The battle of tenses: Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

The main goals of this ESL lesson plan are to:

• – Master Past Simple and Past Continuous by learning the structure and differences between these tenses through clear explanations and sentence practice.
• – Practice grammar through video comprehension by watching travel conversations and identifying both tenses in real contexts.
• – Improve accuracy and application by completing sentences, correcting mistakes, and using both tenses naturally in this grammar revision lesson.

In this ESL grammar lesson, the student will learn about the differences between the Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses.

Warm-up

In the warm-up section, the student activates their knowledge of past verb forms.

Past Simple

The structure and use of Past Simple are gradually explained. The student first gets to practice identifying Past Simple verbs and then practices using them in sentences.

Past Continuous

Past Continuous is explained and practiced in the same way as Past Simple.

Video: Travel problems with Past Simple and Past Continuous

The student watches the video of a conversation in which Past Simple and Continuous are used. In video transcripts, the student identifies both tenses.

Past Simple and Continuous compared

The two tenses are compared and contrasted in terms of their use. The student gets to practice using these two tenses to complete the sentences, correct the mistakes, etc.

Wrap-up

Finally, the student reviews the use of both tenses and gives sentence examples of each.