Casa ESL · A2 Elementary · Unit 16 of 20 · Step 2
Narratives & Events
Name
Date
Vocabulary
suddenly
adverbHappening quickly and unexpectedly.
"I was walking home when suddenly it started to rain."
interrupt
verbTo stop what someone is doing by breaking in.
"She was speaking when he interrupted her mid-sentence."
scene
nounThe place where something happens; a part of a story.
"It was a chaotic scene — people were running everywhere."
background
nounThe situation or events that form the context of a story.
"While everyone was eating, the electricity cut out."
meanwhile
adverbAt the same time as something else.
"He was cooking dinner. Meanwhile, she was setting the table."
witness
verbTo see an event happen.
"I witnessed the whole accident from my window."
chaos
nounA state of complete confusion and disorder.
"The kitchen was chaos — three things were burning at once."
narrow
adjectiveAlmost not succeeding; close to a bad result.
"It was a narrow escape — the tree fell seconds after we passed."
Grammar Focus
Past continuous — background actions in a story
Use was/were + -ing for longer actions in progress when something else happened. Use simple past (interrupted action) with when, and past continuous (background action) with while.
I was walking to the station when I saw an old friend.
While she was cooking, the smoke alarm went off.
They were sitting in the garden when the storm started.
He was not paying attention when the announcement was made.
Exercises
Exercise 1
Complete each sentence using the past continuous or simple past of the verb in brackets.
1. While I (read), someone (knock) on the door.
2. She (drive) to the airport when her tyre (go) flat.
3. They (have) dinner when the power (cut) out.
4. I (not look) at the road when I (trip).
5. What you (do) when the earthquake (start)?
Exercise 2
Choose the correct form.
1. She ___ when I called — I had to leave a message.
2. While we ___ in the queue, someone stole his wallet.
3. He ___ his keys just as he ___ to leave.
Reading
The Storm
Last August, I was sitting on the beach with a book when the sky suddenly turned dark. While other tourists were still swimming, I noticed the wind picking up dramatically. I was walking back to the hotel when the rain started — first a drizzle, then a downpour. People were running in every direction. A waiter was carrying a tray of drinks when a gust of wind knocked everything to the ground. I made it inside just before lightning struck a palm tree nearby. I was shaking for twenty minutes afterwards but it was quite a story to tell.
1. What was the writer doing when the sky turned dark?
2. What happened to the waiter during the storm?
Speaking
Discuss these questions with a partner or your teacher.
Writing
Write a short story (5–7 sentences) about a surprising or funny moment. Use past continuous at least three times.
Example: Last winter I was walking home from the office when I slipped on some ice. While I was trying to stand up, a cyclist was coming straight towards me and had to swerve. A woman who was watching from a café window came outside to help. I was not hurt, thankfully, but I was very embarrassed. She bought me a coffee and we laughed about it for an hour.
Answer Key — For Teacher Use
Exercise 1
1. was reading / knocked · 2. was driving / went · 3. were having / cut · 4. wasn't looking / tripped · 5. were / doing / started
Exercise 2
1. was sleeping · 2. were standing · 3. lost / was trying
Reading Comprehension
1. The writer was sitting on the beach reading a book. · 2. A gust of wind knocked his tray of drinks to the ground.