A selection of English ESL past continuous printables

This worksheet can be used as preparation for test or test itself. It includes Past Simple and Past Continuous examples. Examples show difference between these two tenses so it can be used as grammar revision. It is appropriate for A2 and B1 level. Key is not included. 

Grammar test Past Simple and Past Continuous

A funny video link is included in the worksheet. Students watch and fill the sentences correctly with the verbs given. In the second part, they categorise the actions happened in the first exercise into the short or long action columns. In the last part, they study the grammar formula of the use of "when" in past continuous sentences.

past continuous tense - a funny video worksheet

Past Simple vs Past Continuous BLANK TEMPLATE for the students to fill in. There is also a table where they have to explain the differences between WHEN VS WHILE.

Past Simple vs Past Continuous BLANK TEMPLATE

There are four worksheets for practicing past tenses, especially for using past continuous and simple in the interrupted action in the past. For example: when/while I was watching TV, my mum came home. 

Past continuous/past simple (while, when I was...)

This listening exercise is a way to practise the forms of Past simple and Past continuous. Before listening to the song Jealous Guy by John Lennon ss go through the lyrics trying to predict the missing words  and figure out their forms. Then the teacher plays the song and draws ss' attention to the tenses used. In the exercise 2. ss are asked to show examples for each of these tenses in the song.

In ex. 1 they have to match the expressions used in the song with their descriptions. 

Past simple and Past continuous by John Lennon

Quest 2

Page 1 +2- natural disaster vocabulary

Page 3 + 4- Used to/past simple and continuous

Fully editable.

Review for the unit class test. Review of the important vocabulary and the past simple and past continuous plus was and were.

A1 Practice Test: Past Simple and Past Continuous

Choose the correct form of the verb! Use Past Simple OR Past Continuous OR Present Perfect!  

You can practise these tenses, take a look at the grammar reviews and learn the words which can help you to decide. 

I hope you'll find it useful. 



Good luck :)

Past Simple OR Past Continuous OR Present Perfect

Practise the Past Simple and the Past Continuous with FIFA Mascots. Match the descriptions with the correct mascot. (two pages, key included on the third page, sources mentioned) 

TENSE - PAST SIMPLE - PAST CONTINUOUS WITH FIFA MASCOTS

Here is a simple worksheet in which students read the sntences and put the verb in the past continous. Many thanks to Mada for the template. There are other worksheets on that subject here:

what were you doing at 4.00? past continuous

Quick explanation about the past continuous in 3 simple steps.

1. when it is used.

2. rules for the past continuous.

3 clues to use past continuous and past simple (when and while)



PAST CONTINOUS EXPLANATION - PAST CONTINUOUS + PAST SIMPLE COMBINED

From eslpals.com, we are sure that your intermediate ESL students will find this Past Continuous lesson plan helpful! 



Firstly, this ESL Grammar Past Continuous worksheet begins with an explanation of the grammar point, detailing how to form the tense and when to use it. That is followed by a fun sentence completion exercise which allows students to put the theory into practice.



Next, is a dialogue activity where students have to create the correct form of the verb to complete the dialogue. Through these dialogues, learners will be able to use the tense in a natural way, increasing their understanding of the grammar. 



Afterwards, you will find a ‘create your own sentence’ task, which challenges students to use their own ideas to finish the sentences. In exercise 6, you will find an exercise that solely focuses on the difference between the past simple or the past continuous. 



Finally, this ESL Grammar Past Continuous worksheet ends with multiple discussion questions which encourage students to the tense in a natural way. 



Check out 100s of other lesson plans from ESL Pals at eslpals.com



Past Continuous B1-B2 from ESL Pals (eslpals.com)

Learners look at the picture and do tasks (Past Continuous, Prepositions) and comprehension check (true or false). At the end they also write about a Christmas party at their own home. 

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS PARTY (Past Continuous Tense)

Culture, intercultural communication, cross-cultural communication

Adjectives to describe feelings, emotions

Adjectives to describe personality and character

Adjectives: Gradable / Non-gradable adjectives

Articles: Definite or indefinite article (a, an or the)

BE + infinitive structures (e.g. he was to become famous)

Clauses of contrast (e.g.  although, while)

Clauses of purpose (e.g. in order to, so that, so as to)

Clauses of reason (e.g. because, because of, due to, as, since)

Cleft sentences (e.g. It's Joey we're looking for)

Comparison: Comparative adjectives and structures

Comparison: Superlative adjectives and structures

Conditional 2 (second conditional) - would

Conditionals: Conditional phrases (e.g. unless, provided that, as long as)

Conjunctions (aka connectives, e.g. and, but, or, so, then)

Contractions (shortened forms, e.g. don't, aren't, etc.)

Determiners (words that can come before nouns)

Formal and informal English (politeness or colloquial language)

Future perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Future perfect simple and continuous (progressive) tense

Future phrases (e.g. be about to, bound to, likely to, due to, set to + INF)

Homonyms (two words with the same pronunciation - homophones and homographs)

It as preparatory subject (e.g. it's raining, it's nice of you to)

Linking verbs (aka copulas, e.g. I am a student)

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Nouns: Collective nouns (team, class, family, committee)

Nouns: Proper nouns (names of people, cities, companies)

Oxymorons (phrases with words of contradictory meaning, e.g. living dead)

Participles: Past participle (e.g. HAVING DONE)

Participles: Present participle (e.g. DOING)

Parts of Speech (aka word classes, e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)

Past perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Phonetics (pronunciation, IPA, phonetic symbols)

Plural nouns: regular plurals with S ending

Prefixes (e.g. A, UN, IM, DIS, MIS, EN, etc. )

Prepositions vs adverbs (e.g. before me, saw him before.)

Prepositions: Double prepositions (e.g. out of)

Prepositions: Participle prepositions (e.g. pending, concerning)

Prepositions: Phrase prepositions (e.g. by means of)

Present perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Present perfect simple or present continuous tense

Present simple tense: S for third person singular verbs

Present simple vs continuous (progressive) tense

Pronouns: EACH OTHER, ONE ANOTHER (reciprocal pronouns)

Pronouns: Possessive pronouns (e.g. my, mine)

Pronouns: Reflexive pronouns (e.g. myself, yourself))

Pronouns: SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, EVERYBODY, NO ONE, NOTHING, etc.

Pronouns: THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE (demonstratives)

Pronouns: YOU and THEY to talk about people in general

Quantifiers (e.g. some, many, much, any, few, little)

Questions: WH questions (open-ended questions)

Reported speech: reported questions (indirect questions)

There is / there are / there was / there were / there will be, etc.

Verbs: Transitive or intransitive verbs (words that can or cannot stand with objects)

Working with Paragraphs: ordering, titling

Role play, miming, drama activity or improv game

Pictionary (picture dictionary) or picture matching

Writing an opinion essay (persuasive essay)

Learners who are Pre-A1 have just begun learning English and will first learn how to:<ul><li>Say the letters in the alphabet and numbers</li><li>Say hello, talk about names and age</li><li>Name the colors and dates, express likes and dislikes</li></ul>

Absolute beginners who have begun to learn the letters and numbers

Learners taking the A1 Elementary exam should be able to:<ul><li>Introduce themselves and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, things he/she has, people he/she knows.</li><li>Communicate using very basic phrases as long as the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: common adjectives & adverbs of frequency, going to, how much/how many, imperatives, I'd like, 's – possessive, common prepositions of place and time, present simple & continuous, there is/are</li></ul>

A very basic tourist level, which is enough for buying food and a bus ticket

Learners taking the A2 Pre-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand sentences and frequently used expressions (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).</li><li>Complete tasks that are routine and exchange information about familiar matters.</li><li>Describe matters of immediate need in simple terms.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: countable/uncountable nouns, adverbs of frequency, future will/going to, much/many, present perfect, past simple, past continuous, common phrasal verbs, common modals: can/should</li></ul>

A tourist who can do basic conversations about the past, present and future

Learners taking the B1 Intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand points regarding family, work, school or leisure-related topics.</li><li>Deal with most travel situations in areas where the language is spoken.</li><li>Create simple texts on topics of personal interest.</li><li>Describe experiences, events, dreams, and ambitions, as well as opinions or plans in brief.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: question tags, intensifiers: too/enough, future tenses, past tenses, modals, conditionals, wh-questions in the past</li></ul>

Learners who can deal with both familiar and routine situations, in friendly and work contexts

Learners taking the B2 Upper-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization.</li><li>Interact with fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without difficulty for either party.</li><li>Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain an opinion on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: perfect tenses, mixed conditionals, modals in the present, phrasal verbs, reported speech, wish, relative clauses</li></ul>

The level where you can be a tour guide for your foreign friends and talk about a lot of topics, even abstract ones, with ease and fluency

Learners taking the C1 Advanced exam should be able to: Express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts. Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, using linking phrases (=words that connect ideas between sentences). Main grammar points to know: inversion, mixed conditionals, modals in the past, all passive forms, phrasal verbs (all patterns), wish/if only for regrets

Learners who can smoothly communicate in every walk of life, read long texts and write well

Learners taking the C2 Proficient exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand almost everything read or heard with ease.</li><li>Summarize information from a variety of sources into a coherent presentation.</li><li>Express themselves using precise meaning in complex scenarios.</li><li>Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations</li></ul>

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1,542 Past Continuous English ESL worksheets pdf & doc