Past Simple & Continuous

Welcome H3!
Welcome!
You'll need your laptop & pen/pencil

Settle down and talk to each other about what you did over the break. Try to give as much detail as possible.
  • To Do: recap the past simple and past continuous
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Slide 1: Slide
EngelsMiddelbare schoolhavoLeerjaar 3

This lesson contains 12 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.

Items in this lesson

Welcome H3!
Welcome!
You'll need your laptop & pen/pencil

Settle down and talk to each other about what you did over the break. Try to give as much detail as possible.
  • To Do: recap the past simple and past continuous

Slide 1 - Slide

Let's identify the past simple and past continuous together

Slide 2 - Slide

Past Simple

= completed actions, facts in the past
It was winter. I needed to go to London. 
Ms. W watched The Crown last weekend. 

= yesterday , last week, last year, five minutes ago, last Monday...
  • Past Continuous

    = longer actions/situations in progress at a time in the past

  • It was snowing and the traffic was moving really slowly. 

  • Ms. W was watching the show and eating popcorn at the same time. 


Slide 3 - Slide

Past simple
Past continuous






also: to describe the background to a story.

Slide 4 - Slide

Past continuous with the past simple
You can use the 2 together to talk about 2 actions that happened at/around the same time
Past continuous = longer action in progress
Past simple = short action (that interrupts the long action)


Ms. Wildeman was watching a show in the dark when somebody came through the door.

Slide 5 - Slide

While or when = to join 2 actions in the past
while + long action => past continuous
when + short action => simple past

I was walking past the car when it exploded.
When the car exploded, I was walking past it.  -> let op: comma
The car exploded while I was walking past it.
While I was walking past the car, it exploded.  -> let op: comma

Slide 6 - Slide

Practice
Complete each sentence with 1 past simple and 1 past continuous verb form.

My parents were studying (study) at Uni when 
they met (meet).

Slide 7 - Slide

My computer ... (crash) while I ... (do) my homework last night.

Slide 8 - Open question

Yesterday I ... (watch) a film when my mum ... (get) home.

Slide 9 - Open question

What was the last movie you watched?

Answer with a full sentence (past simple)

Slide 10 - Open question

What TV show were you binging a month ago?
Answer with a full sentence (past continuous)

Slide 11 - Open question

Practice - do the activities on the worksheet:
1. choose 'was, were, weren't, wasn't'
2. pick between past simple or past continuous
3. complete the story with the past simple and continuous

Slide 12 - Slide