Scribd
Upload
31 views2 pages

Unit-4-Handouts - Unit-4-Handouts - Handout - 2 1

The document discusses the use of past continuous and simple past tenses in English grammar, providing examples and explanations for their usage. It includes a narrative about a winter trip to London, illustrating the application of these tenses in storytelling. Additionally, there are exercises for practice, focusing on completing sentences and conversations using the correct verb forms.

Uploaded by

Sofia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
31 views2 pages

Unit-4-Handouts - Unit-4-Handouts - Handout - 2 1

The document discusses the use of past continuous and simple past tenses in English grammar, providing examples and explanations for their usage. It includes a narrative about a winter trip to London, illustrating the application of these tenses in storytelling. Additionally, there are exercises for practice, focusing on completing sentences and conversations using the correct verb forms.

Uploaded by

Sofia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Life

Level 3 Unit 4b
Past continuous and simple past

It was winter. I was staying with


my grandparents at the time. One
day I needed to go to London. My
grandparents offered to drive me to
the station. It was snowing and the
traffic was moving really slowly so
I decided to get out and walk. As I
arrived at the station the last
passengers were getting on the train.
I ran to the platform, but it was too
late. The train was leaving the station.

Presentation

Use the past continuous to talk about actions and Past continuous and simple past
situations in progress at a particular moment in the past: You can use the past continuous with the simple past to
It was snowing and the traffic was moving really slowly. talk about two actions that happened at the same time.
Use the past continuous to talk about the action which
Past continuous was already in progress. Use the simple past to talk
Affirmative and negative about a second, shorter action:

was
I / he / she / it
wasn’t (was not) She arrived on the platform
running.
were time
We / you / they
weren’t (were not)
The train was leaving the station

Questions and short answers When she arrived at the platform, the train was leaving
the station.
was I / he / she / it
Where going?
were we / you / they

The second, shorter action sometimes interrupts the


Yes, I / he / she / it was. No, I / he / she / it wasn’t.
action already in progress:
Yes, you / we / they were. No, you / we / they weren’t.

The ticket collector stopped me


You also often use the past continuous to describe the
time
background to a story:
It was winter. I was staying with my grandparents at the I was running up the stairs
time.
I was running up the stairs to the platform when the
Do not use the past continuous with stative verbs: ticket collector stopped me.
I needed … (not I was needing.)

1 © National Geographic Learning


Level 3 Unit 4b
Exercises

Exercises
1 Complete the sentences with was, were, wasn’t, or weren’t.
1 What you doing at ten o’clock last night?
2 Why he running away so fast?
3 He doing his homework. He watching TV instead!
4 They disturbing the neighbors with their loud music.
5 I’m sorry. I working late at the office and I forgot to call.
6 Sorry, we listening. What did you say?
7 She living there for very long, only a few weeks, I think.
8 They having problems with their car, so they took a taxi.
2  Choose the correct form of the verb. Then listen and check.
4

Conversation 1
A: What 1did you do / were you doing at 2 a.m. this morning? 2Did you have / Were you having a party?
B: No, not a party. We 3invited / were inviting some friends for dinner. Why?
A: The music was really loud! I 4tried / was trying to get to sleep.
B: Sorry! I 5didn’t know / wasn’t knowing it was so loud.
Conversation 2
C: Oh! Hello! I didn’t know you 6waited / were waiting for me. I 7spoke / was speaking to Mark on the phone.
D: It’s OK. I 8finished / was finishing work about half an hour ago. Would you like to go for a quick coffee?
Have you got time?
C: Yes, I have. I 9just looked / was just looking at a report, but I can finish it later.
3 Complete the text with the past continuous or simple past form of the verbs.

A man 1 (walk) down the street. It 2 (be) a beautiful


day—the sun 3 (shine) and the birds 4 (sing). The
man 5 (walk) past a park bench when he 6 (see) a piece
of paper on the ground. He 7 (pick) it up. It 8 (be) a lottery ticket.
He 9
(cross) the street to a store where a woman 10
(write) the
winning lottery numbers on a board. He 11
(read) the numbers on the board and
12
(look) at the numbers on his ticket. He couldn’t believe his eyes! As he
13
(walk) out of the store, he 14 (dream) about
would spend his three-million-dollar prize!

2 © National Geographic Learning

You might also like