Yesterday at 8 pm

Yesterday at 8 pm…

• What were you doing yesterday at 8 pm?
• What happened while you were doing it?
• How were you feeling?

At 8 pm, I was ___ing. Then, when ___ happened, I felt ___.

Feelings and relationships

I was feeling nervous because I was waiting for my partner.
My best friend was supporting me while I was feeling upset.

Actions in progress in the past

Form

Past Continuous = was/were + verb-ing

An action in progress at a past time

7 pm ─────── [ I was studying ] ─────── 9 pm
                       ↑
                    8 pm

At 8 pm, I was studying.

The action was happening at that moment. It was not finished at 8 pm.

A long action and a short event

[ I was sleeping ───────────────── ]
                         ↓
                    the phone rang

I was sleeping when the phone rang.

Use when before a short completed event.

I was walking home when I saw an accident.

Two actions happening together

[ I was cooking ───────────── ]
[ she was reading ─────────── ]

While I was cooking, she was reading.

Use while for an action in progress.

While my best friend was talking, I was making dinner.

Past Continuous or Past Simple?

Common mistakes

A phone ringing once is a short event, so use Past Simple: the phone rang.

Choose the right past form

Connect the linker and the pattern

Connect each linker with the clause pattern that usually follows it.

Decide: background action or event?

Choose the form that fits the meaning.

1. I [___] home when I saw an accident.
2. While my best friend [___] , I was making dinner.
3. We [___] when our neighbour arrived.
4. At 8 pm, she [___] nervous.

Build the correct form

Write the correct verb form.

1. I [___] home when I saw an accident.
2. While they [___] an argument, the baby started to cry.
3. At 10 pm, we [___] for the bus.
4. My partner [___] while I was setting the table.

The Day Everything Changed

Last Saturday started quietly, but it became a day I will never forget. At eight o’clock, I was drinking coffee and talking to my best friend, Lena, on the phone. She was telling me about her new job when I heard a loud noise outside. I looked through the window and saw smoke near my neighbour’s house. While Lena was asking what was happening, I was running downstairs. Our neighbour, Mr Petrov, was standing in the garden and looking very worried. His small shed was burning. My partner was calling the fire service while I was helping Mr Petrov move his bike away from the fire. Ten minutes later, the firefighters arrived and stopped the fire. Nobody was hurt, and Mr Petrov felt relieved. That evening, we were sitting together and talking about the day. I was feeling tired, but I was also happy because we helped him.

1. What was Lena doing when the narrator heard a loud noise?
2. Where did the narrator see smoke?
3. What were the narrator and their partner doing at the same time?
4. How did Mr Petrov feel after the firefighters stopped the fire?

Difficult words

• shed — a small building in a garden
• smoke — grey or black air from a fire
• fire service — firefighters who come to stop fires
• firefighters — people who put out fires
• hurt — injured; in pain
• arrived — came to a place
• stopped the fire — made the fire end
• relieved — happy because a problem has ended

Make a quick decision

Past Continuous or Past Simple?

Emotion card

nervous • excited • worried • relieved • upset • happy

At 8 pm, I was feeling ___ because ___.

Word bank

Relationships: best friend • partner • neighbour • argument • support • trust

Life events: break up • celebrate • move house

Feelings: nervous • excited • worried • relieved • upset • happy

Decide if each statement is correct.