By: Doryl Sequena Cabiao

Tell me! Tell me!

 What did you do yesterday?
 What did you do last Saturday night?
 Where were you last Sunday morning?
 What did you do to celebrate your last birthday?
 When did you graduate high school?
 When did you learn to drive?
 Why did you start taking classes at Oman College
of Health Sciences?
 How did you learn to speak English so well?
 Form
 the form is the same for all persons
POSITIVE:
 They arrived three weeks ago. – REGULAR
 He left at three o’clock. – IRREGULAR
NEGATIVE:
 I didn’t play football yesterday
 I didn’t go home early on Saturday
INTERROGATIVE:
Yes/No questions:
 Did you play football yesterday?
 Did you go home early in Saturday?
WH-question – When did you learn last time?
 Verb TO BE
 Positive sentences:
 I was in London last year

 Negative sentences:
-They weren’t at home last weekend

 Yes/No questions:
 Were you ill yesterday?
 Use
 a finished action in the past
 We met in 2007.
 action that follow each other in a story
 Mary walked into the room and stopped
 a past situation or habit
 When I was a child, we lived in a small house by the sea.

SIGNAL WORDS / TIME EXPRESSIONS

- last night, ....... ago, yesterday, the other day, in 1999,
when I was younger....
 Form
 Was / were + verb + -ing

 They were driving to Paris.

 I was writing my English homework all afternoon.
 We weren’t waiting for a long time.
 What were they doing?
 Was your friend listening to the teacher?
 What were the students doing when you arrived?
 Use
 to express a continuing incomplete activity in the
past
 I was reading a book during the flight.
 It was eight o'clock. I was writing a letter.
 to express an interrupted past activity
 When the phone rang, I was taking a shower.
 While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly
went off.
 Use
 for descriptions / activities with background
descriptions
 Jan looked beautiful. She was wearing a green dress.
 It was a gloomy night. The leaves were dancing because
of the wind.
 For 2 continuing events happening at the same
time
 The students were writing notes while the teacher was
discussing the lesson.
 When I walked into the office, several
people were busily typing, some were talking on the
phones
 While and When
WHEN
 used to talk about things in the past
 Usually followed by simple past

WHILE
 expresses the idea of "during that time”
 Usually followed by present continuous

LOOK AT THESE SENTENCES

 I was studying when she called.
 While I was studying, she called.
 Habits in the past
USED TO
 refer to things in the past which are no longer true
 Usually used when we make contrast with present
situation

 I used to work in South Korea. Now, I am working in

Oman.
 Asad didn’t use to like vegetables.
 Did you use to work at Khoula Hospital?
 Habits in the past
We also use past simple (+ frequency verb) to
describe a habitual action in the past

 She went to school everyday when she was a child.

Now, let’s compare:

I used to play football everyday when I was a child.

I played football everyday when I was a child.
 Past simple or continuous?
 Sometimes both tenses are possible. The Past Simple
focuses on past actions as complete facts. The Past
Continuous focuses on the duration of past activities
 Compare :
 A: I didn’t see you at the party last night.
 B: No. I stayed at home and watched the
football match.

 A: I didn’t see you at the party last night.

 B: No, I was watching the football match at
home.
A little practice
Last week I (decide)_____________ to invite some friends to
dinner. I (buy) _____________ lots of delicious food, including some
roasted beef and at about 6.00 I (cook) _____________ in the
kitchen. The sun (shine) _____________ and it was a beautiful
evening, so,I (open) _____________ the back door. Then the
telephone (ring) _____________. I (go) _____________ to answer it and
when I (come) _____________back the roasted beef wasn't on the
table. I (look) _____________ out of the window. A cat (sit)
_____________ on my garden wall and it (eat) _____________ my
roasted beef. What (can) _____________ I do? I (fill) _____________ a
pan with water and I went quietly outside. The cat (not look)
_____________ in my direction and it (enjoy) _____________ the
roasted beef so much that it (not hear) _____________ me. I (walk)
_____________ slowly up to it, I (want) _____________ to empty the
water over its head. A bit cruel. I know but the roasted beef (be)
_____________ very expensive, but at the last moment the cat heard
me and (escape) _____________in the neighbourhood.
A little practice
Last week I decided to invite some friends to dinner. I bought lots of
delicious food, including some roasted beef and at about 6.00 I was
cooking in the kitchen. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful
evening, so,I opened the back door. Then the
telephone rang. I went to answer it and when I came back the
roasted beef wasn't on the table. I looked out of the window. A
cat was sitting on my garden wall and it was eating my roasted
beef. What could I do? I filled a pan with water and I went quietly
outside. The cat wasn’t looking in my direction and it was enjoying
the roasted beef so much that it me. I walked slowly up to
it, I wanted to empty the water over its head. A bit cruel. I know but
the roasted beef was very expensive, but at the last moment the cat
heard me and escaped in the neighbourhood.