t-1695899961-esl-what-were-you-doing-interrupted-actions-teens-a2-b1_ver_1

1.

2.

Warm up questions
What did you do this morning?
What were you doing at
this time yesterday?

3.

Guess the verbs. What were the people doing?
We were watching TV.
He was washing fruit.
I was reading a book.

4.

Guess the verbs.
What were you doing?
I was drinking water
when the phone rang.
Which are the past
simple verbs?

5.

Past continuous - Past actions
We were watching TV.
I was reading a book.
He was washing fruit.
Past continuous can be used to ask and talk about a
past activity at a particular time.
He / She / It / I
was
They / We / You
were
verb-ing + object.

6.

Past continuous - Interrupted actions
I was drinking water
when the phone rang.
‘when’ = to show interruption
Past continuous can be also be used to talk
about a longer action that was interrupted
by a shorter action in the past.
Subject + were/was + verb-ing + object
+ when + subject + verb + object.
longer action
shorter interrupting action

7.

Look at the hints in brackets.
Match the sentence halves.
She was watching a movie (electricity)
the doorbell rang.
They were studying (visitor)
it started to rain.
I was reading a book (phone)
the power went out.
He was riding in the park (accident)
he fell off his bike.
We were having a conversation (weather)
my friend called.
Grammar note: remember we use ‘when’
to show the interrupted action.

8.

Look at the picture. What was he doing?
He was studying when he fell (fall) asleep .

9.

Look at the picture. What were you doing?
We were baking when she broke (break) an egg .

10.

Look at the picture. What were they doing?
They were running when they kicked (kick) the ball .

11.

Role play.
Ask and answer questions using the past continuous
tense, use ‘when’ to show the interrupted actions. Use
the words to help you. Speak in full sentences.
yesterday afternoon
called
reading
arrived
cooking
talked
fell
singing
Last night

12.

Correct the mistakes.
She
dancing when I arrive
school.
She were
was dancing
arrivedatatthe
the
school.
II was
calling
was watched
watchingTVTVwhen
whenmy
myfriend
friend
calledme.
me.
They
dinners.
They were
were studying
studyingwhich
when II cooking
cooked dinner.
He was
was teach
teaching
when
the phone
rang.
He
when
the phone
ringed.