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Activities: “How to use the past continuous in English?”

By: revel arroway

Activity 1: UFO sighting in Scoopville!

Read the article below, and identify all of the verbs that are in the past continuous.

The title of a newspaper, presented in the type of font you'd see at the top of the New York Times. The title of the newspaper is "The Daily Scoop" and it has a subheading "Your town, your people, your NEWS!" It is dated "November 21, 2043" and the publication location is "Scoopville, USA"

Neighbors in Scoopville a quiet evening last night, when they a strange sound outside of their houses. It around 8pm, just when most of our neighbors the evening news or the kids into their pajamas.* “I what to think,” Mrs Margaret Crawthorn us this morning. “I in the living room, to the radio, when I something outside that the front window .”* The Spicewaters a normal evening at home when they the sound. “It n’t an explosion,” Paul Spicewater . “It like a low, long, deep horn.” His wife, Sharon, added, “We News 5, you know, the kids cards in the kitchen, and it like a big, fat cow , a really long moooooooo! We all to the front porch. The UFO in the sky, and my son, Bobby, a picture of it!” Everyone in town that cow-like sound, but some actually where it came from. Jess McQue, who the car repair shop on Main Street, the best view. “I the shop when the garage door to vibrate. I around when something in the sky. Just as I up, I a huge flying saucer. The sound from that UFO!” Sheriff Greg Brandon a statement. He everyone in Scoopville to calm. “We the UFO into the countryside when it just . I it back. Everyone frightened last night when it flew over, but now I the danger past.” Strangely, no one a photo of the UFO or the sound because while it over Scoopville, all electronic devices, like telephones or televisions, working. After it gone, everything back to normal.

A child's drawing of a cow with wings saying "Moo." It is signed "Bobby S." in childish handwriting.

Bobby’s picture of the UFO

Activity 2: What set the scene for what?

Use the article in Activity 1 to answer the questions below! Match “what was happening” to “what happened.” Base your answer on the news story.
Word BankChoose a word, then choose a blank. You can also drag.
  1. when they noticed the sound.
  2. when they heard a strange sound.
  3. when the garage door started to vibrate.
  4. when something flashed in the sky.
  5. all telephones stopped working.
  6. when it just disappeared.
  7. when it flew over.
  8. he saw a huge flying saucer.
  9. when she heard something outside.
  10. and Bobby drew a picture of it!

Activity 3: What were you doing?

You’ve had an “encounter” with a UFO. You are giving an interview to a television reporter. Can you explain what was happening, or what happened? Think about where you were, what you were doing when each of these events happened to you.
  1. have dinner

    when I heard the loud sound.

  2. look out the window

    when I saw the UFO.

  3. stand on back porch

    when the UFO landed in my backyard.

  4. feel scared

    when the UFO door opened.

  5. run inside

    when the little green man said “hello.”

  6. lock the door

    when the UFO landed in my backyard.

  7. call police

    when the UFO landed in my backyard.