Horror Stories: Past Simple vs Past Continuous

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• Secundair onderwijs
• Technisch secundair onderwijs
• Leerjaar 3

Horror Stories: Past Simple vs Past Continuous

What have we been talking about

in the last lessons?

What was happening?

On the next slide you will see a photograph.

The image will be visible for a short amount of time.

After 10 seconds you have to describe 'what was happening'.

You can describe more than one thing.

What was happening?

The torturer was holding a torture tool

The prisoner was suffering

The victim was scared

People were watching

A fire was burning

Complete the sentence:

I was sitting alone at home when suddenly...

Language Focus

Listen: Suddenly the door opened…

What tense is 'opened'?

What tense is 'was/were sitting' ?

Let's explore how these tenses work in stories.

Simple Past vs Past Continuous

Background action / Atmosphere Longer or ongoing action

E.g., 'He was walking in the street.'

Basic rule

SIMPLE PAST

Main action / Event Short, finished actions

E.g., 'He screamed for help.'

Basic rule

PAST CONTINUOUS

Simple Past vs Past Continuous

Main action / Event Short, finished actions

E.g., 'He screamed for help.'

Basic rule

infinitive +ed

Background action / Atmosphere Longer or ongoing action

E.g., 'He was walking in the street.'

Basic rule

was/were infinitive +ing

PAST CONTINUOUS

SIMPLE PAST

Simple Past vs Past Continuous

coursebook p 121

Quick recall:

When do we use the Past Continuous?

A

Finished event in the past

B

Future plans

C

Action that went on for some time and ended in the past.

D

Something happening now

Guy Fawkes: choose & fill in the blanks

On the night of 5 November, Guy Fawkes was going into the cellar under Parliament.

The guards were searching the building when they found him.

Guy Fawkes was hiding when the soldiers entered the cellar.

was going

were searching

found

was hiding

entered

Guy Fawkes: fill the blanks

On the night of 5 November, Guy Fawkes was waiting in the cellar under Parliament.

The guards were searching
the building when they found him.

Guy Fawkes was hiding when
the soldiers entered the cellar.

Interview with a torturer: multiple choice

I __________ in the dungeon when the prisoner arrived.

A

was working

B

were worked

C

worked

D

was worked

Interview with a torturer:

I __________ in the dungeon when the prisoner arrived.

✔ Correct: was working

Sentence ordering: order the words

1

when

2

the room

3

was screaming

4

entered

5

the prisoner

6

the torturer

Sentence ordering

Order the words:

was screaming / the prisoner / when / the torturer / entered / the room

✔ The prisoner was screaming when the torturer entered the room.

✔ When the torturer entered the room, the prisoner was screaming.

Which sentence feels more like horror?

A

The prisoner screamed when the torturer entered.

B

The prisoner was screaming when the torturer entered.

Which sentence feels more like horror?

A. The prisoner screamed when the torturer entered. B. The prisoner was screaming when the torturer entered. ✔

Past Continuous = more atmosphere

The Plague: fill in the blank

People (to die) were dying
in the streets when
the doctor arrived.

were dying

arrived

died

was coming

The Plague: fill in the blank

People __________
in the streets when the doctor ______.

✔ Correct: were dying / arrived

Fill in the blanks

The doctor (walk) was walking through the streets when he (see) saw a strange sign on a door.

was walking

saw

seen

walked

Choose the correct tenses

The doctor _____ through the streets when he ____ a strange sign on a door.

✔ Correct: was walking / saw

Mini Horror Story Builder

Mini Horror Story Builder

Work in pairs or individually

Create a horror story

with both tenses:

Simple Past & Past Continuous

Criteria:

At least 5 sentences.

Write your story

Vote: Which Story is Creepiest?

Read your classmates' stories.

Vote for the creepiest one!

What did you do to build suspense?

How do you feel about this lesson?

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Ask 1 question about something

you haven't quite understood yet.

EXTRA

Interactive Idea: Word Cloud

Write 3 words that make a horror story scary (e.g., scream, footsteps, blood).

Slide heading

Slide text

Differentiation

Stronger: Write 2 sentences about Guy Fawkes or the Plague using both tenses. Weaker: Use the scaffold: The doctor __________ when he __________.

Homework

Write a 4-sentence horror mini story using both tenses. Follow the structure: 1 background, 1 main action, 1 background, 1 final action.