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Past Simple vs. Past Continuous Lesson Plan

This lesson plan focuses on teaching secondary students the differences between the past simple and past continuous tenses over a 55-minute session. It includes activities such as warm-up questions, presentations on tense forms and uses, controlled and freer practice, and a production game. The lesson concludes with a review and homework assignment to reinforce the concepts learned.

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Seng Horng
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12 views2 pages

Past Simple vs. Past Continuous Lesson Plan

This lesson plan focuses on teaching secondary students the differences between the past simple and past continuous tenses over a 55-minute session. It includes activities such as warm-up questions, presentations on tense forms and uses, controlled and freer practice, and a production game. The lesson concludes with a review and homework assignment to reinforce the concepts learned.

Uploaded by

Seng Horng
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Lesson Plan: Past Simple and Past Continuous

Level: Secondary (A2-B1)


Duration: 55 minutes
Objective: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to differentiate between the past simple and
past continuous tenses and use them correctly in sentences and short narratives.

Lesson Outline
1. Warm-up (5 minutes)
Activity: Quick Questions

• Ask students:
o What did you do last weekend?
o What were you doing at 8 PM yesterday?
• Write some responses on the board, highlighting past simple and past continuous verbs.

Purpose: Activate prior knowledge and introduce the topic.

2. Presentation (15 minutes)


A. Past Simple Review (5 minutes)

• Form: Subject + V2 (regular/irregular)


o She watched a movie last night.
o He ate pizza yesterday.
• Use: Completed actions in the past.

B. Past Continuous Introduction (5 minutes)

• Form: Subject + was/were + V-ing


o They were playing football at 5 PM.
o She was studying when I called.
• Use: Actions in progress at a specific time in the past or interrupted actions.

C. Combined Usage (5 minutes)

• Show how both tenses work together:


o While I was walking (past continuous) home, it started (past simple) to rain.
• Highlight time expressions: when, while, as

Visual Aid: Timeline or example sentences on the board.

3. Practice (20 minutes)


A. Controlled Practice (10 minutes)
Worksheet: Fill-in-the-blank exercises (individual work).

1. She ______ (cook) dinner when the phone ______ (ring).


2. While they ______ (watch) TV, the lights ______ (go) off.

Peer Check: Students compare answers in pairs.


B. Freer Practice (10 minutes)
Activity: Storytelling in Pairs

• Give prompts: "Describe what happened when you arrived home yesterday."
• Students take turns using both tenses.
• Example: "When I got home, my brother was listening to music..."

4. Production (10 minutes)


Game: What Were They Doing?

• Show a picture of a busy scene (e.g., a park).


• Students write 3 sentences using both tenses:
o A dog was barking while a man jogged past.
• Share sentences with the class.

5. Wrap-up & Homework (5 minutes)

• Review Key Points: Ask students to explain when to use each tense.
• Homework: Write a short paragraph (5-6 sentences) about an interesting event, using both
past simple and past continuous.

Assessment: Monitor accuracy during practice activities and correct common errors (e.g., "I was go"
→ "I was going").

Materials Needed:

• Whiteboard/markers
• Worksheets
• Picture for production activity

Adaptations:

• Support weaker learners with sentence starters.


• Challenge advanced students with complex time clauses ("As she was leaving...").

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