This example is exaggerated for a reason. A) "They were working all day." To form the past continuous we use was/were + verb (-ing). Make sure that students understand the use of time clauses with "when" and "while" to help them use the past continuous in context. – Answers at the end., Grammar: Past simple and past continuous – Questions … 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? Problems with the use of the past perfect and the past simple. Regular past simple verbs have -ed at the end (e.g. This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m. 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. When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner. The grammar focus is on the past continuous and past simple. They watched TV when I came. I'll never be the same. 77. Use contractions where possible. continuous problem definition in the English Cobuild dictionary for learners, continuous problem meaning explained, see also 'continuous assessment',continuously',contiguous',continuum', English vocabulary When I woke up this morning, it was snowing. I think the first case is not possible, because there is a duration (“for a few minutes”). You can set it up by having the students … Peter M. replied on 17 January, 2021 - 08:24 Poland. Past continuous and past simple: Grammar test 1. Three years ago, we were living in my home town. (2020, August 27). ThoughtCo. 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. I'll prepare a timeline to reintroduce the past perfect. 70. 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! 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. Present Perfect Continuous Tense Structure: Subject + Has/have + been + Verb(+ing) Example: I have been completing my assignment for the last three days. Later, ………. Past continuous – passive. Learn to Order Events for Narrative Writing Assignments, Dialogues beginning with "What were you doing? ", creative writing exercise on the past continuous, M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music, B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music. One action (past continuous) is interrupted by another action (past simple). 4. 76. While I was running ………., the black dog ………. We mostly use the past simple tense (we played) for repeated actions in the past. Students then write the story down in a group dictation. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, English as a Second Language (ESL) Expert. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. were playing with ……….. Roleplay. 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. I will call him as soon as possible. "How to Effectively Teach the Past Continuous to EFL and ESL Students." 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. I decided to run. He will try to contact us next week. 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. 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. How Many Verb Tenses Are There in English? My parents didn't call me yesterday. Alibi. Peter M. replied on 17 January, 2021 - 08:27 Poland. Before yet I thought, 'while' goes with past continuous and 'when' with past tense. What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? wake → woke, break → broke, feel → felt). I tried to give him some advice, but he wasn't listening. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-teach-past-continuous-1212108. ... Report a problem. called, played, arrived). 1st (if clause) and 2nd (result) Past continuous and past simple - interrupted activities Past continuous and past simple - interrupted activities English speakers often use the past simple and … He ……….. It boldly conveys the point. will help students practice. Past tense expresses the actions that happened in the past. It will be raining at this time tomorrow. and wasn’t coming for the lesson. I'll leave the model on the board and write more examples on WB. 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. 1. When I turned left, ………. Past continuous and hypotheses We can also use the past continuous to refer to the present or future in hypotheses (when we imagine something). and past”.8 The time of the action is commonly expressed by the verb. Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. at the end of the term. 7. in my room, when I heard some noise coming ……….. past continuous (1) Type the correct answer into the box. Do you know how to use the past continuous and past simple? While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy. when the black dog started barking. 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''. 75. Although it has its nuances, we usually use it talk about actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past. ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/how-to-teach-past-continuous-1212108. She will be here soon. We know that because it uses the past continuous. the teacher can help me? Categories & Ages. ICP#: 10044692, LearnEnglish Subscription: self-access courses, English Online: 100% online teacher-led course, EnglishScore Tutors: personal online English tutors. 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. The main concept to relay when teaching the past continuous is the idea that the past continuous expresses an interrupted action. after me. 74. I was going ………. Beare, Kenneth. I didn't wake up early this morning. Did you wake up early this morning? The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past. when the phone rang. She was sitting on the bench and reading a book at that moment. 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. The typical mistakes are usually made in the forms of two tenses. It is used: Often, to describe the background in a story written in the past tense, e.g. We played tennis every morning. 78. While is certainly more common with the past continuous, but it is also possible to use when without changing the meaning. We were watching television when the power went off. Continue introducing the past continuous by asking students simple questions in the past simple about events. was co… Other challenges can include the use of the past continuous to express an activity that happened over a period of time. Explaining the Past Continuous on the Board. Improve your grammar skills with LearnEnglish Grammar, the #1 educational mobile app. A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). She was working. 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. This is not only a classic activity for the Past Continuous, but also an all time classic TEFL game. 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. When I went there, ………. the question '' I didn't buy anything. We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb. As I was going to work, I saw an old friend. In this case, make it clear to students that they are to describe the event in the past. 71. The past continuous tense is often used in combination with the past simple tense. Past continuous and past simple: Grammar test 2, LearnEnglish Subscription: self-access courses for professionals, moniMee replied on 16 January, 2021 - 05:52 Myanmar. Use a past continuous timeline to illustrate interrupted action. 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. Functions of the Past continuous. thank you, frknakgn replied on 21 December, 2020 - 19:01 United States, Loc Duc replied on 20 December, 2020 - 14:49 Greece. Put the Simple Past or Past Continuous .Note where the both forms are possible. It was my mom. ; She has been working in this department since 2017.; View: Present Perfect Continuous Tense Formula and Usage PAST TENSE. What are the common mistakes in Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses? specialy te tenses . Explain that "while" is used when two actions happen at the same time in the past. Can I use "We cleaned the house this morning" ? Sam played basketball when he was at university. 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. 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. They ... the shop when I got there. I think the answer '' already closed'' is still correct. We will overcome the problems. Future Continuous Tense. A creative writing exercise on the past continuous will also help students build their ability to integrate the past continuous into more advanced structures. Teaching ideas for past continuous Function #1 should include giving examples of this function. We were cleaning the house all morning. It can be used to describe what someone was doing at a particular point in time. In the second case we don't know which action takes place first, so past perfect continuous is the better choice here as well. Kenneth Beare is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and course developer with over three decades of teaching experience. The continuous form (were cleaning) emphasises the ongoing nature of the activity while the simple form (cleaned) emphasises the action as a completed whole. I woke up early this morning. I was walking through the park, the birds were singing and it was raining just a little bit when I saw her! 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. I will be waiting for you. In other words, the past continuous needs the context of another event when stopped the action in progress at the time. 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. The Past Continuous/Past Progressive verb tense has two functions. I'd like to tell you about the day I met my wife. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-teach-past-continuous-1212108 (accessed January 26, 2021). © British Council The past continuous and continuous forms, in general, are used with action verbs such as talk, drive, play, etc. Therefore, past perfect continuous would be better: “I had been standing”. I took the textbook because I needed it ………. When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner. I was sleeping when you called me. YolkLord42 replied on 15 January, 2021 - 10:34 Netherlands. She said my piano teacher ………. ;), DennisT replied on 6 January, 2021 - 07:15 Germany. Did Sam play basketball when he was at university? In the second sentence, the guests arrived first and then Jane started cooking. Beare, Kenneth. 72. She couldn't come to the party. Problems … How to Effectively Teach the Past Continuous to EFL and ESL Students. Start by speaking about what was interrupted. In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. "How to Effectively Teach the Past Continuous to EFL and ESL Students." 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). They were watching TV when I came. 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 Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. Look at these examples to see how the past continuous and past simple are used. What's the difference? We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action. This immediately illustrates the idea that the past continuous is used to set the context of what was happening at that moment in time. Can you see a difference in the meaning of these two sentences? It's crucial for students to understand that the past continuous describes a particular moment in time, and not a completed event. I was really happy because ………. We will live the house. However, the most common use is together with the past simple (when something happened). Past: typical errors - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary 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. The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We were playing tennis every morning. Comprehension activities such as using photos in magazines will help with the past continuous. Discuss in pairs or whole class the Argentina and England fans would have felt about the incident. We use the past continuous tense to describe a past action over a period of time. Past Continuous Timeline. I have one Question: Where can I found the irregular verbs? What were you doing this time last year? "I broke my leg when I was skiing." Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-teach-past-continuous-1212108 The past continuous is another tense that is commonly taught to beginners, usually after they’ve learned the past simple. Beare, Kenneth. There are several reasons as to why we use the passive voice in English. The past continuous can be used by itself to express what happened at a precise moment in the past. Divide the students into Argentina and England fans. Follow up these questions with a question asking what was happening when the event occurred. It's a good idea to point out the difference between "while" and "during," to help avoid confusion. For example: Q) "What were they doing yesterday?" Here are some examples. https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/.../past-continuous-and-past-simple 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. The past continuous and the past simple help us to show how two past actions or situations are connected. Dialogues beginning with "What were you doing?" Students may have problem with past perfect. We make the past continuous with was or were and the -ing form of the verb. Students confuse the conjugation of these two tenses. They will study math. 73. 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. Past Continuous Accusations. The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present. For example: Q) "What were you doing at 7.30 last night In other words, the past continuous speaks about what was going on when something important happened. This game is similar to the murder mystery Clue. We make the negative with didn't and the infinitive verb. 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? “When I … The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. The next step in teaching the past continuous is to include simultaneous actions using "while." enough. I was studying. I was preparing ………. Ask each student to tell the story of the 1966 game from their perspective. You can model this by using a photo in a magazine to describe such an event. The past continuous can also show that an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment. Do this exercise to test your grammar again. 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. My parents called me yesterday. The continuous form is not used with stative verbs such as 'be', 'seem', 'taste', etc. The present continuous tense is construction which is made of subject +auxiliary verb (verb) + main verb (base + ing). I broke my leg when I was skiing. Appoint one journalist per pair. They are typical mistakes that students do in Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses. 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). But that sentence proved me wrong and confused..... Peter M. replied on 6 January, 2021 - 08:51 Poland. 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. Although the connection is not obvious, it is possible to link this to the meanings above. 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A period of time p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m to describe the event occurred first,! Their ability to integrate the past continuous to EFL and ESL students. 08:51 Poland exercise the! Better: “ I had been standing ” the common mistakes in past simple past! Effectively Teach the past continuous we use was/were + verb ( base + ing ) introducing past... 2021 ) whole class the Argentina and England fans would have felt about the incident their.! Each student to tell the story of the past, not in the past timeline. Situations are connected met my wife '' is used to describe the background in a magazine to describe someone! Not used with stative verbs such as 'be ', 'taste ', etc the use of past. When two actions happen at the same time in the forms of two tenses for a few minutes ). Another action ( past simple: grammar test 1 years ago, we were living in room. Also show that an activity that happened in the past continuous we use the continuous. A photo in a story written in the past, not just for a few ”! Will also help students build their ability to integrate the past an interrupted action verb.