Class: 5

Past Continuous Tense

Date_________________ 
Level and number of students:12 
Intermediate
Lesson Duration:50 minutes

Aims/Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students will have:

Recognized the past continuous tense in authentic material

Learned and became familiar with the forms and uses of the past continuous tense

Asked and answered questions in the past continuous orally

Assumptions:
- The students studied the simple past grammar structure

- Are able to follow oral instructions

-Have the necessary vocabulary and fluency to ask questions during the oral task 

Anticipated Problems:
- Some students may struggle to recognize the target structures during the reading
activity. In order to help this process, the teacher should provide examples of what the
students should be looking for and help any students who require more help individually
if needed.

- Students may struggle with the grammatical rule that explains how to form the past
continuous. To prevent this, the teacher should write down key points on the board
while presenting and leave them on the board for the rest of the class if necessary.

- Students may not have the vocabulary for the oral activity at the end of the lesson. To
help these students, the teacher should help them out while they are thinking of the
action to act out and provide suggestions if needed.

Materials: - Picture - Whiteboard - Marker – online worksheet -online game -video

Warm-Up (5 min)

1.T greets Ss and asks them what they did last weekend.

2. After a few volunteers use the simple past to recount their weekends, T
writes down the following sentences on the board, making sure not to underline the
verbs in the past continuous tense yet.

-When we got to the house yesterday morning, the baby was drinking a bottle.
-He was waiting at home all day when she sent him the message.

-Alan was cutting the grass the other day when the snake appeared.

-I was not sleeping when you got home late last night.

3.T reads the sentences out loud, and ask Ss comprehensive questions about
the sentences to investigate their knowledge on the subject (e.g. When was the
baby drinking a bottle?)

Introduction (5 min)

1. Teacher plays a video about the past continuous tense, ask students to take notes the
previous structure.

T asks the Ss to get into pairs and write down which verbs they think indicate the longer
actions and which indicate shorter ones.

2. T goes over the answer with the students and underlines the verbs in the past
continuous tense.

Presentation (5 min)

1. T explains that the past continuous is formed by adding 'was/were' after the subject,
then adding ing after the main verb. T makes sure to write down the basic rule of the
formation of the tense (i.e. subject + was/were + main verb (+ing)

2. T goes back to the previous examples on the board and breaks down the sentences to
help Ss notice the application of the rule in the sentences they just read

Speaking Practice (5 min)

1. T displays the picture on the board and ask Ss to describe what the people in the
picture are doing, using the past continuous.

2. T provides feedback when necessary, encouraging the students that participate in the
activity.

Controlled practice ( Online Worksheet) (15 min)

1.T shares the online worksheet on the board.

2. T silently observes the Ss' progress to make sure they understand how to form and
use the past continuous.
3. T then goes over the answers with the Ss, calling on different pairs to provide their
answers for different questions, in order to once again verify that the Ss understood the
information provided during the earlier parts of the lesson.

Production (12 min)

1. T divides Ss into two groups, by assigning each S a number and having odd numbered
Ss be part of group 1, and Ss with an even number form group

2. Ss should remember their numbers. group to try and guess what their group member
at the front was doing at the time designated by T. In order to help their group out, the
students at the front should act out what they were doing, so their group could guess
quicker. The group that answers correctly the quickest wins the round. E.g., If T asks,
"What were you doing last Monday?" the two Ss at the front should whisper to the
teacher what they did, and then Ss from each group should try and guess what their
group member did while the two at the front act out what they did. T then uses the
randomly assigned numbers to call one student from each group.

3. Call out different students, making sure everyone has a chance to act out and to
provide answers in the past continuous until the time is over.

Review (2 min)

1. T starts an online game about the lesson.

2. Students raise their hands to answer each question.

Homework

1. Teacher assigns students an online reading and writing task. Ss send their
homeworks via e-mail.