Speaking: Grammar in Speaking B1 - Lesson 2: Using Past Continuous for Setting Scenes

Speaking: Grammar in Speaking B1

Using Past Continuous for Setting Scenes

Listen to the story and examples here.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use the Past Continuous tense to set the scene for a story and describe an action that was interrupted.

Setting the Scene in a Story 📖

Good storytellers paint a picture with words. We use the Past Continuous (was/were + verb-ing) to describe a long, background action that was in progress when a shorter action (Past Simple) happened. Look at the two types of verbs in this story:

"I have a funny story. Yesterday evening, I was cooking dinner. I was listening to music and I was feeling happy. Suddenly, the lights went out! I was standing there in the dark when my phone suddenly rang."

Grammar Patterns for Interruptions

We often connect the long background action (Past Continuous) and the short interrupting action (Past Simple) with when or while.

Pattern 1: Using "when"

[Past Continuous] + when + [Past Simple]

• I was watching TV when my friend called.
• He was riding his moto when it started to rain.

Pattern 2: Using "while"

While + [Past Continuous], + [Past Simple]

• While I was watching TV, my friend called.
• While he was riding his moto, it started to rain.

Tips for Sounding Natural

🗣️ Pronunciation: Weak "was" & "were"

In fluent speech, was and were are usually unstressed and reduced to a weak sound (like /wəz/ or /wər/). The stress goes on the main verb.

• "I was walking" is pronounced more like "I w'z WALKing."
• "They were playing" is pronounced more like "They w'r PLAYing."

Making was and were weak will make your sentence rhythm sound more natural.

Practice Setting the Scene 🎯

Activity 1: Choose the Correct Tense (Self-Check)

Complete the sentences with the Past Simple or Past Continuous form of the verb in brackets. Click "Show Answer" to check.

1. While I (walk) home, I (see) an accident.
   Show Answer

   While I was walking home, I saw an accident.

2. He (break) his leg when he (play) football.
   Show Answer

   He broke his leg when he was playing football.

3. The electricity (go out) while we (have) dinner.
   Show Answer

   The electricity went out while we were having dinner.

4. She (meet) her husband while she (work) in London.
   Show Answer

   She met her husband while she was working in London.

5. What (you / do) when I (call) you last night?
   Show Answer

   What were you doing when I called you last night?

Activity 2: Finish the Story

Work with a partner or practice alone. Read the first part of the sentence (the scene). Finish it with your own idea using the Past Simple.

• Person A: "I was studying in my room last night when..."
  Person B Example: "...my brother started playing loud music."
• Person A: "While we were eating at the restaurant..."
  Person B Example: "...a famous singer walked in!"
• Person A: "They were waiting for the bus when..."
  Person B Example: "..."
• Person A: "While she was cleaning the house..."
  Person B Example: "..."

Key Grammar Terms

• Past Continuous | អតីតកាលបន្ត
  A tense for a past action that was in progress over a period of time (was/were + verb-ing). Used for background actions.
• Past Simple | អតីតកាលធម្មតា
  A tense for a completed action in the past (e.g., walked, saw, went). Used for interrupting actions.
• to set the scene | រៀបរាប់ពីទិដ្ឋភាព
  To describe the background situation of a story (who, where, what was happening).
• Interrupted action | សកម្មភាពដែលរំខាន
  A long action in the past (Past Continuous) that was stopped or interrupted by a shorter action (Past Simple).
• when / while | នៅពេល / ខណៈពេល
  Conjunctions used to connect a long action and a short, interrupting action.

Your Grammar Mission ⭐

This week, your mission is to tell a short story about an interruption.

Think of a time when a long action (Past Continuous) was interrupted by a short action (Past Simple). Write 1-2 sentences using when or while, then practice saying it aloud.

Example: "I was driving my moto to work yesterday morning when I got a flat tire."