past continuous conversation
We were She wasn't working (when/in) he came into the office. Practice the dialogue with your partner and then practice the use of these two forms on your own beginning with the question 'What where you doing when + past simple'. My friends were waiting for me at nine o'clock. Past Continuous tense is an important one for learners and it may take some time to master it as well as fully understand how to use it. This dialogue focuses on the use of the both the past continuous and past simple. I was talking on the phone when my sister arrived. I was practising every day, three times a day. All Questions; Topics; Grammar or vocabulary; Questions for textbooks. Practice the dialogue with your partner and then practice the use of these two forms on your own beginning with the question "What where you doing when + … They weren't thinking about that (at/when) they made the decision. Sheila was playing the piano (while/during) he was working on the computer. This is done through the use of the past continuous as a descriptive tense to "paint a picture" in words of the moment when something … Weddings. I _____ (not pay attention) during the presentation. 3. _____ (they work) in the garden when you arrived? The past continuous describes a longer action or situation and the past simple describes a shorter action or event. And Why? Le présent simple (I do) a son présent continu (I am doing).. Woman: Nothing much.I just stayed at home and cleaned the house. A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). They were meeting secretly after school. How Questions in the Past Continuous are formed and used. They were carry ing the buckets because they wanted to clean the car. Have pairs of students interview each other to determine a significant event in … If I change it into past tense what will be the correct one- Her English was improving. Past Continuous, Past Simple | Views: 105,792 | Level: Elementary, Pre-Intermediate | 5 out of 5, rated by 62 teachers | Found a mistake? Unfortunately, this is not the case when it comes to actively integrating the past continuous into everyday conversations or written communications. Present Perfect--2 times 7. 2. Present Continuous. Woman: Yeah, it was.And you? If this is from a test or exercise, 'was talking' is probably the intended answer. You’ll sound like a native in no time! Conditionals. Simple Past or Past Continuous - A Dialog Fill in the blanks with the simple past or past continuous form of the verbs. Past Continuous Structure. 'While' is used with the past continuous to express something that was happening at the same moment in time that something else was occurring. As you'll see from the information on those pages, we use perfect forms, whether present, past or future, when the earlier event has an influence on the later event. Subject + to be (was, were) + present participle (ing form of verb) + objects: Subject + to be (was, were) + not + verb + objects. He was drinking beer when he suddenly feltsick. Have a grammar point your students could use a bit more practice with? Hopefully, this short guide to past simple and past continuous (past tenses) helps you when you are next telling people about your weekend. My hair was going grey. accept his project, Kirk replied on 23 November, 2020 - 07:47 Spain. (to take) you to music? What _____ (you think) when you said that?! Sentences in the Part Indefinite with the same indications of time are not emotionally coloured. This is often overlooked in ESL / EFL lessons about narrative tenses. Next, students rewrite sentence parts in the correct order. The first student in each group starts by asking the second student what they were doing at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Past Simple Past Continuous Conversation Questions, Past Continuous Tense Conversation Questions. Simple Future Tense. The past continuous is made from the past tense of the verb be and the –ing form of a verb: I was Download full-size image from Pinterest . There was an accident in Vere Street yesterday. When I got to work, I realized I wasn't wearing my watch. What were you doing (while/during) the meeting? 'When' is used with the past simple to express an important event that occurred in the past. My head was aching. Where were you? Past Continuous Tense Conversation 1. Do you know how to form this tense? 3. Choose the correct time expression used with the past continuous tense. https://yellowtry.weebly.com/past-continuous-conversation-questions.html Carlos _____ (drink) tea when I walked into the room. We use the past simple instead: When I got home, I really needed (NOT was needing) a shower. (Or) The past continuous is often used together with the simple past to show that one thing happened while another thing was in progress: I was talking on the phone when my sister arrived. Past continuous We use the past continuous: to emphasise the continuous nature of a finished action in the past: "I was studying for an exam all night." Quantifiers. She was working quietly (when/for) he opened the door. Dick : I was walking in the lawn. I was writing a letter. You can set it up by having the students … He was playing football when he broke her arm. We were waiting for the bus when we saw a car accident. Give these discussion questions to your students and have them reminisce about the past while they use the simple past tense. PRACTICE students model the exercise one more time the lines. We make the past continuous with was or were and the - ing form of the verb. Give these discussion questions to your students and have them reminisce about the past while they use the simple past tense. Back Next. Past Continuous Putting down my thoughts, learnings, work, and collaborate with folks to get some conversation going. Past Continuous Tense Conversation 1. I ___ (see/neg.) You can find our pages on the use of the past perfect here: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/perfect-aspect, https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/past-perfect, https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/talking-about-the-past. I was work ing on my computer. This is often overlooked in ESL / EFL lessons about narrative tenses. Dear Team, Anika would win the prize, Peter M. replied on 3 November, 2020 - 07:57 Poland. Use the cue cards and model dialog to practice speaking using past simple. Peter M. replied on 7 March, 2021 - 09:03 Poland. Can be used with both young learners and adults (elementary to intermediate). Then click on the answer button to see the correct answers. Conversation Practice Activity Past Continuous. Dilbert was working at the computer (on/at) four o'clock this morning! In Spanish, there are two simple past tenses: the preterite and the imperfect. Comparative and Superlative Adjectives – List and Example Sentences . The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present. If you find these ESL discussion questions useful, then why not pick up our book 50 Conversation Classes which features 50 topic-based sets of questions and activities. Past Continuous Examples: I was sleeping. (Question Word) + to be (was, were) + subject + present participle (ing form of verb)? Alex : She was cooking her food. This game is similar to the murder mystery Clue. Questions with question words in the Past Progressive. Present Unreal Conditional/Second Conditional. you at school last Monday. - ESL worksheets When I opened the cupboard door, a pile of books fell out. When I met Susan she was having a drink at a terrace with a friend. 1. Our teacher was explaining math (from/when) he burst into the room with the news. Reported speech. Students begin by completing sentences with the past perfect or past simple form of the verbs in brackets. The actions are simultaneous and when each finishes is not indicated. 2 I am not sure, but they ................. (may well ) or ( will probably 2. Past continuous/progressive worksheets: THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE Level: elementary Age: 12-14 Downloads: 3319 Past Continuous Level: intermediate Age: 13-17 Downloads: 2198 PAST CONTINUOUS-GRAMMAR AND EXERCISES (KEY+B&W VERSION INCLUDED) Dick : They were running in the street. Alibi. The past continuous (also called past progressive) is a verb tense which is used to show that an ongoing past action was happening at a specific moment of interruption, or that two ongoing actions were happening at the same time. It's not only a question of sequence, but of relevance. Compare: The children did their homework when (= after) I got home. Daily English Conversation Practice – Questions and Answers By Topic; 50 Common English Expressions and Daily Use English Sentences; 100 Common … Real Conditional – Present The past continuous and continuous forms, in general, are used with action verbs such as talk, drive, play, etc. ; I was snowboarding. ICP#: 10044692, LearnEnglish Subscription: self-access courses, English Online: 100% online teacher-led course, EnglishScore Tutors: personal online English tutors, Delexical verbs: 'have', 'take', 'make', 'give', 'go' and 'do'. It was eight o'clock. 24 present perfect continuous, present perfect, simple past 25 as long as, provided that, unless 26 relative pronouns 27 past tense modal verbs 28 modal verbs for obligation 29 adjectives and adverbs 30 first conditional, future with will 31 the past with was always and would 32 future with present continuous and going to 33 past continuous Phrasal Verbs. The town was changing quickly. Not so bad, is it? The cards can be cut out if desired and be used as conversation questions. Students mime an action and when their partner is sure what it is they shout “Stop!” They then guess the action with the sentence “When I shouted stop, you were + ing…”, e.g. Some stative verbs can be used as action verbs so there are some exceptions. These questions are great for praticing conversation and fluency with intermediate students, or beginners who already grasp the three simple tenses (though the vocabulary might be a bit more complicated for them). shahed dalloul replied on 21 November, 2020 - 14:59 Israel, Hello B: Hello, Bob. Past Continuous Uses. DaniWeebKage replied on 20 October, 2020 - 11:00 Australia. Relative clause. Where were you? “When I shouted stop, you were polishing your fingernails on your shirt to show how proud you are”. Ashley on the computer? The past continuous test checks your understanding of the structure of the past continuous verb tense. Past simple Past perfect Past continuous Past perfect continuous. I was working at the computer (at/on) seven o'clock this morning. Sometimes we want to give reasons and explain why something happened or didn’t happen. If the earlier event affects the later situation in some important way, then we link them using a perfect form. Kirk replied on 9 December, 2020 - 06:37 Spain. (to work) they the bike? Use the Past Progressive. We use the past continuous . With Activity Notes on Page 2 Level: Elementary to Intermediate (CEFR A2 to B1) Time: Approx. The past continuous is useful for that too. Anika will win the prize (to listen) Nicolas at a picture? Dear Team, Man: What did you do yesterday? Show example. They live in a boarding-house. Present Perfect Continuous. The short action in past simple often interrupts the longer action in past continuous. This is one of the more common English verb tenses, and it’s also one of the most difficult to use. She was _____ (she do) the housework when you telephoned? If you want to maintain that meaning but move the time into the past, then would is the best option: (I think that ) Anike will win the prize. It is very common for English people to ask what you did last night. Conversation 1. Jason was thinking about the problem (when/at) he asked for an answer. This lesson is aimed at helping students actively use the past continuous in speaking and writing. Le passé simple (I did) a donc son passé continu (I was doing).. Dans cette leçon on va s’intéresser au passé continu (ou past continuous en anglais). Where were they sleeping (at/when) he got home last night? Andrea _____ (not expect) you to arrive so early! Past continuous is used to show an action that was continuing in the past until another action interrupted it. A: Hi, Mary. LESSON SERIES. You can find out with the test below. One day they invite Eugene Gaillard, a film director, for a cup of tea. This means that they were talking at the same time they were going home -- both actions are happening together. The past continuous is used to speak about actions that were interrupted in the past such as: "I was watching TV when you telephoned." You were These time expressions are commonly used with the past continuous to express a past action occurring at a specific moment in the past. Tim was finishing the report (in/at) five o'clock. Dick : They were running in the street. Do you need help? Tim _____ (study) German while they were studying French. When I got to work, I realized I hadn't wore my watch. 4. Woman: That sounds fun! Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. Simple Past and Past Continuous. If the verb were 'talked', it would be odd (though not impossible I think) because the talking happens in the time he was going home, though not during the whole action of going home. MINI-CONVERSATIONS ALL Things Grammar Grammar Focus Past Continuous Level Elementary to Intermediate (CEFR A2 to B1) ACTIVITY NOTES the board. © British Council Regular past simple verbs have -ed at the end (e.g. The past continuous is used to speak about actions that were interrupted in the past such as: 'I was watching TV when you telephoned.' They _____ (meet) with Smith and Co at exactly 2.35 pm. Past Continuous Tense. The past continuous is also often used together with the past simple to express what was happening when something important occurred. Man: It was.I had a great time. Thanks a lot. (to phone) the girl the window? English Dialogue Practice: 'What Were You Doing?'. We use the past continuous when there is an action in the past which is interrupted, for example: ‘Lionel Messi was playing football when he broke his leg.’ Or, ‘the children were doing their homework when I arrived home.’ In thes… They were. But did you know that you can use present tenses in English conversations even when you are telling a story about the past? Remember, start your story with the past continuous and interrupt with the past simple. The past continuous form . The past continuous is used to express what was happening at that moment. School. Practice More Phone conversations would be a real life situation where the present continuous tense is used quite often so in order to give students practice with this tense as well as basic phone conversation, make a short model dialogue for students to practice in pairs. The Past Continuous expresses an action generally characterizing the person denoted by the subject, bringing out his (her) typical traits. Past continuous – passive. Alex wasn't playing golf (this/at) morning. Peter M. replied on 21 October, 2020 - 07:57 Poland. Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 0 comments . Please what the correct answer for the following: Just as he was going home, his friend was talking / talked to him about their future. Both are formed by subtracting the infinitive ending (-ar, -er or -ir), and replacing it with another. Note that each te… Everyone was shouting. PAST CONTINUOUS. Alex was knitting a sweater at 10:30 yesterday morning. In the case of questions, use the indicated subject as well. The students sit in a circle. This printable past perfect vs. past simple worksheet helps students learn and practice how to use the past perfect with the past simple and sequence words. Grammar or vocabulary focus. 1000 ESL Conversation Questions; ESL Activities for Kids; About/Contact; You are here: Home / ESL Conversation Questions / Grammar or vocabulary focus. As you can see, during a five-minute conversation, I used nine verb tenses/structures out … Welcome to the Grammar Gameshow! The second one is correct as we consider opening a cupboard door to be an instantaneous action. Conversation Questions - Past Continuous. The continuous form is not used with stative verbs such as 'be', 'seem', 'taste', etc. Unfortunately, this is not the case when it comes to actively integrating the past continuous into everyday conversations or written communications. We _____ (not cook) when he walked in the door. (I thought that) Anika would win the prize. Conversation 1 A: I came to see you yesterday at 6 p.m. but you weren’t at home. See these pages: LearnEnglish Subscription: self-access courses for professionals, DaniWeebKage replied on 6 March, 2021 - 13:05 Australia. Past Continuous Mimes. Why: were: they: carry ing: the buckets? a1981z replied on 8 December, 2020 - 19:59 Egypt. For example, 'smell' - It smelled good. Alex : They were playing on the road. Simple Past--3 times 4. P.S. The past continuous is often used together with the simple past to show that one thing happened while another thing was in progress: 1. (to look) Emma and Bertha their friend? (to open) he judo? For example: 1. I mean both tenses have happened-before-meaning. Past Continuous conversation - Explain yourself. Important Events. Dick : I was walking in the lawn. Jackson wasn't listening (while/during) he was explaining the situation. ; Yes/No questions. Dick : he was reading his book. Providing variable practice activities and tapping into students’ own experiences will provide an experiential way of practicing what could have been just another boring grammar point. IV. Ask students to write their texts and tell them that they should focus on communicating their story clearly and on using the past simple and past continuous correctly. Conversation Questions - Past Continuous worksheet . Talk about your country’s past (100 years ago), how was the past different from the present: Food. Were they listening (as/at) he asked the question? Past continuous and hypotheses We can also use the past continuous to refer to the present or future in hypotheses (when we imagine something). Dick : Was I going to her house? The past continuous is useful for that too. Conversation 2 When I was opening the cupboard door, a pile of books fell out. This lesson is aimed at helping students actively use the past continuous in speaking and writing. Dick : Was I going to her house? Such sentences are emotionally coloured. Then click on the answer button to see the correct answers. Dick : Hello , Alex. Passive voice. Recreation (free time activities) Communication Jason _____ (play) the piano at three o'clock yesterday afternoon. Try giving them some conversation questions designed for the production of specific grammar points. When _____ (Howard give) the presentation exactly? Imperative--2 times 8. Why or why not? We use it to give context, so here we learn why Michael couldn’t adopt Jay. Work. He was drinking beer when he suddenly felt … Real Conditional – Future. 2) When to use each (P.simple or P.perfect). Give each group of four a set of picture cards, which they shuffle and deal out evenly. How to decide to use? Thank You!!! Conjugate the verb in parentheses in the past continuous tense. I won't comment directly on your examples as they contain a few errors and the very 'wear' (rather than 'put on' or 'take') is problematic and would need a very long explanation of a very unlikely context. 'During' is used with a noun or a noun phrase to express an event during which something was happening. Subject + Was/Were + Verb + ING. called, played, arrived). The questions are divided into Simple Present, Simple Past, and Simple Future. They _____ (discuss) the issue when she telephoned. And another thing. The continuing action is past continuous and the interrupting action is simple past. They were dancing. She _____ (sleep) so he entered the room softly. But did you know that you can use present tenses in English conversations even when you are telling a story about the past? The past continuous is used to talk about what was happening at a specific moment in the past. This makes the exercise even Getting the Conversation on the Board First, write the conversation in the box on the board. Practice English conversations in the Present Perfect Continuous until you can do it with no problems! They were having a quiet breakfast (this/at) morning when he arrived. Dialogue 3 Caithleen and Baba, two girl-friends, work in Dublin. Simple Past or Past Continuous - A Dialog Fill in the blanks with the simple past or past continuous form of the verbs. Present Perfect. Past Passive. Tell your partner what Helen, Jenny and Paul were doing when the accident happened. Le past continuous (I was doing, you were working…) Cours sur le Past Continuous anglais, aussi appelé prétérit progressif ou past progressive.. (to read) Answer: Was she reading a book? She couldn't come to the party. Alex : They were playing on the road. 1)Could you plz tell me these sentences have the same meaning? We can also use the past continuous to refer to the present or future in hypotheses (when we imagine something). They _____ (not take) notes during the presentation, but paying attention to every word. And another thing. Listen to your partner. Alex : We were learning our lessons. Clothing. She was go ing to a concert. These two expressions are often used with the past continuous. What were some of the benefits of living in the past? He was See dialogue 7. Alex : Hello , Dick. The past continuous is used to talk about what was happening at a specific moment in the past. It is more common to use the past simple to speak in general, but if you want to express what was happening at a precise moment of time in the past, use the past continuous. They were always quarrelling. Past continuous and hypotheses. The ‘present continuous’ – phrases & use in everyday conversation — Get into English says: December 14, 2013 at 12:40 […] kicks it to Gunston, and then Gunston kicks a goal. A. The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Could you tell me which one of mine is correct? Man: I drove to the mountains and went hiking. You were Questions in Past Continuous. Give each student a copy of the two-page worksheet. We use the past continuous to talk about the past: for something which happened before and after another action: The children were doing their homework when I got home. This worksheet also contains a bunch of Mixed Tense questions. These actions are usually no longer happening at … Past Continuous - Grammar Notes Point 1 : The past continuous uses the past tense BE verbs + present participle (ing) Complete the conversations with the past simple or the past continuous. Last week, as I was driving to work, …. The original sentence is a prediction about the future. Compare: At eight o'clock I wrote (= started writing) some letters. Sometimes we want to give reasons and explain why something happened or didn’t happen. We do not normally use the past continuous with stative verbs. What were they doing (when/in) that happened? Here is an example: I was sleeping when you called me. This could be very simple where Student A asks Student B for someone and Student B replies Im sorry. you at school last Monday. ESL Conversation Questions . Past continuous Past perfect continuous. What were they doing (in/at) four o'clock? Often, constantly, always are found in this case in the sentence. [two events: eating and going to the party; no connetion is emphasised], [the earlier event is connected in some way - presumably, the speaker is telling us that he or she was not hungry when they went to the party]. Past Continuous--1 time 9. Samin replied on 2 November, 2020 - 13:28 Bangladesh, Hi can you please clear this confusion In these notes, we’re going to focus on the past continuous in the passive voice and its elaborations.Generally, we use the passive when the focus is on the action and NOT on WHO or WHAT is performing the action.. Construction: was/were + being + past participle The past continuous and the past simple help us to show how two past actions or situations are connected. The past continuous can also show that an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment. I ___ (see/neg.) Present Continuous--2 times 6. Do you think the past was better than the present? We were cleaning the house all morning. We can also use the past continuous to refer to the present or future in hypotheses (when we imagine something). Man: How boring! Past continuous – passive. Was Alice paying attention (while/during) the presentation? Log in or register to post comments; Comments. ‘What were you doing at 9?’ ‘I was studying.’; When I saw them yesterday, they were arguing. What did you do? B: Hello, Bob. We see this as a polite conversation started. Test your knowledge in this crazy quiz! Dick : he was reading his book. Where: was: Diana: go ing: at ten last night? Alex : Hello , Dick. English teachers often say that when you tell a story about something that happened in the past, you should only use past tenses. Past Continuous - Grammar Notes Point 1 : The past continuous uses the past tense BE verbs + present participle (ing) The students then write a story about a dream using the past continuous and past simple. In this past continuous activity, students practice making sentences from picture cards. The past continuous is also often used together with the past simple to express what was happening when something important occurred. Questions in the Past Progressive. In 2, 'will probably' is less certain than 'may well', so I'd say 'will probably' is a better answer since it begins with 'I'm not sure'. See these pages: Past tense; Verbs in time clauses and conditionals; Wishes and hypotheses; LearnEnglish Subscription: self-access courses for professionals. Before talking about the differences between the simple past and past continuous, let's review their verb conjugations. (to repair) Melissa out a book? We didn’t go out because it was raining. She took a photo as we were getting out of the bus. To make questions in the Past Continuous, put ‘was’/’were‘ before the subject and add the ‘-ing’ form of the verb: What were you doing when you broke your leg? ESL Past Continuous Game - Listening and Speaking Activity - Pre-intermediate (A2) - 20 minutes In this fun past continuous game, students use the word 'while' and the past continuous to make sentences about what they and other students were doing at certain times in the past. Actions in progress We use the past continuous to talk about actions that were in progress (not finished) at a specific moment in the past. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and past continuous … 'At' and 'at that moment' refer to a specific point of time in the past. This worksheet contains 18 conversation cards, an interview box and some quotes. My cousin _____ (not have) a good time when I arrived. We look at how to form the past continuous in the affirmative, negative and question forms. Alex : She was cooking her food. We use it to give context, so here we learn why Michael couldn’t adopt Jay. II The Past Continuous expresses an action which was going on at a given period of time in the past. The past continuous paints a picture of what things were like, so it’s very effective at the start of stories. Home; Conversation Questions. The past continuous paints a picture of what things were like, so it’s very effective at the start of stories. This use of the past continuous is very common at the beginning of a story: The other day I was waiting for a bus when … Anika won the prize Megosztás Megosztás szerző: Dioszegi1. Past simple. to describe a continuous action that was in progress at a particular time: "At 11am, I was visiting my grandmother." Nothing falls out when the door is shut; things fall out once it is open, not during the process of opening. The questions are grouped by theme and are in a handy copy and cut-out format. Future Continuous--3 times 5. There are several reasons as to why we use the passive voice in English. I want to know the right answer for these sentences, 1 while the plumber was repairing the washing machine, I .......(watched )or(was watching ) the news . He was working. The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that began in the past and often continued for a short period of time after the action started. Students ask and answer about their activities, using past continuous. There are a few different ways we can use the present continuous. Dick : Hello , Alex. In these In these notes, we’re going to focus on the past continuous in the passive voice and its elaborations.Generally, we use the passive when the focus is on the action and NOT on WHO or WHAT is performing the action.. Construction: was/were + being + past participle This tense describes actions or events that happened at a specific time in the past. There are several reasons as to why we use the passive voice in English. A: Hi, Mary. In 1, 'was watching' is the correct answer. They were discussing the problem (when/at) I walked into the room. Question word Auxiliary Subject Verb Rest Answer; What: were: you: do ing: yesterday evening? Past Perfect--1 time . (stative verb) / He was smelling the roses when she walked by the window (action verb.). Alex : We were learning our lessons. The children were growing up quickly. He was working in the garden. Peter wasn't doing the housework (that/yesterday) morning. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. You can see from this that the context and intent of the speaker is key. Example: she a book? It was