TESOL Lesson Plan

Name: Yuanhui (Kim), Gao

Course: Grammar A
Instructor: John Moran
Date: Nov 17th, 2014/ Fall Quarter
CONTEXT
Subject: Grammar (Past progressive in simple sentences)
Target Audience: IEP Students, 300 level
Class size: 8 students
Class hour: 50 minutes
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this class, students will be able to know the form
and the use of past progressive in simple sentences.
At the end of this class, students will be able to know how to use
past progressive in yes/no questions and how to answer yes/no
questions.
At the end of this class, students will be able to tell the
differences between simple past and past progressive.

SOURCES

Dialogue comes from ESLIdeas website:

http://www.eslideas.com/gr-past-progressive-continuous.html
Modified by Yuanhui Gao.
CherylPavlik, & SusanBlandKesner. (March 24, 2005). Grammar
Sense 2: Student Book with Wizard CD-ROM. Oxford University
Press.
SandraElbaumN. (May 3, 2005). Grammar in Context 2. Heinle
ELT; 4 edition.
SandraElbaumN. (September 8, 2000). Grammar in Context 2.
Heinle&Heinle Pub; 3 edition.

MATERIALS
Handout (article, tables, and exercises)
PROCEDURES

1. Present the pattern in context (8 minutes)

T gives the handout of dialogue (Kenneth, 2014) to the Ss, and then
T asks Ss to read the passage. T asks one Ss to read one paragraph.
"A Noise Next Door"
Amy: What were you doing at 9:00 last night?
Chuck: Why do you ask?
Amy: I heard a noise coming from your apartment. Something
was moving...something was bouncing...were you playing basketball
in your bedroom?
Chuck: Not me. I was watching TV, as usual. I was reading, eating
popcorn and watching the Shopping Channel.
Amy: Then who was making a noise?
Chuck: Maybe it was John, your next-door neighbor on the other
side. He has a basketball game on Saturday. Maybe he was
practicing for it at that time.
Amy: I was going crazy. I was studying for a big test and the noise
was really disturbing me.
Chuck: I understand. Next time you should shout out loud, "Hey,
stop that noise!" and maybe the noise will stop.
Amy: Good idea. Well, I was feeling angry, but now I am happy
again. Thanks for the advice.
Chuck: You're welcome. Good luck for your test, by the way.
Amy: Thanks.

2. Comprehension check (4 minutes)

T asks Ss to give some information about this article, and then T
asks these questions:
What is this dialogue about?
What is the relationship between these two speakers?
What is Chucks suggestion for this problem?
3. Identify the pattern (2 minutes)
T asks, After we read this passage, can you tell me the time of this
passage? Does it happen in present or past?
Ss say, It happened in past.
T says, Good! Now lets read the first sentence of this dialogue, it
said what were you doing at 9:00 last night. Can you find the verb of
this sentence?
Ss may answer were or were doing.
T says, Ok. Good. Now can you find other verbs look like were
doing? I give you one minute to find the others.

After one minute, T says, Now, can you tell me the other verbs?
T writes all the verbs down on the board.
4. Formal explanation (6 minutes)
T says, Ok. Is there anyone who already ate dinner? Please raise
your hands.
One or two Ss may raise their hands.
T asks, When did you start your dinner and when did you finish?
Ss will give two times. T draws a line and writes down these two
times on the timeline on the board. Then T select a point between
these two times, and asks, What did you do in this time?
Ss will answer, I was eating my dinner.
Then T says, Good. And what time is it now?
Ss will give the time.
Then T asks, Ok, and when did our class begin?
Ss will answer, 5:30.
T asks, Ok. What did we do at 6 oclock?
Ss answer, We were studying.
Then T asks, Now can anyone find the similarity of these verbs?
Can you find the verb form of these verbs?
Ss may be able to say, Be+ doing or was/ were+ doing.
T asks, Great! We call this form was/ were + doing is past
progressive. Today we are going to learn past progressive in simple
sentences.
Then T gives the handouts.
T reads the table to the Ss and explains the table to the Ss.

Then T asks, If I want to ask you the verb of this sentence, how can
I ask? T underlines the verb form of the first sentence was
making.
Ss will answer, What were you doing at 6 oclock?
T then asks, Good! If I want to ask her this question, how can I
ask?
Ss will answer, What was she doing 6 oclock?
T says, Great! And then if I want to ask them this question, how can
I ask?
Ss will answer, What were they doing 6 oclock?
T says, Good! So if we want to ask the event of that time, we need
to use Wh-words+ were/was + S +do-ing+ time? T writes this form
down on the board.

5. Mechanical exercise (3 minutes)

T gives the handouts to the Ss, and asks Ss to finish the exercise 1.
T does the first one as a model and then gives Ss 3 minutes to finish
the rest of them. After Ss finished, T asks them to check their
answers with their partners.
6. Functional explanation (5 minutes)
T says, Now, we know the form of past progressive, but when do
we usually use past progressive. Lets compare past progressive
with simple past tense.
T asks, When is it now?
Ss answer. T writes down the time.
T asks, What were you doing at the same time yesterday?
Ss answer. T writes down on the board.
T says, ok, at that time, I was teaching. So we can say, at___ (time),
I was (waits for Ss give the answer), and you were (wait for Ss
give the answer). So at this situation, we often use past progressive
when we talk about several activities that were in progress at the
same time. T writes the sentence down on the board.
T says, lets talk about another example, what were you doing at 9
oclock in the morning? T asks one S to answer this question.
T asks, Ok, and what were you doing at 9 oclock in the morning?
T asks another S to answer this question.
T then says, How to combine this two sentence together?
Ss answer.
Then, T says, Ok, lets review some points about simple past. What
did you do last night?
Ss answer. T writes down on the board.
T says, Good, can I say I was eating my dinner last night?
Ss answer, No.
T says, Ok. But why?
Ss may be able to answer.
T says, The simple past usually expresses a complete past activity,
but the past progressive usually expresses a past activity that may
or may not be completed. So in this sentence, the event is
completed finished. So we use simple past in this sentence.
T writes two sentences on the board.
- I had a car.
- I was having a car.
T asks, Which sentence is correct?
Ss answer, The first one.
T says, Good, why?

Ss answer.
T says, Have is a stative verb, so we cannot use it as progressive
verb. We need to remember progressive verbs always have
duration. Progressive verbs always have actions.
Then T gives the handouts (CherylPavlik & SusanBlandKesner, March
24, 2005, p76) to Ss, and compares the simple past and past
progressive.
T asks Ss to look the handout, and T reads the information and
examples in the handouts.

7. Meaningful exercise (7 minutes)

T gives the handouts of the exercise A (CherylPavlik &
SusanBlandKesner, March 24, 2005, p78, edited by KimGao) to Ss. T
reads the first two sentences and fills the first blank as an example
to the whole class. Then T gives three minutes to finish the exercise.
After three minutes, T asks Ss to check their answers with their
partners and discuss the answers.
After discussion, T checks the answers with Ss together.
8. Communicative exercise (15 minutes)
T gives the handouts of the exercise B to Ss, T asks Ss to work with
their partners. Then after their peer-work, T asks some groups to
share their answers.

Past Progressive: Yuanhui(Kim) Gao

Article
"A Noise Next Door"
A: What were you doing last night?
B: Why do you ask?
A: I heard a noise coming from your apartment. Something was
moving...something was bouncing...were you playing basketball in
your bedroom?
B: Not me. I was watching TV, as usual. I was reading, eating
popcorn and watching the Shopping Channel.
A: Then who was making a noise?
B: Maybe it was John, your next-door neighbor on the other side.
He has a basketball game on Saturday. Maybe he was practicing
for it.
A: I was going crazy. I was studying for a big test and the noise
was really disturbing me.
B: I understand. Next time you should shout out loud, "Hey, stop
that noise!" and maybe the noise will stop.
A: Good idea. Well, I was feeling angry, but now I am happy again.
Thanks for the advice.
B: You're welcome. Good luck for your test, by the way.
A: Thanks.

Exercise 1. In your notebook, form information questions

from these words and phrases. Punctuate your sentences
correctly.
1. I/ watching/ was/ 7 oclock/ at/ afternoon/ yesterday/ TV

2. your/ parents/ were/ what/ doing / last night/ 6 oclock/ at

3. who/ the/ attending/ meeting/ were/ this morning

4. was/ what/ Mr. Gonzalez/ last semester/ teaching

5. you/ living/ five years ago/ were/ where

Handout#2

(CherylPavlik & SusanBlandKesner, March 24, 2005, p76)

Exercise
A. Complete these conversations with the correct form of
the verbs. Use the past continuous or the simple past.
(CherylPavlik & SusanBlandKesner, March 24, 2005, p78, edited by
KimGao)
Conversation 1
Chris: Where were you during the summer of 1997?
Matt: I was traveling (travel) around the United States.
Chris: How? By plane?
Matt: No, by car. I _____________________ (own) a car then.
Conversation 2

Paul: ________________ you ________________ (know) Takeshi before

this year?
Eric: Not very well. I __________________ (arrive) at school in the
middle of the year. Takeshi ___________________ (take) several
courses at that time, but we __________________ (not/ be) in the same
classes.
Conversation 3
Josh: You ____________________ (miss) the turn! Now were on the
wrong road.
Amy: Oops. Im sorry. I __________________ (not/pay) attention. I
________________ (think) about something else.
Conversation 4
Celia: I __________________ (see) Susan at the library yesterday.
Maria:
_________________ she ____________________ (look) for
information for her English project?
Celia: Yes, _________________. (be)

B.
ABOUT YOU. Ask a question with What were you
doing at these specific times. Another student will
answer.
Example: at 6 oclock this morning
A: What were you doing at 6 oclock this morning?
B: I was sleeping.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

at 10 oclock last night

at 4 oclock this morning
at 5 oclock yesterday afternoon
at this time yesterday
at this time last year
two hour ago
ten minutes ago
at 6 oclock yesterday evening

Answer key for exercise

Exercise 1. In your notebook, form information questions
from these words and phrases. Punctuate your sentences
correctly.
1. I/ watching/ was/ 7 oclock/ at/ afternoon/ yesterday/ TV
I was watching TV at 7 oclock yesterday afternoon.
2. your/ parents/ were/ what/ doing / last night/ 6 oclock/ at
What were your parents doing at 6 oclock last night?
3. who/ the/ attending/ meeting/ were/ this morning
Who were attending the meeting this morning?
4. was/ what/ Mr. Gonzalez/ last semester/ teaching
What was Mr. Gonzalez teaching last semester?
5. you/ living/ five years ago/ were/ where
Where were you living five years ago?
A. Complete these conversations with the correct form of
the verbs. Use the past continuous or the simple past.
(CherylPavlik & SusanBlandKesner, March 24, 2005, p78, edited by
KimGao)
Conversation 1

Chris: Where were you during the summer of 1997?

Matt: I was traveling (travel) around the United States.
Chris: How? By plane?
Matt: No, by car. I owned (own) a car then.
Conversation 2
Paul: Did you know (know) Takeshi before this year?
Eric: Not very well. I arrived (arrive) at school in the middle of the
year. Takeshi was taking (take) several courses at that time, but we
were not (not/ be) in the same classes.
Conversation 3
Josh: You missed (miss) the turn! Now were on the wrong road.
Amy: Oops. Im sorry. I
didnt pay (not/pay) attention. I was
thinking (think) about something else.
Conversation 4
Celia: I saw (see) Susan at the library yesterday.
Maria:
Was she looking (look) for information for her English
project?
Celia: Yes, she was . (be)