mixles

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 2

past simple vs past continuous 

(and more)

After this lesson you can...

• Make sentences using the past simple
• make sentences using both the past simple and past continuous 

To do:

• short recap + questions about past tense (verleden tijd)
• Class competition
• 
  

"Some and "Any" both mean:

Een kleine proportie van iets

(een beetje, iets, enkele)

Any is used for: 

• negative sentences   

I don't like any type of sports 

There isn't any bread left.

• questions

Are there any people here?

is there any bread left?

Some is used for "normal" sentences

• (Just the sentences that are left)

• When you are just stating something (neutral)

I bought some apples at the store

• when saying something positive

I like some artists on SoundCloud.

Can I have some milk?

Here you use some. Why?

> when you are like 95% sure the answer to your question will be yes anyways

Timeline

Past                           present                          future 

Timeline

Past                           present                          future 

Present simple 

Feiten, gewoonten, planningen

> shit regel: he/she/it = stam+s

I walk

You walk

He walks

They walk

Present continuous

Iets wat letterlijk NU gebeurd, toekomst plannen, irritatie uitdrukken

> form of to be + stam + ing

I am walking

you are walking

He is walking

they are walking

Timeline

Past                           present                          future 

Warming up question:
What did you eat yesterday evening?
(answer in a full sentence)

Timeline: past simple

                   

          

                          Past                           

Something started, and also ended in the past shortly after. 

Most of the time there is a time indication of some sort: 

yesterday, in 2008, a week ago...

past simple

Timeline: present simple

                   

          

                          Past                           

How do we make it?

> stam + ed

Yesterday I walked home

We moved to New York in 1994.

Last year I cooked pasta for you.

past simple

Think of words that indicate past time
(een jaar geleden, zonet, 5 min geleden)

Some time ago I ______ my hair.

1. Was cutting
2. cutting
3. cut
4. was cut

Where did you go on vacation last year?
(answer in a full sentence)

Timeline: past continuous

                   

          

                          Past                           

Something started, and lasted a while (took a long time)

We were talking the entire night!

past continuous

Timeline: past continuous

                   

          

                          Past                           

How do we make it? 

I, he, she, it > was + verb + ing

you, we, they > were + verb + ing

I was crying for hours. 

We were talking the entire night!

past continuous

 past simple VS past continuous 

We can use both combined!

Something started in the past, 

and got interrupted by something else.

past continuous

past simple

 past simple VS past continuous 

I was doing homework when the phone rang.

She was eating when I knocked on her door.

When she screamed, everybody was already laughing.

past continuous

past simple

 past simple VS past continuous 

Past continuous:                                 past simple: 

was/ were + verb + ing                       verb + ed

past continuous

past simple

Step one: which action happened first?

I tripped when I was walking yesterday.

1. I tripped
2. I was walking

Step 2: which action interrupts the other?

I was walking my dog when we saw a fox

1. I was walking my dog
2. we saw a fox

step 3: recognize which one to fill in.

She was talking when someone suddenly ______.

1. was screaming
2. screamed
3. screaming

So, to sum it up: 

Past simple: short action which started and ended in the past.

> verb + ed 

Past continuous: Long action which often is interrupted by the short action.

> was/were + verb + ing

Short quiz

• different levels: 1, 2 3 

• 2 teams: same rules as last time: everyone stands, gets to answer once, then goes to sit down.

• If you spoil the answer when its not your turn, you lose a point.
  

Which action happened first?

She was texting, when a bus almost hit her.

Which action interrupted?

They were chatting, when an Instagram notification popped up.

Spot the mistake

We was cutting cucumber, when the oven beeped.

Spot the mistake

Yesterday, we were walking to the store.

Fill in the correct verb:

we _____________ baseball, when Rob got hit by the ball.

To play

Find the mistake + correct it

I talked when suddenly she ran away.

Fill in the correct form

The kids were playing when one of them______

to walk away

Fill in the correct form

in 2011, we ______ from Paris to Madrid.

To move

Make the sentence correct.

I read a book when out of nowhere a bird flew against the window.

Make a grammatically correct sentence. 

1st action: to write

2nd interrupting action: to break

Well done! who won? 

Trap: 

• Words chapter 1 p. 74-75 (beide richtingen)
• Present simple, present continuous, past simple, past continuous
• Some/any
• Word order
• Irr. Verbs 1 tm 40 p. 213