heard the baby cry.
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