Teacher Language
A) Eliciting the target language, eliciting the form and concept checking in the presentation stage:
I will start by explaining to the students: “The past continuous tense is formed from the past tense ‘to
be’, can anyone tell me what the past tense of ‘to be’ is? And the verb that ends with ‘-ing’.” I will then
write the form on the board and explain: “In other word it is the subject plus was or were (because it’s
past tense) plus the verb that ends in -ing (The TEFL Academy, 2018).
"Now we will look at the pronunciation of was/were (/w ə z / a n d /w ə / ) ” (Teaching English, 2010). I
will use choral drilling here and ask the class to repeat the two words after me. Then I will ask a small
group in the class to repeat the two words, and then I will move on to individuals in the class to repeat
the two words after me. “Now let’s look at this example (which I will write on the board): They were
watching television. An example within the context of the video of the Haunted House that they just
watched would be: I was walking my dog Max.”
“We also use the past continuous tense to describe an activity that happened in the past that was
unfinished and interrupted by another action in the past. Let’s have a look at the timeline I wrote on the
board. Here you can see that while I was busy with an action in the past (taking a bath), the doorbell
rang and my bath was thus interrupted by the doorbell. Now let’s look at another example: They were
walking home (the past action) when it started to rain (the interruption). Can you see that we always
use was or were plus a verb ending in -ing? Here’s an example from the video I just showed you guys:
I was looking (past action) for Max when I thought I saw a ghost (interruption). So as you can see, the
activity happening in the past (walking home) is interrupted by another activity in the past (rain).”
“Can anyone give me another example from the video where a past action was interrupted by another
past action? No? Okay let me play the video one more time and try to focus on any action being
interrupted by another action.” (Play video again up to 1:10min). “Okay did anyone spot an example
for me? (Listen to answers). Good!”
“Now, let’s see if you guys understand. I want you to think of something you did yesterday. Did
something or someone interrupt you while you were busy with that activity? Please write down 3
sentences for me in your notebooks. If nothing happened be creative and think of something that might
have happened. Remember the rules and examples of past continuous we just went through.” While the
students work I will monitor and walk through the class. “Okay when I call out your name please come
to the front and write one of your sentences on the board, we will be discussing them in the next
activity.”
B) Instructions to one of the activities in your lesson
“We are going to play a game called ‘word cards’. I have a stack of cards here with words and pictures
on them. Each of you will come and collect two cards each and take them back to your seats. Have a
look at the two words on the cards and think of a sentence using the past continuous tense to describe
an interrupted action with the two words that you have. Form the sentence and tell them to the partner
sitting next to you. When you’re done making up your creative sentences and telling them to your
partner, come to me and collect a different pair of cards to form new sentences with! Continue to
collect new cards until I say stop! The pair who formed the most correct sentences will each get a
bonus point on their next test! Remember to also write down your sentences in your notebooks for me
to check them. Good Luck!”
A) Eliciting the target language, eliciting the form and concept checking in the presentation stage:
I will start by explaining to the students: “The past continuous tense is formed from the past tense ‘to
be’, can anyone tell me what the past tense of ‘to be’ is? And the verb that ends with ‘-ing’.” I will then
write the form on the board and explain: “In other word it is the subject plus was or were (because it’s
past tense) plus the verb that ends in -ing (The TEFL Academy, 2018).
"Now we will look at the pronunciation of was/were (/w ə z / a n d /w ə / ) ” (Teaching English, 2010). I
will use choral drilling here and ask the class to repeat the two words after me. Then I will ask a small
group in the class to repeat the two words, and then I will move on to individuals in the class to repeat
the two words after me. “Now let’s look at this example (which I will write on the board): They were
watching television. An example within the context of the video of the Haunted House that they just
watched would be: I was walking my dog Max.”
“We also use the past continuous tense to describe an activity that happened in the past that was
unfinished and interrupted by another action in the past. Let’s have a look at the timeline I wrote on the
board. Here you can see that while I was busy with an action in the past (taking a bath), the doorbell
rang and my bath was thus interrupted by the doorbell. Now let’s look at another example: They were
walking home (the past action) when it started to rain (the interruption). Can you see that we always
use was or were plus a verb ending in -ing? Here’s an example from the video I just showed you guys:
I was looking (past action) for Max when I thought I saw a ghost (interruption). So as you can see, the
activity happening in the past (walking home) is interrupted by another activity in the past (rain).”
“Can anyone give me another example from the video where a past action was interrupted by another
past action? No? Okay let me play the video one more time and try to focus on any action being
interrupted by another action.” (Play video again up to 1:10min). “Okay did anyone spot an example
for me? (Listen to answers). Good!”
“Now, let’s see if you guys understand. I want you to think of something you did yesterday. Did
something or someone interrupt you while you were busy with that activity? Please write down 3
sentences for me in your notebooks. If nothing happened be creative and think of something that might
have happened. Remember the rules and examples of past continuous we just went through.” While the
students work I will monitor and walk through the class. “Okay when I call out your name please come
to the front and write one of your sentences on the board, we will be discussing them in the next
activity.”
B) Instructions to one of the activities in your lesson
“We are going to play a game called ‘word cards’. I have a stack of cards here with words and pictures
on them. Each of you will come and collect two cards each and take them back to your seats. Have a
look at the two words on the cards and think of a sentence using the past continuous tense to describe
an interrupted action with the two words that you have. Form the sentence and tell them to the partner
sitting next to you. When you’re done making up your creative sentences and telling them to your
partner, come to me and collect a different pair of cards to form new sentences with! Continue to
collect new cards until I say stop! The pair who formed the most correct sentences will each get a
bonus point on their next test! Remember to also write down your sentences in your notebooks for me
to check them. Good Luck!”
