A Mysterious Evening

The past continuous tenses are used to talk about the past.

Usage:

Ongoing Actions in the Past:

• At 9 p.m., I was reading a book.

• They were swimming in the pool yesterday afternoon.

Interrupted Actions

• I was cooking dinner when the phone rang.

• While she was walking to school, it started to rain.

Simultaneous Actions in Progress

• He was painting the fence while I was planting flowers.

• The children were playing in the garden, and the adults were chatting on the porch.

Setting the Scene in the Past

• It was raining, and the streets were shining with reflections of the lights.

• The market was bustling with activity, and vendors were shouting their prices.

Negative Form

• I wasn’t watching TV when you called; I was studying.

• He wasn’t paying attention during the lecture.

Questions in Past Continuous

• What were you doing at this time yesterday?

• Who was talking during the meeting?

Activities

1. Warm-Up Questions

1. What were you doing yesterday at 7 p.m.?

2. Can you describe a time when something unexpected happened while you were doing something else?

2. Vocabulary

Match the words below with their meanings:

1. Shining –

2. Flickering –

3. Chasing –

4. Chaotic –

5. Amused –

a) Running after something or someone.

b) Completely disorganized and confusing.

c) Giving off a bright light.

d) Finding something funny or entertaining.

e) Turning on and off quickly.

3. A Strange Encounter

Read the text and pay attention to the past continuous forms of the verbs:

Last night, while I was walking home from work, something unusual happened. The streets were shining with rain, and the streetlights were flickering like they had a secret to tell. I was checking my phone when I suddenly heard a strange noise behind me.

A man was running towards me, waving his arms wildly. At first, I thought he needed help,but as he got closer, I realized he wasn't chasing me; he was trying to catch his dog, which was barking and jumping excitedly around a cat.

Meanwhile, a car was driving slowly past, and the driver was staring at the scene, clearly amused. I couldn't stop laughing because it all looked so chaotic! Eventually, the man caught his dog, and everyone was smiling as they went their separate ways.

4. Read each statement carefully. Decide if the statement is true or false based on what you've learned.

1. The narrator was walking home when the event happened.

2. The streetlights were working perfectly.

3. A dog was chasing a man down the street.

4. A car was speeding past the scene.

5. The narrator found the situation funny.

5. Complete the sentences using the past continuous tense of the verbs in parentheses:

1. I ______________ (walk) to the park when it started to rain.

2. The children ______________ (play) football while their parents talked.

3. She ______________ (not look) where she was going and almost tripped.

4. We ______________ (have) dinner when the phone rang.

5. They ______________ (wait) for the bus when it suddenly arrived.

6. While I _______ (study), my phone rang.

7. The kids _______ (play) football when it started to rain.

8. She _______ (not/pay) attention during the meeting.

9. What _______ you _______ (do) at 8 p.m. yesterday?

10. We _______ (watch) TV while they _______ (cook) dinner.

6. In pairs, discuss the following:

Use the Past Continuous to write a short story based on the following prompts.

Prompts:

• You were walking in the forest when...

• Suddenly, you noticed...

• As you were observing the scene...

7. Rearrange the sentences to create a logical sequence of events.

1. A dog was barking loudly in the background.

2. The narrator was walking home when the streetlights flickered.

3. A man was chasing his dog across the road.

4. A slow-moving car stopped to avoid hitting the dog.

5. The narrator started laughing at the whole situation.

8. Identify the Errors

Each sentence contains a mistake. Rewrite them correctly.

1. He was listening music while he was driving.

2. They weren’t knew it was raining.

3. Were you cooking when I am called?

4. The dog barked because it was chased by a cat.

5. I didn’t were paying attention when the teacher asked me a question.

9. Match the Halves

Match the beginnings of sentences (A) with their endings (B):

A:

1. We were hiking...

2. He was fixing his bike...

3. I wasn’t paying attention...

4. The children were laughing...

5. She was writing a letter...

B:

a. when I accidentally spilled my coffee.

b. when the chain broke.

c. because they were watching a funny cartoon.

d. when it suddenly started to rain.

e. while her cat was sleeping on her lap.

10. Talking point:

• Can you think of a time when you felt amused or entertained? What happened?

• Have you ever been in a chaotic situation? How did you handle it?