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Past Continuous

Presentation


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Throughout this topic, you are going to practice how to use “past continuous in all its forms: Affirmative, negative and questions”. We use that tense to express activities that were in progress at some time in the past.
To explore that topic, you are going to use words like “while” and “when” which are necessary to express that two activities were happening simultaneously or to indicate that specific activity interrupted another action in progress.

In the first part, you are going to take a diagnostic test that will help you remember everything you know about this topic. Don’t worry if you can’t answer the first exercise. The purpose is to explore your prior knowledge. Then, you are going to watch a video to learn more about “Past continuous”, and the use of When and While.

After the topic presentation, you are going to practice all the skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. It’s advisable to do all the activities in the suggested order because they have a logic sequence which will help you learn in a better way.
At the end of the material, you are going to find a self-evaluation. You are going to answer an exercise similar to the first one, so that you compare what you know before and after this material.

4. Last year, Mary took a year off to make a trip to Europe. She met young male and female friends from all over the world. They spent a lot of time together: they went to museums and restaurants, they saw art galleries of all sorts, they visited clubs and monuments. Sometimes they cooked together at Mary's place and ate typical food from their countries. It was great! She really misses them now.

5. Mary is finishing her second semester this May and she wants to make another trip next June. She is going to meet some of her friends back there in Hamburg, Germany and Bruges in Belgium. She will probably stay there for 3 or 4 weeks… if she saves enough money, of course!

Objective:

By the end of this topic, you will:
Use “past continuous” in a to describe activities that happened simultaneously or actions which were interrupted by another event.

Activity 1

Diagnosis Evaluation

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Try to remember everything you know about “past continuous” before you practice it.

Here you have to complete some sentences using the verbs provided. Do not worry if you are not sure about the answers. Since it is a diagnostic test, you can omit any response you do not know. Don't forget to use only use contracted forms of the verbs.



Activity 2

Learn and start practising

In the first activity, you tried to remember something you may know about Past continuous.
Now, you are going to watch a video presentation to learn about that topic. Watch the video as many times as necessary. You can pause it when you consider it necessary to better understand the content.



Reading

Activity 3

A dog named freckles

In the video, you reviewed how to describe past actions. In this activity, you are going to read a story about a dog who got lost. Pay close attention to all the ongoing activities, they are essential to understanding the story.


After you read the text, answer the following exercise. Based on the text you have to choose the correct answer. In case you make a mistake, you can answer each item one more time.

If you want to look up a word in a dictionary, go to the Cambridge Dictionary.


Listening

Activity 4

Jealous girlfriend


Listen to a conversation between a jealous girlfriend and her boyfriend to continue practising past continuous.
Sheisaskinghim questions about the activities he was doing yesterday. Listen to the audio and answer the following exercise. If necessary, you may listen to the audio as many times as you want. Try to pay attention to the past actions in progress. In case you make a mistake, you can answer each item one more time. When you finish, click on “check answers”.

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retrived on: 27abril2017 https://pixabay.com/en/mind-woman-phone-mobile-phone-1783826/



Writing

Activity 5

A car accident

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retrived on: 27abril2017 https://pixabay.com/en/car-accident-car-crash-car-accident-1995852/

In the video, you learned how to express activities that were simultaneously in progress. You also learned how to communicate the ones which were interrupted by another action. When we see an accident, we get shocked, we interrupt whatever we were doing to see what’s going on.

Here, you have to imagine that you were in a park with all your family. Everyone was doing different things. Suddenly, you heard and saw a car accident in front of the park. Imagine that the police is investigating what happened. So they are asking all the witnesses to describe what they were doing when the incident occurred. Write a text between 120-150 words and include the following information. Consider dividing your description into the introduction, main body and closing.
Additionally, check your spelling and grammar of this unit. Follow this example:

I went to the park to have a picnic with my family. We were staying there for a couple of hours when suddenly we heard a crash noise. I was preparing some sandwiches when I listened to the noise…

Why did you go to the park?
How long did you stay?
What were you doing when you heard the accident?
Who were you with?
What was each person doing? (Mention at least 3 different people)
How many people were in the accident?
How serious was the accident?
How did you feel when you saw the accident?
What did you see when the accident happened?
Include a picture of the accident you saw

Consider the rubrics before you start writing. If you want to look up a word in a dictionary, go to the Cambridge Dictionary.


Speaking

Activity 6

A mouse!

It’s time to talk a little bit. Remember that you are practising how to express activities that were in progress when another activity interrupted them. One of the times when that happens is when we are with our friends, and we start talking about funny anecdotes. An amusing anecdote could be when you see a mouse. Do you remember last time you saw a mouse in your house?
Talk about it and record 60-second audio. Listen to the example and check the use of past continuous in your recording.



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retrived on: 27abril2017 https://pixabay.com/en/cat-mouse-awe-funny-white-1593339/

These are some ideas you have to include when talking about your anecdote. You can answer this exercise only once.

What were you doing when you saw the mouse?
What was the mouse doing when you saw him?
Were you afraid?
Were you alone?
If there were more people, what were they doing?
What did you do when you saw the mouse?
What did the mouse do when he saw you?
Did you catch the mouse immediately?
Did you have to get some poison?

Consider these rubrics before you start recording. Prepare what you want to say, you can take some notes to do better while recording.

If you want to look up a word in a dictionary, go to the Cambridge Dictionary.

Self-assessment

More anecdotes


On this topic, you have learned about past continuous to express actions that happened simultaneously. It’s time for a self-evaluation so that you know your progress of this topic.
Complete the following exercise by writing the verbs in parenthesis in past continuous.
In case you make a mistake, you can answer two more times. If you can’t answer correctly any item, Click on “show answer”.

Text 1:
Everybody was working!

retrived on: 27abril2017 https://pixabay.com/en/workplace-team-business-meeting-1245776/

Text 2:
They were busy!

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Text 3:
It was weird!

retrived on: 27abril2017 https://pixabay.com/en/class-discussion-girls-study-child-302116/

Text 4:
Having fun!

retrived on: 27abril2017 https://pixabay.com/en/dance-disco-dancing-people-fun-20602/

References


Basic

• McCarthy M. Dell, F. (2010). Intermediate Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Murphy, R. (2006). Intermediate Grammar in Use, A Self Study Reference and Practice Book for Advanced Students of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Murphy, R. (2007). Intermediate Grammar in Use, A Self Study Reference and Practice Book for Intermediate Students of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.


Complementary

• Sellen, D. (2006). Grammar Tour. A Reference and Practice Grammar for Elementary to Intermediate. Italy: Black Cat.