 Past Simple (finished action in the past; it could be a shorter action interrupting a longer one)

 Past Continuous (a longer action in the past; it could be interrupted by a shorter one)

PAST SIMPLE

…yesterday

...the day before yesterday

+ I went to the cinema yesterday.
...5 minutes/2 weeks/3 days ago
- I didn't go to the cinema yesterday.
...6 months/many years ago
? Did I go to the cinema yesterday? Yes, I did. No, I didn't.
...last night/week/month/year

...on Monday (in the past)

+ He visited his grandma yesterday.
...at the weekend (in the past)
- He didn't visit his grandma yesterday.
...in July (in the past)
? Did he visit his grandma yesterday?
...in 2018
Yes, he did. No, he didn't.
…when…

PAST CONTINUOUS

...at 7 o'clock yesterday

...at 7 o'clock the day before yesterday

+ I was watching TV at 7 p.m. yesterday.
...while…
- I wasn't watching TV at 7 p.m. yesterday.
...as…
? Was I watching TV at 7 p.m. yesterday?

Yes, I was. No, I wasn't.

+ You were watching TV at 7 p.m. yesterday.

- You weren't watching TV at 7 p.m. yesterday.

? Were you watching TV at 7 p.m. yesterday? Yes, you were. No, you weren't.

MGR. TÍMEA KOLBEROVÁ, PHD. – PEIRA.ENGLISH

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TEACHER'S NOTES: You will need for this activity a standard 52-card deck. 1. You have to divide it into
3 decks:

a) 1. deck = Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (all of them, so clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades)

b) 2. deck = Jack, Queen, King (all of them, so clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades)

c) 3. deck = 7, 8, 9, 10 (all of them, so clubs, diamond, hearts and spades)

2. Let students draw a card from each deck. The task is to make a sentence based on the drawn cards.

a) The card from the 1. deck represents the person and whether it is a positive or negative sentence:
BLACK Ace = 1. person singular – positive sentence, RED 2 = 2. person singular – negative sentence

b) The card from the 2. deck represents the tense: the colour BLACK = Past Simple, the colour RED =
Past Continuous

c) The card from the 3. deck states the minimum number of words in the sentence.

+ PRO TIP: you can let the students pick suitable verbs, you can give them verbs to work with (for
example daily routine, housework, sport activities) or you can use my vocabulary list.

+ PRO TIP: the students could cut the signal words out from the first page and keep them for
reference.

There is a “gameplay” for the students on the next page.

MGR. TÍMEA KOLBEROVÁ, PHD. – PEIRA.ENGLISH

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Gameplay for the students (4x)

GAMEPLAY GAMEPLAY
1. deck 1. deck
Ace – 1. person singular Ace – 1. person singular
2 – 2. person singular 2 – 2. person singular
3 – 3. person singular 3 – 3. person singular
4 – 1. person plural 4 – 1. person plural
5 – 2. person plural 5 – 2. person plural
6 – 3. person plural 6 – 3. person plural
BLACK – positive sentence BLACK – positive sentence
RED –negative sentence RED –negative sentence
2. deck 2. deck
BLACK Jack, Queen, King – Past Simple BLACK Jack, Queen, King – Past Simple
RED Jack, Queen, King – Past Continuous RED Jack, Queen, King – Past Continuous
3. deck 3. deck
the number of the words the number of the words
For example: For example:
1. deck – 3 1. deck – 3
2. deck – RED Jack 2. deck – RED Jack
3. deck – 10 3. deck – 10
She was hoovering the carpet in her bedroom She was hoovering the carpet in her bedroom
and listening to music. (12 words) and listening to music. (12 words)
GAMEPLAY GAMEPLAY
1. deck 1. deck
Ace – 1. person singular Ace – 1. person singular
2 – 2. person singular 2 – 2. person singular
3 – 3. person singular 3 – 3. person singular
4 – 1. person plural 4 – 1. person plural
5 – 2. person plural 5 – 2. person plural
6 – 3. person plural 6 – 3. person plural
BLACK – positive sentence BLACK – positive sentence
RED – negative sentence RED – negative sentence
2. deck 2. deck
BLACK Jack, Queen, King – Past Simple BLACK Jack, Queen, King – Past Simple
RED Jack, Queen, King – Past Continuous RED Jack, Queen, King – Past Continuous
3. deck 3. deck
the number of the words the number of the words
For example: For example:
1. deck – 3 1. deck – 3
2. deck – RED Jack 2. deck – RED Jack
3. deck – 10 3. deck – 10
She was hoovering the carpet in her bedroom She was hoovering the carpet in her bedroom
and listening to music. (12 words) and listening to music. (12 words)

MGR. TÍMEA KOLBEROVÁ, PHD. – PEIRA.ENGLISH

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to brush sb's teeth
Hint: Please note that some of the verbs might be state verbs!
to brush/comb sb's hair

to cook a delicious meal

to do housework

to do sb's homework

to do the dishes

to draw a picture

to eat dinner

to get dressed

to get up

to have lunch

to have/take a shower

to hoover

to listen to music

to make breakfast

to paint a painting

to play computer games

to play football/volleyball/tennis

to play the piano/the violin/the drums

to put a pair of shoes on

to put a T-shirt on

to read an interesting book

to wake up

to wash sb's face

to wash sb's hands

to watch TV

to water the flowers

MGR. TÍMEA KOLBEROVÁ, PHD. – PEIRA.ENGLISH

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