The document discusses the past continuous and simple past tenses. It provides examples of situations using each tense and explains that the past continuous is used for an action that was ongoing simultaneously with another action expressed in the simple past. It then provides exercises for students to practice using these tenses to describe past events and activities.

1. Past Continuous vs Simple Past Present Perfect Continuous By Profr. José Ma. Jaramillo S. April, 2008

2. It could happen !

3. Events Get an excellent job. win a house get married meet your favorite actor or actress won a contest have twins discover something find the cure for a cold

4. Accidents fall down in front of people have a traffic accident get troubles with your car break your leg/arm crash your car run over a dog/cat spill liquid in other person sit on a dirty sit or chair

5. Accomplishments graduate from college get a loan sell you house get a raised buy a new car apply for a better job

6. Let’s meet Katy’s life

7. A lucky day? Katy is a typical student and today she had an extraordinary day. First of all she got up so early because she had an appointment with her dentist, but while she was getting ready for it, her friend Carmen called her and asked her to pick her up in her car because hers wasn’t working good. She was leaving her apartment when suddenly a guy threw some ice cream and stained her new dress. Then she was driving so carefully when suddenly she ran over a little cat. She felt terrible for that. Later in the dentist office, while she was waiting her turn she met the assistant for her favorite actor Tom Welling! Wow, everthing was better now. At her school while she was typing some notes , when she got an e-mail from her language teacher whit news from her scholarship to France. Finally when she was leaving school , she found $50.00 in the street. A bad or good day? What do you think?

8. Katy’s day Bad situations: She was getting ready, when her friend asked her a ride. She was leaving her apartment, when a guy stained her new dress. She was driving , when suddenly she ran over a little cat. Good situations: She was waiting her turn, when she met an interesting person.. She was typing her notes, when she recieved news from her scholarship. She was leaving shool, when she found some money.

9. Past Continuous vs Simple Past The past continuous is often used with the simple past. Both actions happened at the same time, but one action (past continuous) started earlier and was in progress when the other action (the simple past) happened. Example: I was eating when the phone rang The phone rang when I was eating When and while are often interchangeable when referring to a point or a period of time. I was waiting in line, while started to rain It started to rain while I was waiting in line.

10. Let’s practice with some copies!

11. Answer these questions about you and then interview one of your classmates. Try to give your answers using Past continuous. What were you doing around one hour ago? Were you working in the laboratory? Was your mother sleeping before you came? What was your sister/brother doing? Was your father working? What do you think your teacher was doing before class? My answers __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ My clasmate’s answers __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Put the following sentences into the correct tense , Simple Past or Past Continuous . 1. George (fall)_____________ off the ladder while he _________________ (paint) the ceiling. 2. While Tom ___________________ (cook) the dinner, the phone __________________(ring). 3. Ann ____________________(wait) for me at home when I ____________________(arrive) yesterday. 4. Tim __________________ (take) a photograph of me while I________________ (not /look). 5. What ______________________ (you/do) at this time yesterday' 6. I _____________(see) Carol at the party. She _____________ (wear) a really beautiful dress. 7. I _________________(break) a plate last night. I _________________ (do) the washing up. 8. ________________(you/watch) television when I _____________________(arrive)? 9. Last night I _____________________(read) in bed when suddenly I______________ (hear) a scream. 10. We ___________________(not/go) out because it _______________________ (rain). 11. We ___________________ (do) our homework while our mum ___________________(cook) dinner. 12. I ______________________(see) Jim in the park. He _________________(sit) on the grass and _____________________(read) a book.

13. Let’s practice with on your books! More information: [email_address]

14. Now let’s work with Present Perfect Continuous !

15. What have you been do ing lately? Have you been study ing in these days? Have you been chek ing the website from the CAADI recently? Has anybody been work ing out theses weeks?

16. Present Perfect continuous As you can see in the last questions we were using Present Perfect ( I have been ) and also Continuous ( studying ) This is the Present Perfect Continuous. USE 1 Duration from the Past Until Now We use it to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday" Examples: Valente and Eduardo have been talking for the last fifteen minutes. Vanessa has been studying at the high school for almost two years. The teacher Dago has been working as a Principal since last year. We have been waiting here for over two hours! What have you been doing ? Have you been traveling a lot?

17. USE 2 Recently, Lately You can also use the Present Perfect Continuous WITHOUT a duration such as "for two weeks." Without the duration, the tense has a more general meaning of "lately." We often use the words "lately" or "recently" to emphasize this meaning Recently, I have been feeling really tired. She has been watching too much television lately. Have you been exercising lately? Mary has been feeling a little depressed. Lisa has not been practicing her English. What have you been doing ?

18. Let’s practice! What have you been do ing recently? Well, I have been studying a lot for the exams. Have you been working in the CAADI? No, I haven’t been working . I have been practicing voleyball. Have you been working in the CAADI? No, I haven’t been working . I have been practicing voleyball. Where have you been living the last ten years? I have been living in the U.S.A. I got an excellent job there. What has your teacher been doing lately? I don’t know, I think he has been working a lot in the high school.

19. Put the verbs into the correct form (present perfect progressive). He (work) ______________________ in this company since 1995. I (wait) _____________________ for you since two o’clock. Marty (live) _____________________ in Germany since 1992. Why is he so tired? He (play) _____________________ tennis for five hours. How long (learn/you) ______________________ English? We (look for) _________________________ the motorway for more than an hour. I (live) ________________________ without electricity for two weeks. The film (run/not) ________________________ for ten minutes yet, but there’s a commercial break already. How long (work/she) _________________________in the garden? She (not/be) _____________________ in the garden for more than an hour.

20. Let’s practice with on your books! More information: [email_address]