D-09.03 Formulate Sentences & Clauses of Past-Activity with Simple vs. Continuous + Habitual Past Forms & Patterns

Parts Three & Four of Chapter 3 (“Dealing with Problems”) of WorkLife English Grammar 4: Cross-Cultural Communication, pages 52-57

6 pages

Who It’s For: (Self) Teachers & Helpers at Intermediate & Higher Learning Levels      

Why It’s Useful: Just as there’s more than one way to “express the Future,” English speakers can “talk about the Past” by various means.  The “Past Continuous / Progressive” (was / were + Verbing) emphasizes the continuation of past activity rather than its completion.  Phrasing with use(d) to or would + Verb suggests repeated past activity or habitual past action that is no longer occurring.  Here are brief lessons that cover these.    

What You’ll Do: 

[1] On page 52, go over Part Three: the Past Continuous: Statements. Do Exercise A.  Review Questions on page 53.  To complete the section on “Taking Care of Oneself & Others in Earthquakes & Blackouts,” do Exercises B & C.  Pay attention to the use of different tense forms in the clauses of compound / complex sentences with conjunctions or other sentence-combining devices.   

[2] On page 56, get into Part Four: Used to / Would in Affirmative & Negative Statements & Questions.  Practice those constructions in Exercises A & B—in the context of “Taking Care of Oneself & Others in Hurricanes & Fires.”  To practice contrasting patterns associated with past events or action, use Activity *C on page 57: exchange information and ideas from your past experience in dealing with (natural) disasters.