LESSON PLAN-PAST SIMPLE AND

CONTINUOUS
CLASS: IX th
TIME: 50 minutes
LEVEL OF STUDY: Intermediate
TOPIC: Past Simple and Past Continuous (Progressive) Tense
TYPE: teaching
SKILLS INVOLVED:
READING
SPEAKING
WRITING
LISTENING

AIMS: to use correctly grammar in different communicational situations

to talk about past using Past simple tense and Past continuous tense;
to stimulate creativity;
make up sentences using the acquired grammar structures.

OBJECTIVES: By the end of the lesson the students will be able to:
o describe/talk about past actions and activities past actions
o use Past Simple and Past Continuous in real instances of
communication
AIDS/MATERIALS:
WORKSHEETS

 BLACKBOARD
ASSUMPTIONS:
- Students must have a satisfactory level of English;
- Students must be eager to participate.
ANTICIPATED PROMBLEMS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:
- If students do not understand the oral commands or the tasks, they will be
translated into Romanian.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Starceanu, Mihaela, Booklets English- Grammar, a comprehensive guide,
Booklet, 2012
Harmer, Jeremy, The Practice of English Language Teaching, Longman,
1991
Scrivener,Jim,Learning Teaching,Macmillan Books for Teachers,2005\

STAGES:

I. WARM-UP

Aims: to create a pleasant atmosphere and to relax.

Interaction: teacher students
Procedure: The teacher greets the pupils. The pupil on duty tells the
absents; the teacher writes the absents in the roll; then the teacher checks their
homework.
Timing: 3 minutes

1. Good afternoon, children !

2. How are you today ?
3. Who is absent?

Checking the Previous Knowledge

Activity 1: Frontal and individual activity

Aims: to prepare for the main activity

to have a guided dialogue
to revise the list of irregular verbs
Interaction: teacher-students; students-teacher
Procedure: Teacher asks the students: Did you have anything to learn for
today? (the students had to revise the list of irregular verbs and the regular
verbs) and she makes an oral revision of the grammar they have learnt.
Timing: 5 minutes
II. LEAD IN

Activity 2: Frontal and individual activity

Aims: to introduce the theme of the lesson Past Simple and Continuous
Interaction: teacher-students; students-teacher
Procedure:. To set up a framework of the lesson, teacher begins by asking
some of the students the following question: What did you do last weekend?
Before proceeding, she writes the question down on the board. While eliciting
responses from the students, teacher will make sure that the simple past form is
properly used. For example:
T: What did you do last weekend, Mihai?
S1: I saw a movie.
This conversation will continue to include other students.Teacher lists up the
answers on the left side of the board, underlining the verbs in the simple past
form.
Then, teacher proceeds to ask another question, using the past continuous:
What were you doing at eight oclock yesterday evening? A few of the
students may be able to answer this question, using the past progressive
properly (e.g., I was watching TV. Teacher lists up the answers on the right
side of the board, underlining the verbs in the past continuous form.
Then she asks the students to remember the formation and the use of the
Simple Past and Continuous Past Tense.
Use: We use the Simple Past to talk about completed actions in the past.
Teacher uses the written sentences as an example for the students.
Use: We use the Past Continuous tense to talk about actions which were in
progress at a particular moment in the past.
The actions can be:
interrupted when
Happening at the same time whileor as I..
Timing: 15 minutes

III. USE

Activity 3: Written Practice

Aims: consolidation
Interaction: teacher students, students - students
Procedure: Teacher asks the students to have a look at the following
sentences and to complete them on their handouts. (Appendix 1). Studentss solve
the task and after that, they are asked to read the sentences and correct if necessary.
Timing: 10 minutes

IV. CONTROLLED PRACTICE

Activity 4: Reading Comprehension
Aims: to practice reading comprehension and identify the verbs form the
text
Interaction: teacher students, students - students
Procedure: The teacher gives the students handouts with a text and then
asks the students to read the text from the handout (Appendix 2) .
The teacher asks the students to identify and underline the verbs in the Past Simple
and Past Continuous in the text and correct the sentences.
Timing: 8 minutes

V. HOMEWORK ASSIGMENT

Aims: to consolidate and use the acquired grammar structures by working

at home
develop their writing skill in English
Interaction: teacher students
Procedure: Teacher announces the homework and explain the students what
they have to do for the next English Class: THE FUNNIEST MEMORY EVER
they have to write a composition about the funniest memory they have of
themselves as babies.
Timing: 2 minutes

VI. EVALUATION
Aims: to increase students` self-confidence and encourage them in their
study of English
Interaction: teacher students
Procedure: Teacher appreciates students activity both verbally - praising
their activity - and by giving marks.
Timing: 2 minutes

Appendix 1:

I. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verbs in
brackets. Use Past Simple or Continuous:
1. I was picking fresh vegetables when it (start)...................................to rain.
2. Elaine was still working on her project last night when the phone

(ring)

.and interrupted her.

3. We (visit).the Zoo when a tiger escaped from its cage.
4.Mother (cook)..while I was having a shower.
5. Jessica was playing tennis while Tom (play)football.
6you (sleep)..when I called?
7.I . (arrive) home at 1 p.m. last night.
8. When I (arrive).. in Bucharest, I first (phone) my
parents, then I (unpack) my things. After that, I (go) .. to the restaurant.
9. I (see) .. Tom in the park an hour ago. He (sit) ... on the grass
and (read) . a book.
10. I feel so tired. I (not/get) .. much sleep last night.
II.Past Simple or Past Continuous?
a) Last night I __________________ (read) an article on parrots while my husband
__________________ (watch) TV.
b) He __________________ (drink) his coffee when he __________________
(see) an old friend.
c) When my boyfriend ___________________ (call) me last night, I
________________ (take) a walk with my sister.
d) He _______ (ask) me what I ____________ (do) that time last Friday.
e) My friends __________________(take) a picture of me while I
____________________ (not look).
f) Last night I (break) _____________ a plate while I (do) _______________ the
washing up.
Appendix 2

Read the text carefully and underline the verbs in the Past simple and
continuous.
A Strange Experience
Last month I was on holiday in Ireland with my mum and dad. One day, were
driving through a small village. It was time for lunch, so we stopped at a
restaurant.
It was a large, old building. We looked through the window. There were lots of
people in the restaurant. They were eating, drinking and chatting. A musician was
playing the violin. But there was something strange about the people. They werent
wearing normal, modern clothes. They were wearing hats, jackets and dresses from
another century. We couldnt understand it. But we were hungry, so we opened the
door.
When we went into the restaurant, everything was different. The people were
wearing normal clothes. The musician wasnt there the music was on CD. It was
a very strange experience.

What is wrong about these sentences? Can you give the right answer?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Daniel was on holiday with his parents in Scotland.

One day they were driving through a small mountain town.
They stopped at a restaurant to have dinner.
All the people in the restaurant were dancing.
There was a musician in the restaurant, too. He was playing the piano.
When Daniel and his parents looked through the window the people in the
restaurant were wearing normal clothes: jeans, shirts, suits.

Fill in with Simple Past:

Last Sunday we __________ (go) on a picnic in the country. My mother

___________ (drive) the car. My father _____________ (sleep) all the way
because he __________ (be) tired. When we ________________ (arrive), we
____________ (run) straight to the river. We ____________ (swim) for a long time
and then we _____________ (eat) our lunch. After lunch, my father and I
___________ (play) rugby. We ______________ (leave) at six oclock and
_____________ (go) home. We all _______________ (have) a lovely time.

Translate into English:

1. Sora mea i facea temele iar eu cntam la pian.
2. Bunicul dormea iar eu ascultam muzic.
3. Anul trecut am visitat Parisul.
4. Mama gatea cand am ajuns acasa.
5. Tu pictai in timpul acesta ieri?