Lesson Goals
Past Simple Past Continuous Past Perfect StorytellingBy the end of the lesson, you will be able to:
- tell a work-related story with clear time structure;
- use Past Simple for main events;
- use Past Continuous for background actions and interrupted situations;
- use Past Perfect to explain what happened before another past event.
1. Quick Grammar Map (5 minutes)
| Tense | Function in a story | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Past Simple | Main completed events in order | I joined the meeting, presented the idea and answered questions. |
| Past Continuous | Background / situation in progress | We were discussing the budget when the client changed the deadline. |
| Past Perfect | Something that happened before another past moment | We had prepared three options before the meeting started. |
Story formula
Background → Earlier event → Main event → Result
Example: We were working on a new proposal. We had already spoken to the client twice, so we understood their expectations. Then they suddenly changed the budget, and we had to redesign the whole offer.
2. Warm-up: Finish the Story (5 minutes, speaking)
Continue each sentence with 2–3 more sentences. Use at least two narrative tenses.
1. I was preparing for an important meeting when...
2. By the time we understood the real problem,...
3. The team had already made a decision before...
4. While we were discussing the project,...
Useful connectors
at that momentby that timebefore thatmeanwhilesuddenlyas a resultin the end
3. Mini Gap Fill: Choose the Correct Tense (5 minutes)
Complete the story with the correct form of the verb.
- When I __________ (arrive) at the office, the team __________ already __________ (start) the call.
- Everyone __________ (discuss) the new strategy when the CEO __________ (ask) a difficult question.
- We __________ (not / expect) the client to reject the offer because we __________ (agree) on the main points earlier.
- While I __________ (explain) the numbers, I __________ (realize) that we __________ (miss) one important detail.
Answer Key
- arrived / had already started
- was discussing / asked
- didn’t expect / had agreed
- was explaining / realized / had missed
4. Story Cards: Speak for 60 Seconds (8 minutes, speaking)
Click a card and tell a short story. Use Past Simple, Past Continuous and Past Perfect.
Click “New story card”.
Required structure
At that time, I was...Before that, I had...Then...While I was...By the time...In the end,...
5. Interruptions & Background (6 minutes, speaking)
Create one sentence for each situation using Past Continuous + Past Simple.
| Background action | Interruption / main event |
|---|---|
| discuss the budget | the client changed the deadline |
| prepare the report | the manager called |
| explain the proposal | someone noticed a mistake |
| work on the final version | the system stopped working |
| talk to a colleague | a new request came in |
Example: We were discussing the budget when the client changed the deadline.
6. Before That... (6 minutes, speaking)
Complete each sentence with a logical Past Perfect idea. Then add one more sentence about the result.
1. The meeting went smoothly because we had...
2. The client was unhappy because we hadn’t...
3. I felt confident because I had...
4. The team had to change the plan because nobody had...
Useful verbs
prepareclarifycheckconfirmnoticeagreediscussanalyze
7. Final Speaking Task: The Turning Point (8–10 minutes, speaking)
Tell a 2-minute story about a turning point in a project, job, team, business situation or personal decision.
Your story must include:
- Past Continuous: what was happening in the background;
- Past Perfect: what had happened before the main event;
- Past Simple: the main events and result;
- at least 4 time connectors.
Planning frame
| Part | Useful beginning |
|---|---|
| Background | At that time, I was... |
| Earlier events | Before that, we had... |
| Main event | Then something happened: ... |
| Reaction | While we were..., we decided to... |
| Result | In the end, ... |
Homework
Record a 2-minute story using this title:
“A situation that looked bad at first but ended well.”
Use Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect and at least 5 time connectors.