Past Continuous (Past Progressive) English Lesson Plan – Studying and Exams
The following English lesson plan targets Past Continuous Tense in English Language and is suitable for ESL/ EFL teachers working with students of A2 level. The Answer Sheet is available for download below.
Lesson Goals: At the end of this lesson, students should know how to form and when to use Past Continuous (Progressive) Tense. Also they will learn English vocabulary for study, and examination.
Target English Vocabulary: studying and examination
Target English Grammar: Past Continuous (Past Progressive)
Presentation:
1. Listen to the text and fill in the gaps.
I was preparing ………. when the phone rang. It was my mom. She said my piano teacher ………. and wasn’t coming for the lesson. I was really happy because ………. enough.
Later, ………. in my room, when I heard some noise coming ……….. When I went there, ………. were playing with ……….. I took the textbook because I needed it ………. at the end of the term.
I was going ………. when the black dog started barking. He ……….. I decided to run.
While I was running ………., the black dog ………. after me. When I turned left, ………. was coming to me. I was thinking ………. when I heard my mom saying: “It’s OK, Lora, ……….. How was the piano lesson?”
2.Mark the statements T (for true) and F (for false).
- Lora was preparing for a piano lesson when she heard noise in the kitchen.
- When the phone rang, Lora was watching TV.
- When Lora went to the kitchen, two dogs were playing with a toy.
- The black dog was running down the street while Lora was in the kitchen.
- Lora was thinking what to do, when she heard her mom talking.
- While Lora was watching TV, her piano teacher came in.
3.Answer the following questions.
- What was Lora doing when the phone rang?
- What happened while Lora was watching TV?
- When Lora was going out of the kitchen, what did the black dog do?
- What was the black dog doing while Lora was running?
- What was Lora doing when she heard her mother’s voice?
- What was actually Lora doing all that time.
Grammar Box
Formation:
| Past Tense of “To Be” + (main action) verb + ing E. g. I was sleeping when the telephone rang. |
Usage:
We use Past Continuous (or Past Progressive) Tense to express:
| 1. Interrupted Action in the Past. |
| E.g.
I was reading a book, when the cat jumped on the bed. I was preparing for my piano lesson when the phone rang. |
| 2. Specific Time as an Interruption. |
| E.g.
Yesterday, at 3 pm I was still playing football. I was working on my computer at 10 pm yesterday. |
| 3. Parallel Actions in the Past. |
| E.g. Lora was watching TV while the dogs were playing in the kitchen. Tim was working on his project, while David was playing a video game. |
Practice:
1. Unscramble the conversations.
| Sam: Really? I guess we were playing basketball while you were studying then. It was a good game. | Kim: How late did you play? |
| Sam: Hey, Kim, did you go out yesterday? | Kim: Oh, wow! At 10 pm yesterday I was falling asleep on my desk. Couldn’t study any more. |
| Sam: At 10 pm my dad called, and we were still playing. | Kim: No, I studied for the math exam at the end of the term. |
| Don: If he was studying all day yesterday, he’ll be OK. | Sam: Yes, I do. It’s the end of the term. He can’t fail this test. |
| Don: Do you think Kim was really studying when you called him yesterday? | Sam: Sure. We’ll play some other time. |
2. Underline to correct form of the verb To Be.
E.g. She was studying /studied when her brother came home.- Sam was playing/ played basketball, while Kim studies/ was studying.
- Lora prepared/ was preparing for her piano lesson when the phone rang.
- They were taking/ took a test, when the principle entered the room.
- When my dad came home yesterday, I read/ was reading a book.
- We had dinner/ were having dinner when somebody knocked on the door.
- I was watching/ watched TV, while my brother played/ was playing a video game.
Production:
Role play:
1. You are a high school student, very good at math but you don’t like history. You have final exams next week. What were you doing last weekend? Write 5 sentences.
[wpdm_file id=8]