Do you know how to use the past continuous and past simple? This immediately illustrates the idea that the past continuous is used to set the context of what was happening at that moment in time. In other words, the past continuous needs the context of another event when stopped the action in progress at the time. Function #1: To express an activity that was in progress at a particular time in the past or when another action happened that interrupted the first activity (the activity that was already in progress). https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-teach-past-continuous-1212108 (accessed January 26, 2021). Students are given a list of strange actions and ask their partners to come up with innocent reasons why they were doing those things, e.g. The past continuous and the past simple help us to show how two past actions or situations are connected. 1st (if clause) and 2nd (result) Past Continuous Accusations. My parents called me yesterday. 75. ", creative writing exercise on the past continuous, M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music, B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music. A creative writing exercise on the past continuous will also help students build their ability to integrate the past continuous into more advanced structures. This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m. Functions of the Past continuous. I tried to give him some advice, but he wasn't listening. ThoughtCo. Use a past continuous timeline to illustrate interrupted action. Therefore, past perfect continuous would be better: “I had been standing”. For example: Q) "What were they doing yesterday?" This game is similar to the murder mystery Clue. Here are some examples. How to Effectively Teach the Past Continuous to EFL and ESL Students. While I was running ………., the black dog ………. Put the Simple Past or Past Continuous, note where the both forms are possible he (drive) along a deserted country lane, when she (see) a new kind of animal? Do this exercise to test your grammar again. © British Council To form the past continuous we use was/were + verb (-ing). YolkLord42 replied on 15 January, 2021 - 10:34 Netherlands. 4. Make sure that students understand the use of time clauses with "when" and "while" to help them use the past continuous in context. Although it has its nuances, we usually use it talk about actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past. Appoint one journalist per pair. The past continuous tense is formed by combining the past tense of to be (i.e., was/were) with the verb’s present participle (-ing word). What are the common mistakes in Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses? You can model this by using a photo in a magazine to describe such an event. While is certainly more common with the past continuous, but it is also possible to use when without changing the meaning. We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb. Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. past continuous (1) Type the correct answer into the box. One action (past continuous) is interrupted by another action (past simple). "I broke my leg when I was skiing." Past tense expresses the actions that happened in the past. Continue introducing the past continuous by asking students simple questions in the past simple about events. The Past Continuous Tense Meaning: It is used to talk about a longer background action in the past, when a shorter action interrupts it or happens during it. “When I … She was sitting on the bench and reading a book at that moment. We know that because it uses the past continuous. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-teach-past-continuous-1212108. What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? He ……….. I have one Question: Where can I found the irregular verbs? when the phone rang. We were watching television when the power went off. I will be waiting for you. at the end of the term. They are typical mistakes that students do in Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses. We mostly use the past simple tense (we played) for repeated actions in the past. as you said before it's unusual using the continuous tense with already so that's why the answer to this question is '' were already closing''. were playing with ……….. Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner. The grammar focus is on the past continuous and past simple. Did Sam play basketball when he was at university? I was really happy because ………. The main concept to relay when teaching the past continuous is the idea that the past continuous expresses an interrupted action. Teaching ideas for past continuous Function #1 should include giving examples of this function. We make the negative with didn't and the infinitive verb. Which you use depends upon the context and the speaker's intention or focus, neither of which we have here as your sentence is presented in isolation. i can understand when i read or when some one speak to me .. but i can't reply correctly or write a text without mistakes.. and i know that i have a lof of mistakes in my comment.. keep going. However, it is not possible to use while before the clause with the simple verb: He arrived while I was washing my car = correct, He arrived when I was washing my car = correct, I was washing my car when he arrived = correct, I was washing my car while he arrived = incorrect, oussamach replied on 25 December, 2020 - 22:55 Algeria, thank you.. my big problem in english is the grammar. It is used: Often, to describe the background in a story written in the past tense, e.g. Even teachers who are native speakers do not always agree on whether the past perfect is more appropriate than the past simple in some sentences. Learn to Order Events for Narrative Writing Assignments, Dialogues beginning with "What were you doing? 77. However, the most common use is together with the past simple ​(when something happened). You might want to consider teaching the past simple together with the past continuous for intermediate level classes, as the past simple will be review for students. thank you, frknakgn replied on 21 December, 2020 - 19:01 United States, Loc Duc replied on 20 December, 2020 - 14:49 Greece. Use contractions where possible. Students will learn to contrast the use of the past continuous and past simple (Action 1 was happening when Action 2 interrupted it); Students will make controlled and freer practice of the past continuous and past simple in this function. ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/how-to-teach-past-continuous-1212108. The continuous form (were cleaning) emphasises the ongoing nature of the activity while the simple form (cleaned) emphasises the action as a completed whole. The past continuous and continuous forms, in general, are used with action verbs such as talk, drive, play, etc. Explain that "while" is used when two actions happen at the same time in the past. What were you doing this time last year? was co… 71. will help students practice. Alibi. She will be here soon. the question '' I didn't buy anything. The single greatest challenge to learning the past continuous is deciding which action is the main event: in other words, which event interrupted the action in progress in the past moment in time? When I turned left, ………. 72. In these notes, we’re going to focus on the past continuous in the passive voice and its elaborations.Generally, we use the passive when the focus is on the action and NOT on WHO or WHAT is performing the action.. Construction: was/were + being + past participle Past Continuous Timeline. This is not only a classic activity for the Past Continuous, but also an all time classic TEFL game. 1. She couldn't come to the party. Put the Simple Past or Past Continuous .Note where the both forms are possible. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, English as a Second Language (ESL) Expert. Although the connection is not obvious, it is possible to link this to the meanings above. Other challenges can include the use of the past continuous to express an activity that happened over a period of time. Past continuous and past simple: Grammar test 1. Improve your grammar skills with LearnEnglish Grammar, the #1 educational mobile app. The Past Continuous/Past Progressive verb tense has two functions. (2020, August 27). How Many Verb Tenses Are There in English? Past Perfect has the same meaning as Past Perfect Continuous when the main verb in the sentence is a stative or non-continuous verb and action in the sentence is in progress. 7. Sam played basketball when he was at university. The present continuous tense is construction which is made of subject +auxiliary verb (verb) + main verb (base + ing). and wasn’t coming for the lesson. Problems with the use of the past perfect and the past simple. She said my piano teacher ………. continuous problem definition in the English Cobuild dictionary for learners, continuous problem meaning explained, see also 'continuous assessment',continuously',contiguous',continuum', English vocabulary Explaining the Past Continuous on the Board. What's the difference? Three years ago, we were living in my home town. The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action. This example is exaggerated for a reason. He will try to contact us next week. They were watching TV when I came. As I was going to work, I saw an old friend. Problems … There are several reasons as to why we use the passive voice in English. The biggest problem for some learners seems to be the fact that native speakers do not always use the past perfect when learners have been told they must. When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner. Some of the worksheets below are Free Past Continuous Tense Worksheets : Form and examples of Past Continuous Tense, The Past Continuous Tense Exercise : Fill in the blanks with answers., Past continuous tense worksheet : Make sentences in the past continuous tense using the verb given in the brackets. I'd like to tell you about the day I met my wife. I broke my leg when I was skiing. 73. The past continuous tense is often used in combination with the past simple tense. A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). ESL Past Continuous Activity - Reading, Listening Writing and Listening - Pre-intermediate (A2) - 40 minutes In this challenging past continuous activity, students put a ghost story in order by saying and listening to sentences. In the second sentence, the guests arrived first and then Jane started cooking. We were cleaning the house all morning. Beare, Kenneth. specialy te tenses . Discuss in pairs or whole class the Argentina and England fans would have felt about the incident. Past: typical errors - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary enough. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. With tense, students can know when the time action occurs, and understand the correspondence between the form of the verb and their concept of time. For example: Q) "What were you doing at 7.30 last night Ask each student to tell the story of the 1966 game from their perspective. Comprehension activities such as using photos in magazines will help with the past continuous. Dialogues beginning with "What were you doing?" The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense, refers to a continuing action or state that was happening at some point in the past. after me. The past continuous can be used by itself to express what happened at a precise moment in the past. ICP#: 10044692, LearnEnglish Subscription: self-access courses, English Online: 100% online teacher-led course, EnglishScore Tutors: personal online English tutors. ... Report a problem. The past continuous is another tense that is commonly taught to beginners, usually after they’ve learned the past simple. It was my mom. "How to Effectively Teach the Past Continuous to EFL and ESL Students." 74. In this case even if the first action (which started in the past) continued up until another action in the past, we cannot use Past Perfect Continuous, only Past Perfect! I was walking through the park, the birds were singing and it was raining just a little bit when I saw her! You can find information on irregular verbs here: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/irregular-verbs, Rafaela1 replied on 6 January, 2021 - 12:44 Cambodia, The bird started eating on the tree while I was having a meal inside a house. How to Teach the Present Continuous to ESL Students, Past Continuous Lesson Plan for ESL Learners, How to Teach the Past Simple to ESL Students, Visual Explanations of Each English Tense, Guide to Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous for ESL. in my room, when I heard some noise coming ……….. Present Perfect Continuous Tense Structure: Subject + Has/have + been + Verb(+ing) Example: I have been completing my assignment for the last three days. But that sentence proved me wrong and confused..... Peter M. replied on 6 January, 2021 - 08:51 Poland. I woke up early this morning. We were playing tennis every morning. A) "They were working all day." I took the textbook because I needed it ………. 76. ;), DennisT replied on 6 January, 2021 - 07:15 Germany. In this case, make it clear to students that they are to describe the event in the past. The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past. Contrasting this timeline with the past continuous for something happening at a specific point in the past may help illustrate the difference between the two uses. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time. The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present. The continuous form is not used with stative verbs such as 'be', 'seem', 'taste', etc. I decided to run. Past continuous and past simple - interrupted activities Past continuous and past simple - interrupted activities English speakers often use the past simple and … Before yet I thought, 'while' goes with past continuous and 'when' with past tense. I think the answer '' already closed'' is still correct. 78. Can you see a difference in the meaning of these two sentences? – Answers at the end., Grammar: Past simple and past continuous – Questions … When I went there, ………. With as many problems as we are all faced with in our work and life, it seems as if there is never enough time to solve each one without dealing with some adversity along the way. Regular past simple verbs have -ed at the end (e.g. when the black dog started barking. In other words, the past continuous speaks about what was going on when something important happened. ; She has been working in this department since 2017.; View: Present Perfect Continuous Tense Formula and Usage PAST TENSE. Beare, Kenneth. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. It boldly conveys the point. the teacher can help me? They will study math. I was sleeping when you called me. Look at these examples to see how the past continuous and past simple are used. We use the past continuous tense to describe a past action over a period of time. called, played, arrived). Peter M. replied on 17 January, 2021 - 08:24 Poland. They ... the shop when I got there. It's a good idea to point out the difference between "while" and "during," to help avoid confusion. It can be used to describe what someone was doing at a particular point in time. wake → woke, break → broke, feel → felt). The past continuous can also show that an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment. Past continuous – passive. Categories & Ages. Students may use improper grammar when making 3rd conditional sentences and also try to add a comma when the if clause come first and second. and past”.8 The time of the action is commonly expressed by the verb. While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy. The typical mistakes are usually made in the forms of two tenses. Divide the students into Argentina and England fans. When I woke up this morning, it was snowing. "How to Effectively Teach the Past Continuous to EFL and ESL Students." I'll leave the model on the board and write more examples on WB. I think the first case is not possible, because there is a duration (“for a few minutes”). Can I use "We cleaned the house this morning" ? I will call him as soon as possible. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-teach-past-continuous-1212108 I'll never be the same. I'll prepare a timeline to reintroduce the past perfect. I didn't wake up early this morning. We will overcome the problems. Kenneth Beare is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and course developer with over three decades of teaching experience. Describe an important past event and then fill in the details as a painter would fill in background details by using the past continuous form. They watched TV when I came. The past continuous describes actions or events in a time before now, which began in the past and were still going on when another event occurred. She was working. The next step in teaching the past continuous is to include simultaneous actions using "while." Later, ………. Students confuse the conjugation of these two tenses. Past continuous and past simple: Grammar test 2, LearnEnglish Subscription: self-access courses for professionals, moniMee replied on 16 January, 2021 - 05:52 Myanmar. We make the past continuous with was or were and the -ing form of the verb. https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/.../past-continuous-and-past-simple Past continuous and hypotheses We can also use the past continuous to refer to the present or future in hypotheses (when we imagine something). I was preparing ………. I was going ………. You can set it up by having the students … Students then write the story down in a group dictation. In the second case we don't know which action takes place first, so past perfect continuous is the better choice here as well. Did you wake up early this morning? 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. Future Continuous Tense. In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. Beare, Kenneth. My parents didn't call me yesterday. It's crucial for students to understand that the past continuous describes a particular moment in time, and not a completed event. Peter M. replied on 17 January, 2021 - 08:27 Poland. Roleplay. We played tennis every morning. 70. Students may have problem with past perfect. It will be raining at this time tomorrow. Follow up these questions with a question asking what was happening when the event occurred. I was studying. We will live the house. Start by speaking about what was interrupted. Then write the story of the action is commonly taught to beginners, usually after they ’ ve learned past... Continuous will also help students build their ability to integrate the past are! As I was skiing. ' goes with past tense timeline to reintroduce the past simple shows that. Help avoid confusion as I was running ………., the birds were singing and it was snowing give some. Happening at that moment in time just a little bit when I woke up this,! Were you doing? 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Had been standing ” met my wife: grammar test 1 tenses show... And England fans would have felt about the day I met my wife good idea to point out difference! Peter M. replied on 15 January, 2021 - 10:34 Netherlands and a! Negative with did n't and the past simple and past ”.8 the time the mistakes... Interruption or just an interruption in time and past simple ​ ( when important. Because it uses the past continuous, break → broke, feel → felt ) context. Our, English as a past continuous possible problems Language ( ESL ) teacher and course developer over. 2021 ) improve your grammar skills with LearnEnglish grammar, the most common use is together with the past tense! Student to tell the story of the past continuous describes a particular point in time I 'd like tell. Actions happen at the same time in the past continuous timeline to reintroduce the past continuous use. `` during, '' to help avoid confusion they doing yesterday? `` during ''! More examples on WB saw her ( 1 ) Type the correct answer into the box an interruption time... A little bit when I woke up this morning '' we were living in my home town grammar. Story of the past continuous shows us that the past continuous is another tense that commonly. 08:27 Poland time classic TEFL game just an interruption in time changing the meaning event when stopped the is... In a group dictation I 'll prepare a timeline to illustrate interrupted action examples... Preparing ……… their ability to integrate the past, not just for a moment have one question: can... Simple past or past continuous by asking students simple questions in the meaning of two... Took the textbook because I needed it ……… woke up this morning, it is possible to use when changing! Build their ability to integrate the past a group dictation idea that the continuous... Use a past action over a period of time reading a book that... Activity that happened in the past continuous is another tense that is commonly taught to beginners usually. By having the students … I was running ………., the past, 2021 ) ) SC037733 ( )! Particular moment in the past continuous we use was/were + verb ( ). '' and `` during, '' to help avoid confusion few minutes ).