Unit 3 – past simple and

past continuous
 We use the past simple and the past
continuous in different ways. It’s
important to understand the
difference.
Let’s look at:
1. When we use the past simple and continuous.
2. How we make sentences in the past simple and continuous.
3. How we pronounce regular past simple verbs in the positive.

When do we use them?

Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition A2+

 Function: When do we use them?
past simple and past continuous Look at
what the
In the summer holidays, I saw my friends almost every day. One day, we went to a concert. My girl says
favourite band was playing. I met my friends first then we went for a pizza. The food didn’t and match
arrive for a long time, so I was eating my pizza when we had to leave for the concert... the
sentences
We were waiting outside the concert hall in the cold. Suddenly, the singer of the band came in bold to
out to see her fans. My friend took a photo of me when I was standing next to her! the uses.

past simple past continuous

an action in the
a past action in
an action that one completed past that is
a past habit or progress when to set the scene to
started and action after interrupted
regular past event another action a story
finished in the past another (usually by the past
occurred
simple)
We went to a concert. I met my friends I saw my friends (My friend took a We were waiting I was eating my
first then went almost every day. photo of me when) outside the concert pizza (when we
The food didn’t had to leave).
for a pizza. I was standing hall in the cold.
arrive for a long
next to her!
time.
Look at this sentence
My friend took a photo of me when I was standing next to her! while again. Which word could
be used instead of when,
Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition A2+ with a similar meaning?
 Function: When do we use them?
past simple and past continuous
In the summer holidays, I saw my friends almost every day. One day, we went to a concert. My
favourite band was playing. I met my friends first then we went for a pizza. The food didn’t arrive
for a long time, so I was eating my pizza when we had to leave for the concert...

We were waiting outside the concert hall in the cold. Suddenly, the singer of the band came out to
see her fans. My friend took a photo of me when I was standing next to her!

now
My friend took a photo of
me when I was standing
now
next to her!
now
I met my friends first then
we went for a pizza.
One day, we went to a concert.
now
I was eating my pizza when
Look at what the girl we had to leave...
says and match the now
underlined sentences to I saw my friends almost
the correct timeline. every day.
How do we
form these
Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition A2+ structures?
 Form: How do we make sentences with
these structures? Using the verb watch in all the examples,
complete the gaps in the tables.

past simple: positive past continuous: positive and negative

regular verbs: I/You/He/She/It/We/They watched TV. I/He/She/It was/wasn’t (was not)
________________________
watched watching TV.
irregular verbs: I/You/He/She/It/We/They __________ TV.
You/We/They were/weren’t (were not)

past simple: negative (regular and irregular verbs) past continuous: questions
I/You/He/She/It/We/They didn’t watch TV.
__________________ Was
_________ I/he/she/it
(question
watching TV?
_____________
past simple: questions (regular and irregular verbs) word) Were you/we/they

(question word) Did

______ I/you/he/she/it/we/they watch TV? past continuous: short answers
I/he/she/it was.
Yes,
past simple: short answers you/we/they were.
___________________
Yes, I/you/he/she/it/we/they did.
______________________ I/he/she/it wasn’t (was not)
___________________
No,
No, I/you/he/she/it/we/they didn’t.
______________________ you/we/they weren’t (were not).

Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition A2+

 Form: How do we make sentences with
these structures? This is the infinitive form without to.

past simple: positive past continuous: positive and negative

regular verbs: I/You/He/She/It/We/They watched TV. I/He/She/It was/wasn’t (was not)
watching TV.
irregular verbs: I/You/He/She/It/We/They watched TV. You/We/They were/weren’t (were not)

past simple: negative (regular and irregular verbs) past continuous: questions
I/You/He/She/It/We/They didn’t watch TV.
(question Was I/he/she/it
watching TV?
word) Were you/we/they
past simple: questions (regular and irregular verbs)
past continuous: short answers
(question word) Did I/you/he/she/it/we/they watch TV?
I/he/she/it was.
Yes,
past simple: short answers you/we/they were.

Yes, I/you/he/she/it/we/they did. I/he/she/it wasn’t (was not).

No,
No, I/you/he/she/it/we/they didn’t. you/we/they weren’t (were not).

We do not stress the verb to be in connected Pronunciation of

The past continuous follows
speech, so we usually use the weak form, e.g. was = regular past
the pattern verb to be + -ing.
/wəz/. simple verbs…
Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition A2+
 Let’s consider pronunciation
There are three different ways to pronounce the -ed past simple ending.
regular verbs in the past simple
Let’s look at this table.
verbs ending in /t/ or /d/ verbs ending an verbs ending a voiced Notice the three different
= + /ıd/ EXTRA SYLLABLE unvoiced sound = + /t/ sound = + /d/ columns.

wanted liked travelled The pronunciation of the

visited cooked arrived -ed ending depends on the
last sound in the verb.
decided danced lived
needed watched played
Verbs that end in a voiced sound (your
Verbs that end in a /t/ or Verbs that end in an unvoiced sound throat vibrates when you make the
/d/ sound = add an extra (your throat doesn’t vibrate when you sound) = + /d/ sound.
syllable with /ıd/. Look at make the sound) = + /t/ sound. NO EXTRA SYLLABLE.
this example… NO EXTRA SYLLABLE.

/t/ sound /ıd/ sound /k/ sound (unvoiced) /t/ sound /v/ sound (voiced) /d/ sound

WANT WANTED LIKE LIKED LIVE LIVED

1 syllable 1 syllable
1 syllable 2 syllables Let’s practise!
Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition A2+
 Practice activities
Complete these sentences using the present simple or present continuous
form of a verb from the box.
play not buy do wait hear call leave buy rain be

was doing called

1. While I………………………….my homework, my friend………………………….to ask if I was busy.
was
2. It…………………………. were playing
a sunny day and the girls………………………….frisbee in the park.
Did leave
3. ………………………….Jack…………………………..before the end of the concert?
was waiting
4. I………………………….at heard
the bus stop when I………………………….my mobile phone ring in my bag.
didn’t buy
5. He………………………….the bought
blue jacket because it was too expensive. He………………………….the green one instead.
Was raining
6. ………………………….it………………………….at 6pm yesterday?

Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition A2+

 Explore grammar: someone, anyone,
nothing, everything, etc.

I did everything
on my list. Now I
Did anyone see can relax!
Someone took my the match on
bag when I was There’s nothing
Sunday?
swimming in the in the fridge. Let’s
sea. go to the shops. Look at these
sentences and notice
the words in bold.
people someone anyone everyone no one
We use these words to
talk about people or
things something anything everything nothing
things when we don’t
know who or what it is
Now put the words in bold in (or when it isn’t
the correct place in the table. important).

Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience 2nd Edition A2+