UNIT 2 GRAMMAR

Past Continuous Affirmative Negative I/He/She/It was working at eight o'clock yesterday. was not (wasn't) working at eight o'clock yesterday. We/You/They were working at eight o'clock yesterday. were not (weren't) working at eight o'clock yesterday.

Yes/No questions Was I/he/she/it working at eight o'clock? Were we/you/they yesterday? Short answers Yes, I//he/she/it was. / No, I/he/she/it wasn't. Yes, we/you/they were. / No, we/you/they weren't, Past Continuous Wh- questions What was he doing yesterday? Where were you going last night?

We use the Past Continuous to � talk about things which were happening at or around a fixed time in the past: I was washing my hair at nine o'clock last night � talk about temporary things in the past: My grandmother was staying with us last month. � set the scene in a story or give background information: I was walking along the road ... � emphasise a continuous activity: It was raining all day yesterday

Past Continuous + Past Simple We often use these two verb tenses together. The Past Continuous tells us the background information and the Past Simple tells us about a shorter action or an interruption:

As I was walking along the street I saw an old friend.

I was reading my book when I heard a knock at the door.

A) Circle the correct verbs. 1 The German composer Handel lived /

was living in England when he composed /

was composing his Water Music.

2 The 1950s singer Buddy Holly travelled / was

travelling in a plane when it crashed / was

crashing.

3 The singer Hayley Westenra sang / was

singing in the streets of Christchurch, New

Zealand, when she made / was making her

first record.

4 Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling

Stones met / were meeting in 1961 when they

waited / were waiting for a train.

5 Mozart composed / was composing music

before he was / was being five years old.

6 Elvis Presley did / was doing nat ional

service for the US army in Germany when he

met / was meeting his wife, Priscilla.

B) Complete the text with either the Past Simple or Past Continuous form

of the verbs in brackets.

This morning, I checked (check) my homework while I 1

_________________ (eat) my breakfast. Then I walked to the bus stop.

While 2 _________________(wait) for the bus, I suddenly 3_________________ (remember) my homework. It was at home in the

kitchen! As I 4_________________ (decide) what to do, the bus 5

_________________ (arrive). As I 6_________________ (get on) the

bus, I 7_________________ (get) a text message from my mum: 'I 8_________________ (find) your homework as I 9_______________ (clean)

the kitchen. Wait at the bus stop.' It was too late, I was on the bus.

As I 10_________________ (think) about what to do, I 11 _______________

(see) my mum's car behind the bus. She 12 _________________ (drive) in

her pyjamas and I 13_________________ (be) very embarrassed. At the

next bus stop, she 14 _________________ (stop) her car in front

of the bus, got out and got on the bus.

It was terrible! She 15 _________________ (walk) towards me in her

pyjamas so I 16 _________________ (close) my eyes. When I 17_________________ (open) my eyes I 18 _________________ (know) it

wasn't a nightmare or even a dream. My mother 19 _________________

(stand) on the bus, in her pyjamas and holding my homework!

C) Use the prompts to write th e police officer's questions to Leo.

1 What / do / 8.30 yesterday? Of f icer : W hat were you do ing at 5.30 yeste rday? Leo: I was waiting for a friend.

2 Where / you?

Officer : _________________________________________? Leo: I was in a café near the station.

3 Were / sit / near the window?

Officer _________________________________________? Leo: Yes, I was.

4 Tell me / exactly / where / sit

Officer: _________________________________________? Leo: I was sitting at a small table next to the door.

5 What / do'?

Officer: _________________________________________? Leo: I was drinking a cup of coffee and looking for my friend's bus.

6 Did / hear / a loud bang?

Officer: _________________________________________? Leo: No, I didn't.

7 Did / see / a man / dr ive / at high speed?

Officer: _________________________________________? Leo: No, I didn't.

8 Did / see / anything unusual'?

Officer: _________________________________________? Leo: Well, I saw a woman get onto a school bus in her pyjamas. Officer: That isn't a crime.

D) Complete the newspaper report with the correct f orm of the

verbs in the box.

c l a p d r i v e he a r l o ok p ho n e s l ee p

s n o w s t o p t r a v e l w a i t w a l k

CITY IN DARKNESS, THOUSANDS WAIT IN

UNDERGROUND, LIGHTS OUT IN LONDON

Yesterday's power cut brought chaos to London.

Engineers were working on an electricity generator when it

exploded.

Several thousand people 1were travelling home on the

Underground when all the trains 2 __________________________ . One

commuter told our reporter, 'I 3 ______________________________ but I

woke up because a child was crying. After an hour, the driver said

that rescue workers were on the train and everyone 4

___________________ it was fantastic!'

Things weren't much better for people above ground. ‘I 5_______

_________________ for Christmas presents when the lights

went out. When I left the shop it 6 _____________________

so it was impossible to get a taxi. I 7 __________________ to

a bus stop but hundreds of people 8 _________________ for

the bus. I 9 ___________________my son for help but he 10 __________________ to Manchester in his car. Luckily, a

young woman 'I me talking on the phone. Her boyfriend came in

their car and they took me home.’

E) Find eighteen character and personality words in the puzzle. F) Read the sentences and complete the words. The f irst letter is given. 1 He always thinks he's right. He's very a r r o g a n t.

2 She's a g _ _ _ _ _ _ _ person. She gave me some

money when I needed it.

3 I hate v _ _ _ _ _ _ films with a lot of fighting.

4 She likes love stories with r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ characters.

5 The villain in films is usually very c _ _ _ _.

6 They rescued two children from a burning house. They're

very b _ _ _ _ .

7 She's just started in the company, but she wants to be a

manager by next year. She's very a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

8 Einstein was very i _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .