1 In pairs, check you understand the holiday activities in the box
| climb a mountain go for a swim/drive lie/sunbathe on the beach make a trip pack your bag see the sights watch the sunrise/set visit relatives |
Students’ own answers
2 Look at the ‘Amazing Moments’ photos and read the stories. Which one is your favourite? Say why.
Students’ own answers
3 Past Continuous and Past Simple3 Match sentences 1–2 with the uses of the Past Continuous a–b.
1 At about 7 p.m., we were going along a
quiet road. a
2 □ I was staying with my uncle on his farm
in Canada. b
a to give the background to a story
b to say that someone was in the middle of an action at a specific time.
4 Read this sentence from one of the stories and answer the questions.
While we were swimming, I took this photo.
1 Did these actions happen
a one after another?
b at the same time?
2 Which action was shorter and which tense do we use to talk about it?
took this photo is shorter, it is the Past Simple.
5 Read the Grammar box and find more examples of the Past Continuous and Past Simple in the stories.
6 Look at the photos and stories again and correct the sentences.
1 Fadi was eating lunch when it started to rain.
No, she wasn’t eating lunch. She was eating an ice cream.
2 Lama was looking at the camera when Fadi took the photo.
No, she wasn’t looking at the camera. She was looking at the water.
3 Habib’s mum was driving the car when the horses appeared.
No, Habib’s mum wasn’t driving the car when the horses appeared. His dad was driving the car.
4 The horses were running away from Habib’s car.
No, the horses weren’t running away from the car. They were running straight at/towards the car.
5 Osama was staying in a hotel in Canada.
No, he wasn’t staying in a hotel. He was hiking in the Dana Reserve.
7 Complete the text with the Past Simple or Past Continuous. Listen and check.
We were travelling (travel) to France on a car ferry.
I was feeling (feel) a bit sick, so I went (go) outside to get some air. While I was looking (look) down at the sea, I saw (see) a dolphin. It was swimming (swim) next to the ship. As I was watching (watch), it jumped (jump) high out of the sea. I got(get) a wonderful photo.
8 Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the travel verbs from the box.
| catch drive ride sail wait |
1 I was running to catch a bus to school when I realised it was a holiday.
2 The first time I was driving the car, my dad was sitting beside me with his eyes closed.
3 I met my best friend while was waiting I at a bus stop.
4 I was riding my bike when I saw our teacher.
5 While we were sailing on a ferry, there was a storm.
Workbook
Past Continuous and Past Simple
1 ★ Put the words in order to make sentences.
1 4 a.m. / everyone / it / sleeping / was / was / and
It was 4 a.m. and everyone was sleeping.
2 was / Alison / six o’clock / at / eating breakfast
At six o’clock, Alison was eating breakfast. /Alison was eating breakfast at six o’clock.
3 for the rain / to stop / waiting / we / were
We were waiting for the rain to stop.
4 coming up / the sun / was / behind the mountains
The sun was coming up behind the mountains.
5 my bag / I / at eleven o’clock / packing / still / was
At eleven o’clock, I was still packing my bag./I was still packing my bag at eleven o’clock.
2 ★★ Choose the correct forms to complete the sentences.
1 I chose / was choosing a glass model of the Eiffel Tower when I broke / was breaking it!
2 We saw / were seeing a bear while we drove / were driving along the mountain road!
3 We flew / were flying back to Jordan when we saw / were seeing another plane fly past us!
4 As we sailed / were sailing to the island, a dolphin appeared / was appearing in the water!
5 Khalil and Adnan ate / were eating dinner when the waiter dropped / was dropping a bottle of water.
3 ★★ Complete the blog posts with the correct Past Simple or Past Continuous forms of the verbs in brackets.
TELL US YOUR HOLIDAY EXPERIENCES!
We 1 were staying (stay) in Wadi Rum, in Jordan. One day, we decided to walk into the desert to watch the sun go down. At six o’clock, we 2 were walking (walk) towards the sand dunes. It was a beautiful evening. We 3 were sitting (sit) on the sand when, suddenly, the wind 4 started (start) blowing really hard. It was impossible to see anything. It was scary! Sand storm in Wadi Rum Desert – Husam, 15
We 5 were driving (drive) in France last summer. I 6 was looking (look) at a map in the back of the car when Dad suddenly 7 opened (open) the window. I wasn’t holding 8 (not hold) the map very tightly and it 9 flew (fly) out of my hands and out of the window! Luckily there was no-one behind us. Flying map! – Dalia, 14