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Lesson 08
Unit 2 · Past Stories
B1-

While I Was…Suddenly

Past Continuous vs Past Simple · stories

60 min Stories with background and action

CEFR Pathway · You are here

  1. A0/A1Beginner
  2. A1/A2Elementary
  3. A2/B1Pre-Intermediate
  4. B1/B1+Intermediate
  5. B2Upper-Intermediate
  6. C1Advanced
  7. C2Proficiency

Warm-up · Section 1

5 min

Get talking

discussion
Where were you?

Where were you and what were you doing at exactly 9pm last night?

discussion
Interrupted

Tell your partner about a time someone interrupted you while you were trying to do something important.

reflection
Set the scene

Describe the scene from a film you love: what was happening just before the big moment?

Grammar focus · Section 2

8–10 min

Past Continuous vs Past Simple

Quick rule

Use Past Continuous (was/were + -ing) for a longer background action in progress.

  • → I was cooking dinner when the phone rang.

  • → While we were walking home, it suddenly started to rain.

  • → What were you doing at 8 last night? — I was watching a film.

  • → She wasn't paying attention, so she missed the announcement.

More detail

Use Past Simple for a short, finished action that happened during or interrupted it. We often link them with 'when' and 'while': 'while' tends to introduce the longer (continuous) action; 'when' tends to introduce the short (simple) action.

Question 1.I ____ (read) when the lights ____ (go) out.

Question 2.While we ____ dinner, the doorbell rang.

Question 3.What ____ you ____ at 7 last night?

Question 4.They ____ (not listen), so they ____ (miss) the question.

Answer all items, then check.
Conversation Builder
Say it naturally

Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.

1.Pattern: subject + was/were + -ing + when + subject + past simple.

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

2.Pattern: While + subject + was/were + -ing, subject + past simple.

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

3.Question form: What + were + you + -ing + when + past simple?

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

Quick check 1.Pick the most natural sentence.

Answer all items, then check.

Vocabulary · Section 3

5–7 min

Words & phrases to own

Don't just read these — say one out loud, then use it about your life.

1

all of a sudden

very suddenly, with no warning

"All of a sudden, the lights went out."

Finish: 'All of a sudden,…'

2

in the middle of (doing)

busy doing something at that moment

"I was in the middle of cooking when she called."

What were you in the middle of yesterday at 7pm?

3

to freeze (in a moment)

to suddenly stop moving from shock

"I froze when I saw the bill."

When did you last freeze in a moment?

4

to be miles away

to not be paying attention; daydreaming

"Sorry — I was miles away. What did you say?"

When are you most likely to be miles away?

5

to catch (someone's) eye

to attract someone's attention

"A small red book caught my eye."

What's caught your eye recently — in a shop or online?

6

to nearly miss

to almost miss something (but catch it just in time)

"I nearly missed my stop."

Tell a 'nearly missed' story in 15 seconds.

7

the next thing I knew

used to introduce a sudden surprise in a story

"I sat down for a coffee — the next thing I knew, it was 2 hours later."

Finish: 'The next thing I knew…'

8

to make a scene

to behave loudly or dramatically in public

"He made a scene in the restaurant — so embarrassing."

Have you ever seen someone make a scene? What happened?

Activate the language
Tell a short dramatic story using at least 4 of today's phrases.

Discuss with a partner

  • →Tell a 60-second story that starts 'I was in the middle of…'.
  • →Share a 'nearly missed' moment from your life.

Finish the sentence about you

  • All of a sudden, …
  • I was in the middle of …
  • The next thing I knew, …

60-second write

Write a 4-sentence anecdote using all of a sudden, the next thing I knew and caught my eye.

Matching
Match each expression to its closest meaning.

Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Answer all items, then check.
Categorise
Sort the expressions by function.
Answer all items, then check.

Pronunciation · Section 4

3–4 min

Weak form of 'was' and 'were'

  • • I /wəz/ reading.
  • • They /wə/ waiting outside.
  • • What were you doing? → /wətwəjədu:ɪŋ/
  • • She /wəz/ /n̩t/ listening. (wasn't)
  • • Strong: 'I WAS there!'
How to say it

In natural speech, 'was' and 'were' are usually unstressed and pronounced /wəz/ and /wə/. Stress falls on the main verb. Strong forms only appear in questions or for emphasis: 'YES, I WAS!'

Reading · Section 5

8–10 min

The day I nearly missed my interview

I was running through the station when I realised I'd left my CV on the train. I froze for about ten seconds, then sprinted back. While I was searching the carriage, the doors started to close. The next thing I knew, a stranger was holding the door open with his foot, shouting, 'Quick, mate!' I grabbed the CV and jumped back onto the platform. I made it to the interview with two minutes to spare. I never even got the man's name. I still think about him sometimes — he was just reading a book, minding his own business, when I came charging back in.

Question 1.What did the writer leave on the train?

Question 2.Who helped them?

Question 3.How early did they arrive?

Answer all items, then check.
True / False / Not Given
Decide if each statement is True or False

Q1.The writer noticed the missing CV before getting off the train.

Q2.The stranger used his foot to hold the door open.

Q3.They got the stranger's name afterwards.

Answer all items, then check.

Listening · Section 6

8–10 min

Were you there when it happened?

Listening audio

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Show transcript

Jasmine:Were you actually there when the power cut happened?

Daniel:Yeah, I was sitting in the café, working on my laptop. All of a sudden, everything just went dark.

Jasmine:Scary. What did people do?

Daniel:Honestly, nobody moved. Everyone froze for about five seconds — it was so quiet.

Jasmine:And then?

Daniel:The next thing I knew, the barista was handing out free pastries and laughing. It turned into a really nice afternoon, actually.

Question 1.Where was Daniel when it happened?

Question 2.What did people do at first?

Question 3.How did the barista react?

Answer all items, then check.
Tick what you hear
Tick every expression you actually hear.
Answer all items, then check.

Exam skills · Section 7

5 min

Cambridge PET — Listening Part 2: gist of a short story

Task

Listen to someone describing a past event and answer one main question: 'What is the speaker mainly describing?'

Strategy

Don't get lost in details. Listen for the SHAPE: setting (where/what they were doing) → sudden change (what happened) → result (how it ended). Past Continuous + Past Simple together signals a story.

Example

If you hear 'I was walking… when suddenly… and in the end…', the speaker is telling a personal story — pick the option about the experience, not the topic.

Practice · Section 8

8–10 min

Fill in the blank

Question 1.I ____ (drive) home when I ____ (see) the accident.

Question 2.While she ____ (study), her cat ____ (jump) onto the keyboard.

Question 3.Sorry, I wasn't listening — I was completely ____.

Question 4.____, the music stopped and everyone turned around.

Question 5.What ____ you ____ when the earthquake started?

Answer all items, then check.
Sentence transformation
Type a short answer (1–3 words)

Q1.Correct: 'I was had dinner when he called.'

Q2.Complete: 'While we ____ (wait), the manager ____ (come) out.'

Q3.Answer: 'What were you doing at 10 last night?' → I was ____.

Answer all items, then check.

Writing · Section 9

5 min

Put it in writing

Your task

Write a short story (80–100 words) called 'The day everything changed in 30 seconds.' Use Past Continuous for the background and Past Simple for the sudden action. Include at least 2 expressions from the vocabulary list.

Show model answer

I was walking home from work, completely miles away, when I noticed a small dog following me. It looked lost. While I was deciding what to do, a man came running around the corner, shouting the dog's name. All of a sudden, the dog sprinted toward him and jumped straight into his arms. The man was nearly crying. He told me the dog had been missing for two days. The next thing I knew, he was hugging me too. A very strange — and lovely — thirty seconds.

Speaking · Section 10

10–15 min

Make it a real conversation

SCENE FREEZE: One student starts a story: 'I was ____ when…' and freezes after the background. Their partner must invent the sudden action and finish the story in 30 seconds. Swap roles three times. Loosest, funniest version wins.

Useful phrases

  • • I was just + -ing when…
  • • While we were + -ing, …
  • • All of a sudden / Out of nowhere…
  • • The next thing I knew, …
  • • I literally froze.
Dialogue completion
Choose the most natural response.
  • AI tried to call you yesterday — did you see?
  • B_______________
  • AHa, no worries. Anything interesting happen yesterday?
  • B_______________
Answer all items, then check.

Optional · Teacher-led

Teacher Activities

Move students from single sentences into mini-cinematic stories. ~28 min total

Homework · Section 11

Take-home

Take it home

speaking

Record a 60-second story using at least 3 Past Continuous and 3 Past Simple verbs.

writing

Write 5 'when/while' sentences about your real day yesterday.

listening

Watch any short interview (2 min) and note one Past Continuous sentence the speaker uses.

Recap · Section 12

2–3 min

What you've learned

  • Past Continuous = background, longer action in progress.
  • Past Simple = short action that interrupts or happens during.
  • 'while' usually + Past Continuous; 'when' usually + Past Simple.
  • Weak 'was'/'were' = /wəz/, /wə/. Stress the main verb.
  • Story boosters: all of a sudden, the next thing I knew, miles away.
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