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A boy was running while the janitor was mopping the floor.

I was cooking when I burnt my hand.

Past continuous tense

Part 1

Part 2

Part 1

In this part, you will review the use of when to link a longer action and a short action in the past.

Do you remember how we can use when to link longer and shorter actions?

Do you remember how we can use when to link longer and shorter actions?

I was cooking when I burnt my hand.

This is the longer action.

This is the shorter action.

Do you remember how we can use when to link longer and shorter actions?

I was cooking when I burnt my hand.

Let’s look at another example.

Timmy was hiking when he broke his leg.

Let’s look at another example.

My mother was peeling an orange when she cut her finger.

1. Join the two actions using the correct tenses and the word when.

I / cross the road

a car / bump into me

I was crossing the road when a car bumped into me.

2. Join the two actions using the correct tenses and the word when.

He / talk on the phone

the train / stop suddenly

He was talking on the phone when the train stopped suddenly.

Part 2

In this part, you will learn to use while to link two continuous actions that were happening at the same time in the past.

Let’s look at this sentence from Part 1.

My mother was peeling an orange when she cut her finger.

Let’s look at this sentence from Part 1.

My mother was peeling an orange when she cut her finger.

So now there are two continuous actions.

She was peeling an orange.

She was watching TV.

These are two continuous actions that happened at the same time.

So they are equally long actions.

So now there are two continuous actions.

She was peeling an orange.

She was watching TV.

We use while to link two continuous actions.

She was peeling an orange.

She was watching TV.

+ while

We use while to link two continuous actions.

She was peeling an orange while she was watching TV.

We use while to link two continuous actions.

She was peeling an orange while she was watching TV.

Here is another example of while.

Judy was reading a book while she was walking down the stairs.

These are shorter actions so we use the past tense.

So she tripped and fell off the stairs!

He was running while she was looking down at her phone.

So they bumped into each other!

Again, this is a shorter action so we use the past tense.

Here is another example of while.

1. Choose the correct answer.

My mother was driving (when / while) her phone rang.

2. Choose the correct answer.

I was tidying my room (when / while) my little brother was doing his homework.

He was doing his homework while he listened to music.

Correct

Incorrect

✔

was listening

3. Is this sentence correct or incorrect? Make corrections if needed.

4. Is this sentence correct or incorrect? Make corrections if needed.

Mum cooked while she was talking on the phone.

Correct

Incorrect

✔

was cooking

Well done!

Acknowledgements

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