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Lesson Plan December 8, 2023
Topic: Past Simple vs Past Continuous
In this lesson we will study and practise the differences between the past simple and past continuous.
The past simple and the past continuous tenses are used to talk about the past.
Section A: Past Simple
We use the past simple to talk about a completed event in the past;
Yesterday, I had breakfast.
Last summer, I went to Italy.
Section B: Past Continuous
We use the past continuous to talk about a past activity that was in progress at a particular time in the past;
At 8 am, I was eating breakfast.
A: ‘Where were you last night?’
B: ‘I was sleeping.’
Section C: Compare
We use the past simple and past continuous to talk about a completed past event that happened when another activity was in progress:
It started to rain while I was walking in the park.
I was watching TV when the phone rang.
What were you doing when he arrived?
Dialogue
A: I called you earlier, but you didn’t answer.
B: I’m sorry, I didn’t hear the phone ring. I was wearing headphones and listening to music.
Lesson Notes
I let the fallen leaves decompose in the yard, they are like a natural fertilizer.
I need to clean up the fallen leaves everyday.
Could you go out and sweep up the leaves in the driveway?
The bus and taxi road up to the station is a cul-de-sac.
The cul-de-sac that my house is on is very short.
Vocabulary
Decompose; to decay, to break down
Cul-de-sac; (noun) a street or passage that is closed at one end
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
“Mr. Lee was working so hard that he fell asleep at his desk.” (= Mr. Lee's hard work led directly to him falling asleep at his desk.
“While they were swimming. Sam spotted a dangerous shark. They quickly swam back to the shore and alerted the lifeguard.”
“I didn’t hear the thunder storm last night because I was sleeping.”
“It was beautiful yesterday when we went for a walk in the park. The sun was shining. A cool breeze was blowing. The birds were singing.”
