A selection of English ESL past continuous and simple past printables

it's a song to practise Past Continuous and Past simple. It's a live cover by the argentinian singer Pedro Aznar. Before listening, we talk about heroes and how we sometimes consider regular people as heroes. We also mention how love hurts to regular and famous people and that this masterpiece was written after a heart breaking story (see more about John Lennon)

Song "Jealous Guy"

This worksheet is suitable for those who want to practise the difference in use between Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses. They have to decide which tense they think a sentence is in and complete it with a correct verb form. It can also be used as a test. Answer key is included. I hope you find it useful. 

Past Simple or Past Continuous?

The objective of this worksheet is to practice narrative tenses ( Past simple, past continuous and past perfect) You could use it for practicing writing or semi controlled speaking. It has one story about my last weekend and it contains an answer key. You can ask your students to write their own stories using emoji's then present to class

My Emoji Weekend Story

Six anecdotes about embarrassing moments. They have to read the anecdotes and complete the exercises - T/F, gap fill, answer the questions. A key is included. I took these stories from the internet. A fun way to practise the past tense (past simple and past continuous). NOTE: if you are printing this out, the background is blue. 

RC: Oh, those embarrassing moments!

Past Simple & Past Continuous



Students practice Past tenses and complete exercises to upgrade their understanding, spelling and form of past tenses. They can work in pairs or individually, also check in pairs or as a whole class. It's a set of exercises that can be given as homework or extra practice for students in need of doing so.

Past Simple & Past Continuous - 2 Pages of Exercises

Compare this to my TIME RELATED VERB CONSTRUCTIONS - horizontal - version.  This is a list of verbs in their different aspects, which follow an ideal time line from the past to the future. The simple and continuous forms are opposite each other so that  the difference between their uses is easier to understand. 

TIME RELATED VERB CONSTRUCTIONS

This is a fable by Aesop; I just love Aesop! They have to decide if the verbs go into the past simple or the past continuous tense. Then they do the true or false activity and they are asked to write  the next paragraph in the story. A full key is included. 

The Old Man and the Little Cat

A comprehensive explanation of Past Continuous structure and uses contrasted with those of the Past Simple with some exercises to demonstrate the importance of knowing the difference. It is a compilation of different exercises and examples that I have created and found from a variety of sources. I do not claim ownership of the material. Feel free to remove if not allowed. 

Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

This is a writing activity in which children are told to start the story with the same sentence. They have to use the past simple and the past continuous and also the given linkers (first, then, next, later, suddenly, finally). The aim of this activity is that children learn how to organize their stories with a beginning, a middle and an end.

Writing a story

This game can be used in many different ways, and it is all free to you develope you own usage of it. 



I made cards with :

All the personal pronouns

All verb tenses, diveded in> PRESENT, FUTURE, PAST, and CONTINUOUS, SIMPLE or PERFECT SIMPLE, PERFERCT CONTINUOUS

Some random verbs 



The main idea is that a person must pick the cards, like: a pronoun, a verb tense and a main verb. This student can either construct itself the sentences by following the cards words. He or she must say the sentences in positive, negative and question forms. Or, he/she can choose a classmate to formulate the sentences by his giving words, that he reads on the cards.



Anyway, that's just one of many possibilities, just use your imagination, and good classes!



Teacher Mariana Fonseca - Brazil

Verb Tenses Card Games - Constructing phrases

This is a chart showing the Future Continuous tense with examples in use.





You can get a PDF in A4 or A3 format here when you register for free...





http://www.tefllessons.com/product/present-perfect-simple-chart/





Students can keep this handout in their file or it can be used as a poster. There is an A4 and an A3 version to download. You can find the charts for all other tenses here too.





https://tefllessons.com/product/past-simple-tense-chart/





https://tefllessons.com/product/present-simple-chart/





https://tefllessons.com/product/future-perfect-tense-chart/

Present Perfect Chart

A board game I created  for my B1 students.  It's for practising the past simple and the past continuous, which prove to be a bit problematic. You might want to pre-teach some vocabulary.  I included a list of words/phrases your students might not be familiar with. Hope you'll find the worksheet useful. 

Past simple vs past continuous game

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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how to accuse somebody of something in English

how to apologize, say sorry, forgive and express regret in English

how to ask for information and make inquiries in English

how to ask for something, make requests in English

how to blame somebody for something in English

how to defend yourself from criticism in English

how to deny or admit something in English

how to describe things or people in English

how to emphasize important things in English

how to encourage or discourage people in English

how to evaluate people or progress in English

how to express agreement /disagreement in English

how to express approval and disapproval  in English

how to express cause and effect in English

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how to express likelihood, probability in English

how to express likes and dislikes in English

how to express sequence and chronology in English

how to express shock and disbelief in English

how to express sympathy and condolences in English

how to give permission, authorization in English

how to inform somebody about some news in English

how to interpret what was said in English

how to keep a conversation going in English

how to make guesses about something in English

how to make, accept and refuse offers in English

how to order or make a booking in English

how to persuade, convince people in English

how to praise people and express appreciation in English

how to reassure somebody of something in English

how to refuse and object to something in English

how to remind people of something in English

how to rephrase, paraphrase what was said in English

how to say thank you, express gratitude in English

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>

Get here and you are ready to study in English at university

642 Past continuous and simple past English ESL worksheets pdf & doc