Past Continuous (easy)

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

Hi class!

This is my friend Bob.

Right now, he is running.

What are you doing right now?
(Please use a full sentence!)

are

doing

      Present Continuous

When do we use it?

To talk about 

• things that are happening around now 
  
• temporary situations (tijdelijk omstandigheden) 

How is it formed?

Bob         is                 running.

      is/are     -ing form of verb

🔄

Bob is running.

Remember! 

continuous = a longer action

(the action continues over a period of time) 👁 ↗️

You can already talk about what you're doing now.

(Use the Present Continuous!)

After this lesson, you'll know how to talk about...

what you were and were not doing yesterday at 5pm.

(Use the .... Continuous!)

🎯

Can you guess the correct answer?

Yesterday at 10pm she ______________.

1. is sleeping
2. sleeping
3. was sleeping
4. sleeped

Right now, I am eating. 

Bob is running.

Eating and running are longer actions. 

continuous = a longer action

(the action continues over a period of time) 

Right now, I am eating. 

Bob is running.

Yesterday at this time, I was sleeping.

Bob was waving.

Sleeping and waving are longer actions. 

continuous = a longer action

(the action continues over a period of time) 

Yesterday at this time, I was sleeping.

Bob was waving.

Kevin was dancing.

Sleeping, waving, and dancing are longer actions. 

continuous = a longer action

(the action continues over a period of time) 

I was sleeping.

Bob was waving.  

Kevin was dancing.

Right now, I am eating.

Bob is running.

Compare!

Yesterday, 

Compare the red and blue words. What do you see?

Look at the purple words words. Notice anything?

Work by yourself or with a partner.

Use what you just learned and
explain how to form the past continuous.

The Rule (form)

was/were + -ing form

Yesterday at this time, what were you doing?

**Please write a complete sentence!**

At 5pm yesterday, I was making dinner and my dog ______________ in circles.

1. is running
2. were running
3. ran
4. was running

They ____________ a movie two days ago at 9pm.

1. was watching
2. were watch
3. were watching
4. are watching

Yesterday at this time...

At 5pm yesterday...

Two days ago at 9pm...

Bob wants you to remember that the action is continuous, or a longer action.

The action continues around the specific period of time.

specific times in the past

The Rule (usage)

Use {was/were + -ing form}
to talk about ______ that happened ___________.

1. longer actions / around a specific time in the past
2. short actions / at a specific time in the past

The Rule (usage)

Use was/were + -ing form to talk about 

longer actions that happened 

around a specific time in the past.

This can also represent a temporary situation

The BEGINNING of the temporary situation

It was raining. Now the sun is shining!

🌧🌧🌧

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

The END of the temporary situation

Before class,

...I was reading a book.

...I was gaming.

...I was picking my nose.

...I wasn't gaming.

...I was doing something else that isn't on the list.

The Rule 

Use was/were + -ing form to talk about 

longer actions that happened 

around a specific time in the past 

and temporary situations in the past.

Just one more thing!

I think you can do this already....

The sun was shining.

1. It rained not.
2. It was not raining.
3. It wasn't raining.
4. It didn't rain.

The sun is/was not shining.

He is/was not watching a movie.

They are/were not sitting at home.

That's right! 

Negatives are just like the Present Continuous.

The sun is/was not shining.

He is/was not watching a movie.

They are/were not sitting at home.

Make this a negative sentence:
He was flying.

Bob says...

You can practice writing and speaking about the past with the four exercises on your worksheet.

---

Do 1 & 2 by yourself and 

3 & 4 with a partner.

Are you a good witness?

(exercise 4)

1. 

Partner 1: Study the picture
Partner 2: Look at the picture and write down questions you can ask your partner about it. Use the form “What was/were _____________ doing?” or “How many ____________ was/were….” Example: “What was the airplane doing?” or “How many trees were standing in the forest?”

2.

Partner 1: Put picture away. Answer the questions your partner asks using FULL SENTENCES and the PAST CONTINUOUS.

Look at the picture if you don’t remember!

Partner 2: Ask the questions you wrote down.

3.

Switch roles and use picture #2.

Work until the timer goes off 

and then we will play a game!

Eyes Shut

Eyes Shut: Past Continuous

Student Instructions

• Sit in circles of around 10 people.
  
• This game will be a concentration game. You will keep your eyes closed during each round.
  
• I will write a question on the board and/or ask a question out loud. You will answer the question using the past continuous.
  
• The first student will answer the question; the answer can be true or false.
  
• The student to their right repeats the first answer and adds their own. Student 3 repeats the first two answers and adds theirs; etc.
  
• Have a good look around your circle before you start!
  
• After you get all the way around the circle, guess which answers were true.
  

What were you doing yesterday at noon?

homework

Eyes Shut

Eyes Shut: Past Continuous

1. Have the students sit in circles of around 10 people.
   
2. Explain that this game will be a concentration game. Students will keep their eyes closed during each round.
3. Write a question on the board and/or ask a question out loud. The question should be answerable using the past continuous. (Examples below).
4. The first student will answer the question; their answer can be true or false.
5. The student to their right repeats the first answer and adds their own. Student 3 repeats the first two answers and adds theirs; etc.
6. Tell the students to have a good look around their circle before they shut their eyes.
7. If they want, the students can guess which answers were true.

     Example questions:

• What were you doing last Saturday morning at 10?
• What is something you were doing last year/month/week and are finished with now?
• What was your sibling/pet/neighbour doing that annoyed you?

Next class...

...finish exercises 3 &4

...things that happened before a moment in the past.

homework!

finish and check 

exercises 1 & 2 (answers in GC)