While I WasWalking Home…
Past Continuous vs Past Simple · setting the scene for a story
CEFR Pathway · You are here
Warm-up · Section 1
5 minGet talking
What were you doing at exactly 9pm last night? Be specific.
Tell your partner about a time something interrupted you (a call, a noise, a person).
Freeze a scene from yesterday: where were you, what were you wearing, what was happening around you?
Grammar focus · Section 2
8–10 minPast Continuous vs Past Simple
Use the Past Continuous (was/were + -ing) for a longer background action in progress in the past.
→ I was walking home when it started to rain.
→ While she was reading, the doorbell rang.
→ They weren't listening, so they missed the announcement.
→ What were you doing when I called?
More detail
Use the Past Simple for a shorter action that interrupted it. Connect them with 'when' (before the sudden action) or 'while' (before the long action). Example pattern: 'I was cooking WHEN the lights went out' / 'WHILE I was cooking, the lights went out.'
Question 1.I ____ a shower when the phone ____.
Question 2.While we ____ dinner, the power ____ off.
Question 3.What ____ you ____ at 8pm yesterday?
Question 4.He ____ (not listen) — he was staring out of the window.
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Quick check 1.Which sentence is CORRECT?
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
Don't just read these — say one out loud, then use it about your life.
all of a sudden
unexpectedly and quickly
"All of a sudden, the lights went out."
Finish: 'All of a sudden, …'
in the middle of (+ -ing)
busy doing something at that moment
"I was in the middle of cooking when he arrived."
What were you in the middle of at 7pm yesterday?
out of nowhere
suddenly and with no warning
"A cyclist appeared out of nowhere."
Something that appeared out of nowhere for you recently?
to lose track of time
to not notice how much time has passed
"I was watching a series and completely lost track of time."
When did you last lose track of time?
to freak out
to suddenly feel very worried or scared (informal)
"I freaked out when I saw the message."
Small thing that made you freak out lately?
to be miles away
to be daydreaming, not paying attention
"Sorry, I was miles away — what did you say?"
When are you usually 'miles away'?
just as
at the exact same moment that
"Just as I sat down, my phone rang."
Finish: 'Just as I …, …'
to catch someone off guard
to surprise someone when they aren't ready
"Her question caught me off guard."
Last time something caught you off guard?
Discuss with a partner
- →Tell an 'out of nowhere' story in 30 seconds.
- →Describe a moment that caught you off guard.
Finish the sentence about you
- I was in the middle of …
- All of a sudden, …
- Just as I …, …
Rank & justify
Rank these interruptions from most to least annoying.
- a cold call
- the doorbell during dinner
- wifi cutting out on a video call
- someone talking during a film
60-second write
Write a 60-word scene using at least 3 of today's expressions and a mix of past tenses.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minWeak 'was' /wəz/ and 'were' /wə/ in past continuous
- • I was walking /wəz/
- • They were talking /wə/
- • What were you doing? /wə/
- • Yes, I WAS. /wɒz/ (strong)
- • No, we WEREN'T. /wɜːnt/ (strong)
How to say it
In fast speech, 'was' and 'were' inside a sentence become weak — /wəz/ and /wə/. They only get their strong form (/wɒz/, /wɜː/) in short answers or when stressed. Compare: 'I was WALKING' /aɪ wəz ˈwɔːkɪŋ/ vs. 'Yes, I WAS.' /jes aɪ wɒz/.
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minThe night the fire alarm went off
It was about 2am and everyone in the building was fast asleep. I was dreaming about something silly — a giant sandwich, I think — when all of a sudden the fire alarm started screaming. I freaked out, jumped out of bed and grabbed the first thing I saw, which was, embarrassingly, a single sock. My neighbour was standing in the corridor in pyjamas, holding his laptop and a plant. We were both half-asleep and completely confused. Just as we reached the stairs, someone shouted, 'False alarm — someone burnt their toast!' We started laughing. In the middle of the panic, no one had thought to check the kitchen.
Question 1.What was the writer doing when the alarm went off?
Question 2.What did the writer grab?
Question 3.What caused the alarm?
Q1.The writer was already awake before the alarm.
Q2.The neighbour was holding a plant.
Q3.There was a real fire in the kitchen.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minYou'll never guess what happened
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Sam:You'll never guess what happened to me on the way here.
Lea:Go on.
Sam:So I was walking through the park, just listening to music, minding my own business…
Lea:Right…
Sam:And out of nowhere, this massive dog just ran up and stole my sandwich straight out of my hand.
Lea:No way! What did you do?
Sam:I just froze. I was completely miles away, and then suddenly — no sandwich. The owner was chasing after him, shouting his name. I couldn't stop laughing.
Question 1.What was Sam doing?
Question 2.What happened to the sandwich?
Question 3.How did Sam react?
Exam skills · Section 7
5 minCambridge PET — Reading Part 5: open cloze (tense choice)
Task
Read a short story with 6 gaps. Each gap needs ONE past tense form (was/were, -ing, or Past Simple). Choose based on 'long action' vs 'sudden action'.
Strategy
For every gap, ask: is this the SCENE (background, longer) or the EVENT (sudden, shorter)? Scene → Past Continuous. Event → Past Simple. Look for 'when' and 'while' as signals.
Example
'While I ___ (walk) home, my phone ___ (ring).' Walking = long scene → 'was walking'. Ring = sudden event → 'rang'.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.I ____ (drive) to work when the accident happened.
Question 2.She ____ (open) the letter when her hands started shaking.
Question 3.All of a sudden, the lights ____ (go) out.
Question 4.We ____ (talk) about him just as he walked in.
Question 5.What ____ (you / do) when I called?
Q1.Correct: 'I watched TV when the phone was ringing.'
Q2.Answer: 'What were you doing at 9pm last night?' → I ____.
Q3.Complete: 'Just as I ____ (sit) down, the meeting ____ (start).'
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a short paragraph (70–90 words) called 'The moment everything changed'. Use at least 3 Past Continuous verbs (scene) and 3 Past Simple verbs (events). Include 2 expressions from the vocabulary list.
Show model answer
It was a normal Tuesday evening and I was sitting on the sofa, scrolling through my phone, completely miles away. My flatmate was cooking pasta and singing badly in the kitchen. All of a sudden, my phone lit up with a message from a number I didn't know. Just as I opened it, I realised it was the job I had been waiting on for weeks. I froze. In the middle of that ordinary evening, everything quietly changed direction.
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
SCENE + INTERRUPTION: Student A sets a background scene in 2 sentences using Past Continuous ('It was Sunday morning. I was reading in the park…'). Student B invents the interruption using Past Simple ('…when suddenly a stranger sat down next to me and…'). Continue for 60 seconds each, then swap roles. Listener retells ONE story to the group.
Useful phrases
- • I was in the middle of + -ing
- • All of a sudden, …
- • Just as I …,
- • Out of nowhere, …
- • I completely freaked out / froze.
- AYou look shaken. What happened?
- B_______________
- AOh no! What did you do?
- B_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Push learners from single-clause past sentences to layered scenes with clear background + event. ~28 min total
Homework · Section 11
Take-homeTake it home
Record a 60-second voice note describing a small 'interruption' story. Use at least 3 Past Continuous and 3 Past Simple verbs.
Write 5 'when/while' sentences about yesterday (e.g. 'While I was …, I …').
Watch 2 minutes of an English drama or vlog. Note 3 Past Continuous verbs the characters use.
Recap · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- Past Continuous (was/were + -ing) = longer background action in progress.
- Past Simple = shorter action that interrupts it.
- 'When' usually goes before the sudden event; 'while' usually goes before the long scene.
- In fast speech, 'was' and 'were' become weak: /wəz/, /wə/.
- Scene-setting phrases: in the middle of, out of nowhere, all of a sudden, just as.