GRAMMAR

Past simple
and past
continuous

LEVEL NUMBER LANGUAGE

Intermediate (B1) EN_B1_2042G English

www.lingoda.com
 Learning outcomes

● I can identify the past simple

and past continuous and
explain when to use each
tense.

● I can use ‘when’ and ’while’ to

link clauses in the past simple
and past continuous.

2
 Warm-up
Match the words to their definitions, then complete the activity in the yellow box.

a long, thin fish that looks

1 to explode a
like a snake

to make someone or
2 an eel b
something stuck

3 a canyon c a large rock

to break apart suddenly

4 a boulder d
and violently

5 to trap e a deep, narrow valley

These words come from the text on the next slide about three miraculous survival stories.
Take 30 seconds to make some predictions about the text. Be as creative as you like!

3
 Reading
Read the texts below. Were any of your predictions correct?

Miraculous survival stories

1. On Christmas Eve, in 2. In 2014, Tseng Lien-Fa 3. While Aron Ralston was

1971, Juliane Koepke was was fishing for eels on a climbing down a canyon in
flying over the Peruvian beach in Taiwan when a Utah in May 2003, a boulder
rainforest when lightning large wave suddenly pulled fell and trapped his arm.
struck the plane and it him out into deep water. He Nobody knew where he
exploded in mid-air. She fell survived 60 hours at sea by was, so he made a difficult
3 km to the forest below. holding onto a piece of decision: he cut off his arm
Miraculously, she only had a wood. He was able to stay to free himself. He walked
broken collarbone and afloat and was carried to a 13 km through the desert
some cuts. beach 75 km away. before hikers rescued him.

4
 He was able to stay
afloat by holding onto
a piece of wood.
Real-life language

Do you know the difference between to

float and to swim?

What do you think the highlighted phrase

means?

5
 Match the information to the story
Match a statement on the left to the correct story.

Story 1
1 These events happened in 1971.

Someone survived 60 hours at sea by holding

2
onto a piece of wood.

Someone was trapped in a canyon in the Story 2

3
desert in Utah.

4 These events happened in Taiwan in 2014.

This miraculous survival story happened in Story 3

5
South America.

6 Someone was rescued by hikers.

6
 Past simple and past continuous
Read the example sentence from the text and complete the blue box.

Tseng Lien-Fa was fishing when a wave pulled him out into deep water.

● Look at the highlighted verbs in this

sentence, which describe two past
actions.

● Which verb is in the past simple? Which

verb is in the past continuous? How can
you tell?

7
 Past simple and past continuous
Look at the timeline and answer the questions in the blue box.

Tseng Lien-Fa …when a wave

was fishing… pulled him out
into deep water.

● Which tense is used to describe an ongoing

or longer action in the past?

● Which tense is used to describe an action

that interrupts an ongoing action in the
past?

8
 Past simple and past continuous
Here are two of the stories again. Read them and answer the questions in the red boxes.

On Christmas Eve, in 1971, Juliane Koepke was flying over the Peruvian
rainforest when lightning struck the plane and it exploded in mid-air. She
fell 3 km to the forest below. Miraculously, she only had a broken collarbone
and some cuts.

While Aron Ralston was climbing down a canyon in Utah in May 2003, a
boulder fell and trapped his arm. Nobody knew where he was, so he made a
difficult decision: he cut off his arm to free himself. He walked 13 km
through the desert before hikers rescued him.

In each sentence, identify In each sentence, what word

Find two more sentences
the longer/ongoing action is used to link the two past
that use the past simple and
and the action that actions? Hint: it’s not in the
past continuous together.
interrupts it. same position in each sentence

9
 Past simple and past continuous
Read the example sentences from the text again and complete the rules in the blue boxes.

Juliane Koepcke was flying over the rainforest when lightning struck
her plane.

While Aron Ralston was climbing down a canyon, a boulder fell and
trapped his arm.

● We use the past simple and past ● We use the words _______________ and
continuous together to describe two _______________ to link clauses in the
past actions. past continuous and past simple.
● _______________ : a longer or ongoing
● _______________ is used at the start of the
action in the past.
past continuous clause.
● _______________ : a shorter action in
the past that happened during the ● _______________ is used at the start of the
longer action or interrupted it. past simple clause.

10
 Complete the sentences
Match the sentence beginnings with the correct endings.

While Joanna was watching a horror when I heard thunder, and I had to run
1 a
movie, back to the house.

he saw his boss coming home from a

2 I was out walking my dog, b
party.

A farmer was working in his field one when you rang, and then I forgot to take
3 c
evening, the chicken out of the oven!

While Tim was cycling to work the other when he discovered an ancient clay pot
4 d
morning buried in the earth.

someone knocked at the window, and

5 I was cooking a roast dinner e
she got a fright.

11
 Fill in the gaps
Fill in the gaps using either past simple or past continuous.

While the hikers _______________ (walk) through the desert, they_______________ (see) a man who
1
looked like he needed help.

People _______________ (board) the plane when I _______________ (arrive) at the gate. I almost missed
2
my flight!

Sarah _______________ (drive) on the motorway when her car _______________ (break down) and she
3 _______________ (have to) call for help.

4 The family _______________ (enjoy) a picnic on the riverbank when it _______________ (start) raining.

While I _______________ (run), I fell and _______________ (hurt) my ankle. A woman _______________ (pass)
5 on her way home, and she _______________ (stop) and took me to hospital.

12
 Build sentences using the pictures
Complete this activity in breakout rooms or in the main class.
If using breakout rooms, share your sentences with the rest of the group afterwards.

I (past continuous)…, 3
when (past simple)…

While I (past continuous)… (past

simple) …

1 4

2 5

13
 Let’s reflect!

● Can you identify the past simple

and past continuous and explain
when to use each tense?

● Can you use ‘when’ and ‘while’ to

link clauses in the past simple and
past continuous?

Your teacher will now make one suggestion

for improvement for each student.

14
End of the lesson

Idiom

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

Meaning: when you go through something difficult or challenging, the experience makes
you a stronger person.

Example: When someone tells you about a very challenging experience they have had, or
when you are talking about your own challenges, you can use this phrase.
Additional practice

Additional practice

16
 Discuss
Try to use the past simple and past continuous!
Additional practice

Have you ever been in a

dangerous situation?
What were you doing?
What happened?

When was the last time

something unexpected
happened to you while
you were travelling
somewhere?

17
 Fill in the gaps
Fill in the gaps using the past continuous and past simple.
Additional practice

1 I _______________ (meet) Alex while I _______________ (travel) in New Zealand.

2 It _______________ (start) to rain while Ben _______________ (working) in the garden.

3 You _______________ (not listen) to me when I _______________ (tell) you the plan for Sunday.

4 Tom _______________ (break) a plate while he _______________ (wash) the dishes.

5 Maria _______________ (read) in bed when she _______________ (hear) a loud crash downstairs.

18
 What were you doing?
Think about an important moment in your life or something that you remember happening
very clearly. What were you were doing when it happened? Tell your classmates.
Additional practice

I was gardening when my partner asked me

to marry him. I was very surprised!

I was fishing when my wife called me to tell

me she was pregnant.

I was eating pizza when I found out I got

my dream job.

19
 Reflect on the text
Additional practice

Why do you think the stories

you read in the lesson are
described as miraculous?

Which of the survival stories was the most

surprising, in your opinion?

20
 Match the sentences
Match the sentence beginnings with their endings.
Additional practice

1 I was trekking in the rainforest when… a while I was playing golf one Sunday.

Lightning struck a tree 100 metres away

2 b you weren’t listening to me.
from me…

while the trailers were playing and he

3 Celia was trying to stay afloat while… c
had nothing left for during the film.

4 Pete ate all his popcorn… d I saw a large gorilla right in front of me.

I told you about the test three weeks ago she was trapped under her canoe in the
5 e
but… river.

21
 Writing
Look at the pictures below and complete the writing activity in the red box.
Additional practice

Write a short text (2-3 lines) for each

picture using the past simple and the
past continuous and when or while.

What was happening? Then what

happened?

22
 Answer key

P.3: 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (e) 4. (c) 5. (b)

P.6: Story 1: 1, 5 Story 2: 2, 4 Story 3: 3, 6
P.7: First action: Tseng Lien-Fa was fishing; second action: a wave pulled him out into the
water
P.8: 1. past continuous 2. past simple
P. 9:
On Christmas Eve, in 1971, Juliane Koepke was flying (longer action) over the Peruvian
rainforest when lightning struck the plane (action that interrupts) and it exploded (action that
interrupts) in mid-air.

While Aron Ralston was climbing (longer action) down a canyon in Utah in May 2003, a
boulder fell (action that interrupts) and trapped (action that interrupts) his arm.

when and while are used to link the two past actions

23
 Answer key

P.10: 1. past continuous 2. past simple 3. when; while 4. while; when

P.11: 1. (e) 2. (a) 3. (d) 4. (b) 5. (c)
P.12: 1. were walking; they saw 2. were boarding; arrived 3. was driving; broke down
4. were enjoying; started 5. was running; hurt; was passing; stopped

Additional practice:
P.18: 1. met; was travelling 2. started; was working 3. were not listening; told 4. broke was
washing 5. was reading’; heard
P.21: 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (e) 4. (c) 5. (b)

24
 Summary
Using the past continuous and past simple
● We use these tenses together to describe two past actions, using the linking words when and while
● Past continuous: a longer or ongoing action in the past.
● Past simple: a shorter action in the past that happened during the longer action or interrupted it.

when and while

● while is used at the start of the past continuous clause
● when is used at the start of the past simple clause

25
 Vocabulary

to survive to trap

survival miraculous

rainforest

to explode

lightning

eel

to rescue

canyon

boulder

to stay afloat

26
 Notes

27