What Were You Doing? The Past Continuous

About This Resource

A complete Grade 7 ESL lesson pack on the past continuous: was and were with -ing, actions in progress at a time in the past, interrupted actions with when and while, background description in stories, negatives and questions, and contrast with the past simple. Includes a lesson plan, worksheet, quiz, homework, A5 flashcards, a rubric, detailed slides with speaker notes, Word files and answer keys.

Overview

Students learn to describe actions that were in progress in the past. They form the past continuous with was or were and the -ing form, talk about what they were doing at a specific time, use when and while to show a longer action interrupted by a shorter one (I was walking home when it started to rain), set the scene in a story and choose between the past simple and the past continuous in a short narrative.

Resource Details

Subject: ESL
Topic: Past Continuous
Category: Grammar
File Type: PDF
File Size: 306 KB
Published: 31 Oct 2026
Downloads: 0

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Grade 7 ESL (ages 12–13), A2–B1 55 minutes Grammar speaking reading narrative writing

Learning Objectives

Form the past continuous in affirmative, negative and question forms.
Use the past continuous for actions in progress at a time in the past.
Combine the past continuous and past simple with when and while.

How to Use This Resource

Show the slides and ask: "What were you doing at 8 o'clock last night?"
Use the flashcards for a quick memory game, then complete the worksheet.
Use the quiz to check learning and send the story homework; answers are in the answer keys.

Classroom Activity Ideas

Alibi game: a cookie went missing at 3 p.m.; pairs prepare an alibi (I was reading in the library) and the class asks questions to find differences.
Picture memory: show a busy street picture for 30 seconds, hide it and ask what people were doing.
Interrupted mime: one student mimes a long action and another interrupts; the class makes a when sentence.

Differentiation

Support: focus on affirmative sentences with a time phrase (at 7 p.m. yesterday). Challenge: write a story opening that sets the scene with three past continuous sentences before the main event.

Assessment

The worksheet and quiz check form and use (answer keys included). Use the rubric for the story writing.

Teacher Tips

Draw a timeline with a long wavy line (past continuous) and a short lightning bolt (past simple). Students quickly see which action was in progress and which interrupted it.

What's Included

10-page printable PDF lesson pack: teacher lesson plan with timings, materials and differentiation
Key vocabulary list (7 words with meanings and examples)
Student worksheet (5 activities)
Quiz / assessment (3 parts)
Homework practice page
Printable flashcards: 7 A5 picture cards (separate PDF)
Assessment rubric (4 levels)
Lesson slides (editable PowerPoint)
Editable Word version of all student pages
Complete answer key (also as a separate PDF)

Additional Files

Lesson Slides (PowerPoint, editable) (PPTX)
Editable Student Pages + Lesson Plan (Word) (DOCX)
Flashcards (PDF, A5, one card per page) (PDF)
Answer Key (PDF) (PDF)

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