I was sitting when…

  • A2 · Elementary
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min
  • past continuous

The past continuous for the background of a story and for a longer action with a short one in the middle of it (Juliane was sitting by the window when lightning hit the plane), with when and while. From a true story of survival in the rainforest to the story behind a photo on the student's phone.

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Free, no card needed. The PDF has every slide, the homework and an answer key.

was sittingwhenwere laughing

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Reading: alone in the rainforestReading comprehension
  4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find was / were + -ingGrammar exercise
  6. 6How the past continuous worksGrammar rule
  7. 7Which form?Grammar exercise
  8. 8The famous faceGrammar exercise
  9. 9Find the mistakeGrammar exercise
  10. 10Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  11. 11Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  12. 12A photo from your phoneSpeaking practice
  13. 13About youGrammar exercise
  14. 14Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: the picnicGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: which is right?Grammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: build the sentencesGrammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: how we metDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. Do you like flying? Where do you like to sit on a plane?
  2. Do you know any true survival stories? Tell me one.
  3. Were you ever in a really bad storm? What were you doing when it started?

Grammar rule

How the past continuous works

was / were + -ing

Example
PositiveI was reading. The kids were laughing.
NegativeShe wasn't listening. We weren't driving.
QuestionWere you working? — Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't. What was he eating?

I, he, she, it → was · you, we, they → were · Spelling: make → making · stop → stopping · lie → lying

Two uses

  1. The background of a story: what was going on at that time. Snow was falling, and people were hurrying home.
  2. A longer action, and a short one (past simple) in the middle of it: I was making tea when the doorbell rang. / While I was making tea, the doorbell rang.
  • when + the short action (past simple) · while + the longer action (past continuous)
  • Two longer actions at the same time: While Mom was driving, the kids were singing.
The events of the story, one after the other, take the past simple: She found a stream. She followed it. (not She was finding a stream)
Watch out: don't forget was or were (not I sleeping when you called), and use were with you, we and they (not they was). Verbs like know, want and like don't usually take -ing: I knew the answer. (not I was knowing) And while + a subject and a verb (while I was sleeping), but during + a noun (during the night).

Teach it live with video and a whiteboard, or print it: the PDF has every slide, the homework and the answers.

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