1. Look at these sentences: 1. When his wife walked in, he dropped his glass. 2. When his wife walked in, he was dropping his glass. 3. When his wife was walking in, he was dropping his glass. 4. When his wife was walking in, he dropped his glass. Which are correct?

2. past simple or past continuous? Now look at these two sentences: A. She looked away when I spoke to her. B. She was looking away when I spoke to her. In which one, A or B, do we get the idea that perhaps she was angry with me?

3. Think about it another way: …she looked away. …she was looking away. Which action seems quicker? Looked away. So if we want to suggest looked away is a quick action, because I spoke to her, sentence A is better. In sentence B, was looking away suggests a longer action. Perhaps she was looking away before I spoke to her.

4. We use the past continuous to describe a longer action. I spoke to Tom yesterday.I was speaking to Tom yesterday.

5. Now think about sentences 1 – 4 again. 1. When his wife walked in, he dropped his glass. This one is most likely – she walked in and he drops the glass – two short actions. 2. When his wife walked in, he was dropping his glass. This is almost impossible. You can’t drop a glass slowly. 3. When his wife was walking in, he was dropping his glass. The same problem here. 4. When his wife was walking in, he dropped his glass. This is possible. She walks in more slowly and he drops the glass. Maybe she just felt tired.

6. Now decide which sentences are possible. In each pair, it might be one – or both. a. While I was having a shower, the phone rang. b. While I was having a shower, the phone was ringing. c. While he was walking home in the storm, a tree fell down. d. While he was walking home in the storm, a tree was falling down. e. When Mark saw Mary he was speaking to her. f. When Mark saw Mary he spoke to her.

7. a. While she was walking along the street, she was speaking to the baby. b. While she walked along the street, she was speaking to the baby. c. When the car left the track, a wheel came off. d. When the car was leaving the track, a wheel came off. e. While she was having lunch, the fire alarm was ringing. f. While she was having lunch, the fire alarm rang.

8. when or while? We often use while instead of when with the past continuous because it stresses that the action is longer. However, it is not wrong to use when in sentences like this. When I was having a shower. (is possible) While I was having a shower. (is maybe better)

9. Listen and fill in the form. Name__________. The title of her book is________________. Joanna believes in ____________ farming. Ten years ago she was working in ______. She _____ from the company and bought a small farm. She believes we’re destroying the soil with _________ at the moment. She thinks we’ll all be less ______ in the future.

10. Will or going to? Look at this extract from the listening text: ‘We’re destroying the soil with chemicals at the moment. If we don’t stop, we’re going to grow less and less at more and more cost. And I think we’ll find that we’re all less healthy than we should be.’ Previously in the course we learnt that we use will and going to for intentions.

11. But it isn’t anybody’s intention that we should grow less food at more cost and become less healthy. Will and going to have another meaning here.

12. Now look at these pictures. What meaning do will and going to have?

13. Will and going to – judgement/prediction All the speakers are giving an opinion about the future – what they think will, or is going to happen. They’re using their judgement to make a prediction about the future – and judgement is the meaning we give to will and going to in situations like these.

14. Look at the cartoon, which is correct? A. … and he’ll crash. B. … and he’s going to crash.

15. And this one? A. But he’s OK. Don’t worry, I know him well, he’ll be back for the next race. B. But he’s OK. Don’t worry, I know him well, he’s going to be back for the next race.

16. Will and going to – judgement/prediction When we talk about a judgement using going to, we have some evidence for what we are saying. When we use will, we are talking more about our personal feelings. In cartoon 1, it is obvious that the car is gong to crash – there is evidence. The commentator has just saying, ‘Look …! In cartoon 2, the commentator knows the driver, and knows this will not stop him racing again. So he says what he believes to be true – his personal feelings.

17. Look at the following cartoons. Decide which is the best sentence for each one. The answers: a. ‘Yes, I think that’ll be quicker.’ b. ‘Yes, I think that’s going to be quicker.’

18. The woman says: a. ‘It’ll crash.’ b. ‘It’s going to crash.’

19. His wife says: a. ‘I’d better follow him in the car. He’ll never get to the finish.’ b. ‘I’d better follow him in the car. He’s never going to get to the finish.’

20. Timmy’s mother says: a. ‘Don’t eat any more cake, Timmy. You’ll be sick. b. ‘Don’t eat any more cake, Timmy. You’re going to be sick.

21. He says: a. ‘See that – it’ll rain tomorrow.’ b. ‘See that – it’s going to rain tomorrow.’

22. His friend answers: a. ‘Spike never gives up. He’ll get to the top.’ b. ‘Spike never gives up. He’s going to get to the top.’

23. He says: a. ‘You’re right, he will get to the top.’ b. ‘You’re right, he is going to get to the top.’

24. He says: a. ‘Yes, we’ll win today.’ b. ‘Yes, we are going to win today.’

25. Past continuous or past simple? 1. While Ben ____(eat) his soup, the cat ___(jump) up on the table. 2. She ___(unpack) the shopping when I ___(get) home. 3. When Nick ___(arrive) at school, the pupils ___(leave). 4. I ___(watch) TV while Joel ___(tell) her the news. 5. I ___(take) a photo when they ___(feed) the lions. 6. Mary ___(talk) to Ian when I ___(see) them. 7. He ____(live) with his mother when they ____(get) married. 8. Amy ____(have) a bath while Maggie ____(cook) the dinner. 9. While Joe ___(work) in London, Kevin ____(travel). 10. While I ____(talk) to the other driver, the police ____(turn up).

26. Write the missing verbs in either the past continuous or the past simple I _____(walk) along Victoria Street last week and I ___(meet) Cheri – do you remember her? She ___(get) engaged to Sid Evesham last month. Remember, he ____(work) at the hospital at the time. Anyway, we ____(go) for a cup of tea in the Café Royale. They have these delicious Danish pastries. Well, we ____(eat)with them when Annie Ross ____(walk) in. I haven’t seen her since she ___(leave) for Australia. Anyway, it seems she ___(not get) there because while she ___(travel) through Malaysia she ___(meet) an English guy called Chris and they ____(fall) in love. He ____(have to) come back here because he was only on holiday ….

27. ….so she ___(come) back with him. Anyway, she ___(talk) about Chris and I suddenly ____(realise) that it was the same Chris who ____(break off) with Cheri six months ago. Cheri ____(realise) this too, and she ____(get up) and ____(leave). She ____(not finish) her Danish pastry – I ____(still eat) mine at the time. So I ___(finish) hers as well. Annie ____(still talk) – she ____(not notice) that Cheri was upset – so we ___(go) and ____(have) lunch together. Interesting morning – well, sort of.