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

Speaking: Grammar in Speaking B1

Using Past Continuous for Setting Scenes

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 to describe a long, background action that was in progress when a shorter action 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 and the short interrupting action with "when" or "while".

Pattern 1: Using "when"

[Long Action] + when + [Short Action]

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

Pattern 2: Using "while"

While + [Long Action], + [Short Action]

• 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. The stress goes on the main verb.

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

Complete the sentences with the Past Simple or Past Continuous form of the verb.

1. While I ____ (walk) home, I ____ (see) an accident.
   → was walking, saw
2. He ____ (break) his leg when he ____ (play) football.
   → broke, was playing
3. The electricity ____ (go out) while we ____ (have) dinner.
   → went out, were having

Activity 2: Finish the Story

Work with a partner. One person reads the first part of the sentence (the scene). The other person finishes it with their own idea in the Past Simple.

• Student A: "I was studying in my room last night when..."
  Student B: "...my brother started playing loud music."
• Student A: "While we were eating at the restaurant..."
  Student B: "...a famous singer walked in!"

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).
• to set the scene | រៀបរាប់ពីទិដ្ឋភាព
  To describe the background situation of a story (who, where, what was happening).
• Interrupted action
  A long action in the past that was stopped by a shorter action.
• 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 was interrupted by a short action. Write one or two sentences to describe it, then practice saying it aloud.

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