1. PAST CONTINUOUS They were playing basketball at 5:00 pm. She was swimming during her lunch break.

2. FORM We make the past continuous with was /were + …..ing + I was workingYou were workingHe/she/it was workingWe/they were working -- I wasn’t working.You were not working.He/she/it was not working.We/they were not working. ? Was I working?Were you working?Was he/she/it working?Were we/they working? Contractions: wasn’t, weren’t

3. USE We use the past continuous to say what was or wasn’t happening around (before, at and perhaps after) a past time. Ex. What were you doing at 8:00 pm? Were you watching TV? No, I wasn’t. I was having dinner. What were they doing last Sunday afternoon? John was surfing. Sue was doing yoga.

4. PRACTICE What was happening last Monday morning? Use the images to make sentences about what people were doing last Monday morning. The baker _________________________________ The photographer ___________________________ A boy and a girl ______________________________ The man ____________________________________ Check

5. ANSWERS The baker was making some bread. The photographer was taking a photo. The boy and girl were walking with their dog. The man was driving to work.

6. SIMPLE PAST OR PAST CONTINUOUS? We use the simple past to talk about a complete action. We use the past continuous for actions which were not complete at a past time.

7. PRACTICE Choose between the past simple or past continuous. 1.I lived/ was living in France for eight years. 2.Sue lived/ was living in France when her uncle died. 3.At 6:15 when you phoned, I had/was having a shower. 4.We watched / were watching TV all evening. 5.Bill watched/ was watching TV when Ann came in. 6.They got married while they studied/were studying at London University. 7.Yesterday we drove/ were driving from Oxford to Edinburgh and back. 8.It was a nice evening so she walked / was walking home from work. Check

8. ANSWERS 1.I lived/ was living in France for eight years. 2.Sue lived/ was living in France when her uncle died. 3.At 6:15 when you phoned, I had/was having a shower. 4.We watched / were watching TV all evening. 5.Bill watched/ was watching TV when Ann came in. 6.They got married while they studied/were studying at London University. 7.Yesterday we drove/ were driving from Oxford to Edinburgh and back. 8.It was a nice evening so she walked / was walking home from work.

9. WE OFTEN USE THE PAST SIMPLE AND PAST CONTINUOUS TOGETHER We use the Past Progressive (blue) together with the Simple Past (pink). The Past Progressive is used for the action in the past which was in progress when a new action (Simple Past) happened. For example, in the story of Sleeping Beauty…. While Sleeping Beauty was sleeping, the Prince kissed her.

10. PRACTICE Put in the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. 1.While I ………….. down the road, I ………….. Bill. (walk; see) 2.While I ………… the newspaper, the cat …… onto the table. (read; jump) 3.Alan ……….. Helen while he ……………. in Morocco.(meet; travel) 4.Sally ……….. her leg while she ……………... (break; ski) 5.While I ………….., somebody ………… my car. (shop; steal) check

11. ANSWERS 1.While I was walking down the road, I saw Bill. 2.While I was reading the newspaper, the cat jumped onto the table. 3.Alan met Helen while he was travelling in Morocco. 4.Sally broke her leg while she was skiing 5.While I was shopping, somebody stole my car.