At Eight O’Clock Yesterday
I can describe different activities happening at the same past time.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Choose a short recording.
Your situation
At eight yesterday, a family was getting ready for guests. Mara was cooking. Leo was moving chairs. Their friends were driving to the house. The doorbell rang at eight fifteen, but at eight the preparations were still in progress.
Read the situation transcript
At eight yesterday, a family was getting ready for guests. Mara was cooking. Leo was moving chairs. Their friends were driving to the house. The doorbell rang at eight fifteen, but at eight the preparations were still in progress.
Were the friends already at the house at eight?
Compare your idea
No. They were driving to the house at that time.
How it works
Use the past continuous to describe what was in progress at a chosen past moment. Several people can be doing different things at the same time.
Use while to put two ongoing activities together: While Mara was cooking, Leo was moving chairs. Do not assume that the shared time tells you exactly when each activity started.
At eight, subject + was/were + verb-ing. While + ongoing activity, another ongoing activity.
Reference situation
Mara was cooking at eight.
Her activity was in progress then.
Contrasting viewpoint
Leo was moving chairs.
His activity was happening at the same time.
Hear the examples
Mara was cooking at eight.
Her activity was in progress then.
Leo was moving chairs.
His activity was happening at the same time.
Their friends were driving.
The plural subject takes were.
While Mara was cooking, Leo was helping.
While links overlapping activities.
One mistake worth avoiding
Instead of: While she was cook, he was cleaning.
Say: While she was cooking, he was cleaning.
Both ongoing activities need an -ing form after was.
You say
Hear the prompt, answer aloud, then deliberately reveal or hear one possible model. Check it and retry with a changed detail.
Your turn 1
Choose a past time and describe your activity.
Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text
At seven yesterday, I was reading.
Check yourself: Use a clear past viewpoint.
Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.
Your turn 2
Add another person’s simultaneous activity.
Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text
My sister was cooking while I was reading.
Check yourself: Both activities overlap in the account.
Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.
Your turn 3
Ask what a group was doing then.
Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text
What were your friends doing at seven?
Check yourself: Use were before the plural subject.
Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.
Two guided self-checks
Say or write your answer before opening a model.
Self-check 1
Combine with while: I was cooking. Jo was setting the table.
Compare a model and explanation
While I was cooking, Jo was setting the table.
Both actions were in progress together.
Self-check 2
Make a question: They were driving at eight.
Compare a model and explanation
Were they driving at eight?
Move were before they.
Check your understanding
Choose one answer to each question, then check your answers. One of the ten questions is listening.
Automatic scoring needs JavaScript. Use the answer key after attempting all ten questions.
Answer key with explanations
-
At eight, Mara ___ cooking.
was: Mara is one person and takes was.
-
Her friends ___ driving to the house.
were: Friends is plural, so use were.
-
While Leo was ___ chairs, Mara was cooking.
moving: Use the -ing form after was.
-
Were the friends at the house at eight in the opener?
No, they were travelling there.: The ongoing journey places them on the way.
-
Choose a correct question.
What were they doing at eight?: Use were with they and the -ing form doing.
-
Correct “We was preparing dinner.”
We were preparing dinner.: We takes were plus preparing.
-
What does while connect in these examples?
Activities that overlap in time: Both activities are presented as in progress together.
-
What was Ben doing while the speaker cooked?
Setting the table: The audio names setting the table as Ben’s simultaneous activity.
-
Choose the sentence that describes the middle of an activity.
At eight, she was making soup.: Was making shows progress at the viewpoint, not a start or finish.
-
Can two past-continuous activities overlap?
Yes: Different people can be doing different things at the same time.
Take it with you
I can describe different activities happening at the same past time.