- Read the text. Pay attention to the verbs in Past Continuous:
An Embarrassing Incident
One day last spring I was walking through the local park. Our park is very beautiful in spring. It was a hot day and I was eating an ice cream. As I was walking past the boating lake, I saw my friends, Lucy and Andrew. They were taking their dog for a walk. When we met, we stopped for a chat. While we were talking, their dog suddenly jumped up and tried to get my ice cream. I pulled my hand away and unfortunately the ice-cream came out of the cone. Now there was a bald man behind me. The poor man wasn’t doing any harm. He was just sitting on a bench and reading a newspaper. Well, when I pulled my hand away, the ice cream flew through the air and it landed on the man’s head. It was awful! Poor man! I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. When I looked at my friends, they weren’t just laughing, they were in hysterics. But I was terribly embarrassed.
- Answer the questions:
- Where was the author walking one day?
- What was the author eating?
- Who was taking a dog for a walk?
- Was a bald man sitting on a bench or walking along the street?
- The poor man wasn’t doing any harm, was he?
Vocabulary:
Chat — болтовня
Suddenly — вдруг
Try (tried) – пробовать, пытаться
Awful — ужасно
Embarrassed – смущен
- Find these words in the text and observe the context in which they are used.
[attention type=red]Remember![/attention]
The Past Continuous Tense:
I, he, she, it was watching
we, you, they were watching
- Use the verbs in Past Continuous:
While I ___________ (to copy) the exercise, my collegues__________ (to describe) a picture. When they came in, the children __________ (to clean) their desks. We met him at the bus stop. He ___________ (to wait) for the bus. Some of the kids ________ (to ski) while other children ___________ (to skate). Everybody __________ (to have) a lot of fun. When we came our friends ________ (to get) everything ready for Christmas. John and Lily _________ (to decorate) the Christmas tree. The girls _________ (to feed) the birds in the garden while the boys _______ (to make) a bird-house.
- Continue the sentences in Past Continuous:
1.When Alex broke the window, Jim _________________ 2. When Mum heard the crash she ___________________ 3. The brothers didn’t hear the noise because they ____________________ 4. The cats ______________ when the noise woke them up. ______________ 5. At 7.30 Nick ________________.
- Open the brackets using the verbs in Past Continuous:
Around me people (to talk) French, Italian and English.
Mike(to talk) to some of the other guests on the terrace when Alex came.
Tony (to look) at his watch.
All night long the stars (to glitter).
Amy (to eat) and didn’t raise her head.
She drank some of the wine and ate several chunks of bread while she (to wait) for his dinner to come up.
The family (to prepare) for the visit.
Tom (to argue) that only Linda knew how to treat women.
A few minutes later Andrew (to hurry) through the streets to his bus stop.
We moved across the room, which (to start) to fill up, to a vacant corner.
Students (to write) the test at this time yesterday.
Jim (to work) in the garden from three till five o’clock.
They (to watch) television the whole evening.
They (to play) football at four o’clock?
You (to drink) tea at five o’clock?
Mike (to draw) from three till four o’clock?
Who (to listen) to the radio at this time?
It (to rain) the whole day yesterday?
Children (to skate) at three o’clock?
Ann (not to help) mother about the house from two till six.
- Ask questions to the sentence:
Tom was driving home when his mother phoned him.
- Use the verbs in Past Continuous:
Ann (wash) the floor in our house the whole morning.
Andy (not/play) football from 5 till 7 last week.
Tim (take) a photograph of me when I (not/look).
When he (go) out into the garden, the sun (shine) and the birds (sing).
You (see) my brothers yesterday, when they (cross) the street?
We (cook) the whole day, so we weren’t ready for the party.
Please, don’t make some much noise. My father (work) in his room.
They (skate) the whole day yesterday.
- Use the verbs in Past Continuous:
I (read) a book the whole day yesterday.
They couldn’t sleep last night because their neighbors (have) a party.
Lily tried to explain everything to the teacher, but he just (not/understand) what she (talk) about.
You (take) a bath, when I (phone) you?
When we (walk) in the park the day before yesterday, we (meet) Peter.
At school I (dislike) chemistry because my teacher always (pick) me on.
I (wonder) whether Sue could lend some money.
Fleming (study) influenza when he (discover) penicillin.
As I (drive) to Paris I (listen) to music.
- Make up some sentences using the Past Continuous Tense
Этот учебник по английской грамматике для взрослых помогает перейти от теории к практике изучения английского языка.