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1A cold wind was blowing and large dark clouds were moving across the sky. 2A hundred metres from the cliffs, the boat was rising and falling with the waves. 3Harry took off his jacket and his jeans and put them into the water and began to swim. 4Then he climbed down into the water and began to swin. 5As he was getting near the boat, he heard a shout. 6He held his breath and dived under the waves.
1. Read a short extract from a story. Where is Harry at the start of the paragraph? Where is he at the end?
| LEARN THIS! Contrast: past simple and past continuous a. We use the past simple for a sequence of events in the past. The events happened one after another. We had lunch. Then we put on our coats and left. b. We use the past continuous to describe a scene in the past. The events were in progress at the same time. It was raining. People were wearing raincoats and carrying umbrellas. c. We use the past simple and the past continuous together for a single event that interrupted a longer event in the past. As I was getting dressed (longer event), my friend phoned (interruption). |
2. Read the Learn this! box. Match sentences 1–6 from the extract in exercise 1 with rules a–c.
1. ___ 2. ___ 3. ___ 4. ___ 5. ___ 6. ___
3. Complete the sentences. Use the past continuous or past simple form of the verbs in brackets.
a. While he _____ (listen) to their argument, the boat's engines _____ (start).
b. Someone _____ (fall) into the water. Harry _____ (realise) who it was and _____ (jump) in too.
c. Still underwater, he _____ (swim) close to the boat then _____ (come) up silently. Three people _____ (argue) loudly.
d. The boat _____ (begin) to move away. As he _____ (decide) what to do he _____ (hear) a scream.
4. ☊1.23 Put the sentences from exercise 3 in the correct order to continue the story. Then listen and check.
| ⇒ Grammar Builder 2D Contrast: past simple and past continuous: page 110 |
LOOK OUT!When a single event interrupts a longer event, we can use either while / as with the past continuous, or when with the past simple. While/ As I was walking along the beach, I found a gold coin. I was walking along the beach when I found a gold coin. |
5. Choose an interruption from box B for each activity in box A. Then write five sentences using the past simple and past continuous. Use while/ as or when.
As they were fighting, Harry heard a helicopter.
A. Activities
fight climb back onto the boat help hide
put on dry clothes swim to the shore talk
B. Interruptions
call for help see a shark find a case of money
hear gunshots hear / see a helicopter
6. SPEAKING Work in pairs. What do you think happened next in Harry's story? Discuss your ideas and make notes. Use the questions below and your sentences from exercise 5 to help you.
1. Did Harry know the person who fell into the water?
2. Did they fight or help each other?
3. What happened to the boat?
4. Did Harry return to the shore or get on the boat?
5. What happened next?
7. ☊1.24 Listen to the end of the story. Compare it with your ideas from exercise 6. How is it different?
In my ending …, but in the actual story …
