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

Speaking: Grammar in Speaking B1 - Lesson 2

Using Past Continuous for Setting Scenes

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.

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Setting the Scene in a Story

A good storyteller doesn't just list events. They paint a picture with words. We use the Past Continuous¹ to set the scene² and describe a longer, background action that was in progress when another, shorter action happened.

Let's look at a short story. Notice the long background actions (Past Continuous) and the short, main actions (Past Simple).

"I have a funny story. Yesterday evening at about 7 PM, I was cooking dinner in the kitchen. I was listening to music and I was feeling very happy. Suddenly, all the lights went out! I was standing there in the dark when my phone suddenly rang. It was my mother, of course."

The structure is: Subject + was/were + verb-ing.

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Key Grammar Terms

1. Past Continuous: A tense for a past action that was in progress over a period of time (was/were + verb-ing): អតីតកាលបន្ត ↩
2. to set the scene: To describe the background situation of a story (who, where, what was happening): រៀបរាប់ពីទិដ្ឋភាព ↩
3. Interrupted action: A long action in the past that was stopped by a shorter action: សកម្មភាពដែលត្រូវបានរំខាន ↩
4. when: A conjunction used to introduce a short action that interrupts a long one: នៅពេល ↩
5. while: A conjunction used to introduce a long background action: ខណៈពេល ↩

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record_voice_over Pronunciation Focus: Weak Forms of "was" & "were"

In natural, fluent speech, the words "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 and quiet will make your sentence rhythm sound much more natural.

lightbulb Grammar: Past Continuous + Past Simple

The most common use of the Past Continuous is to describe an interrupted action³. We often connect the two clauses with "when" or "while".

Pattern 1: using "when"

[Long background action] + when⁴ + [Short interrupting action]

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

Pattern 2: using "while"

while⁵ + [Long background action], + [Short interrupting action]

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

sports_esports Practice Setting the Scene

Activity 1: Choose the Correct Tense

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

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 the story 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!"

task Your Grammar Mission

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

Think of a real or imaginary time when a long action was interrupted by a short action. Write one or two sentences to describe it. Practice saying it aloud.

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