Describe the situations by introducing two simultaneous actions

The past continuous tense

Lead-in

Respond to the following questions and give your reasons.

1. What were you doing during your winter vacation? 2. How long were you working at your Latin last night? 3. Were you watching television or listening to the radio between 6 and 8 o’clock last Sunday evening? 4. What were you doing from ten till twelve yesterday morning? 5. Who was discussing the new film in that classroom last Monday afternoon? 6. Why were you going to borrow this book from the library?

Practise aloud after the teacher and comment on the use of the Past Continuous.

1. I was very busy when you rang me up. I was reading up for my exam in English Grammar.

2. What were you doing while she was taking her exam in English Phonetics?

3. While we were washing the dishes, they were listening to the records.

4. Last Saturday after classes we were discussing the results of our exams.

5. At 8 o’clock last night they were waiting for a taxi. They were leaving for the Crimea.

6. When I found my friend in the reading-room, he was looking through an English newspaper.

7. At 7 sharp yesterday I was leaving the University. I was hurrying to the theatre.

8. While my friend was listening to the text in the lab, I was reading an English book in the library.

9. At 2 o’clock last Wednesday the students of our group were discussing a very interesting book.

10. Tom Sawyer couldn’t play with his friends because he was painting the fence.

11. Whenever David went abroad, he was always thinking of Agnes.

12. When I saw him, he was cooking breakfast.

3. Communication: A Witness Report. Put the verbs in the Past Simple or the Past Continuous, then listen and check. In pairs, act out similar dialogues using the prompts.

A: So, Mr Jeffries, what exactly 1) …………… (happen) yesterday?

B: There 2) ………... (be) a robbery in my neighbourhood.

A: Where 3) ………………….... (you/be) at the time?

B: I 4) ……….. (be) in my garden.

A: What 5) ……………………………… (you/do)?

B: I 6) …………….. (cut) the grass.

· a burglary next door – in my bedroom – sleep

· a robbery at the bank – outside the bank – talk to the security guard

Complete the following sentences by adding suitable indications of time.

Teacher: We were revising for our exams …

Student 1: We were revising for our exams at 5 o’clock yesterday.

Student 2: We were revising for our exams when you rang us up.

1. We were having a test … 2. They were speaking English … 3. She was making a report on the results of our winter term examinations … 4. We were drilling a new grammar pattern … 5. They were discussing a very important question … 6. The teacher was collecting the examination papers…

Describe the situations by introducing two simultaneous actions.

Teacher: At the lesson.

Student 1: While our teacher was explaining ‘The Past Continuous’ to us, we were listening were attentively.

Student 2: While we were listening to our teacher very attentively, Pete and Jane were whispering.

Student 3: While Pete and Jane were whispering, our monitor was looking at them with indignation.

1. In the gym. 2. At the entrance to the University. 3. In the reading-hall. 4. In the hostel. 5. In the canteen. 6. At the time-table. 7. In the queue at the buffet.