7A. Past Continuous Tense

• Use the Past Continuous to describe an action in progress at a particular time in the past. Use the Past Simple for a completed action in the past.

At that time I was living in Toronto.

I was living in Toronto when I met her. We got married two years later in the States.

• Use the Past Continuous to describe the situation at the beginning of a story.

She was sitting at her computer reading her emails. Suddenly she got a message from…

• Use when and while to link the action in progress with the completed action.

I was finishing my report when my computer crashed.

My computer crashed while I was finishing my report.

• Forms of Past Continuous

(+)	I / she / he / it was working.	We / you / they were working.
(−)	I / she / he / it wasn’t working.	We / you / they weren’t working.
(?)	Was I / she / he / it working?	Were we / you / they working?
	(How) was I / she / he / it working?	(Where) were we / you / they working?

7B. Present Continuous and be going to v1

• Use the Present Continuous to speak about the future arrangements (for plans we have made at a fixed time or place in the future).

I’m seeing my friends tonight.

They are leaving on Monday.

Is she coming to the party?

• Use be going to V₁ to talk about plans and intentions.

Are you going to go to university next year?

I’m going to find a job for the summer.

• Use be going to V₁ to make predictions about the future based on what we see or what we know.

The winter is going to be cold this year.

We’re going to do bungee jumping tomorrow. It’s going to be really exciting!

• Present Continuous or be going to? Very often we use either with no difference in meaning.

He’s meeting me at the airport. / He‘s going to meet me at the airport.

Compare:

They are moving to Moscow (a plan, they know when). They are going to move to Moscow (an intention, but they don’t know when).

• Forms of be going to V₁

(+)	I am going to be there. He / She / It is going to be there. We / You / They are going to be there.	(?)	Am I going to be there? Is he / she / it going to be there? Are we / you / they going to be there? (When) am I going to be there? (When) is he / she / it going to be there? (When) are we / you / they going to be there?
(−)	I’m not going to be there. He / She / It isn’t going to be there. We / You / They aren’t going to be there.

Tapescripts

7.2 stay in a hotel/stay with friends; take photos; buy souvenirs; sunbathe on the beach; have a good time; spend money/time; rent an apartment; hire a bicycle/skis; book flights/hotels online

7.3 What was the weather like? What was the hotel like? What was the town like? What were the people like? What was the food like?

7.8 Last September my boyfriend and I went on holiday to Thailand. It was a disaster. The flight arrived in Bangkok nine hours late. There we were at eleven o’clock at night, and we didn’t have anywhere to stay and we didn’t know how to get into the city centre. So, we stayed at the airport hotel, which was very comfortable but really expensive.

The next day, we wanted to take a train south to the islands. But we couldn’t because we couldn’t book any seats. The trains were full. So, in the end, we went by bus and by boat. It was cheaper but it took a lot longer. And when we got to the island we wanted to get to, we couldn’t believe it! Where was the sun? it was raining really heavily. And the weather was windy and wet for days. It was awful. We went to restaurants and we went shopping, but we didn’t spend any time on the beach. We couldn’t sunbathe or go swimming, so we just argued for a week…

7.10

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Hi there. How are you? Did you have a good weekend? No, not really. Why not? What was the problem? Well, I went out with my friends on Saturday night and something terrible happened. What? We were in the city centre. We went to that new pizza place, Gino’s. We had a great time, but when we were leaving a boy and a girl suddenly came up to me and asked me the time. I told them and then we

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left. A few minutes later, when we were going home on the bus, I wanted to call my parents. I looked for my mobile everywhere, but I couldn’t find it. So what did you do next? We went back to look for it, but it wasn’t there. I think the boy and girl stole it when they were asking me the time. Oh no! So what happened in the end? After that, I called the phone company to block the number. But now I haven’t got a mobile phone! That’s awful!

7.15 1.When I was 14, I went to Italy with my class at school. It was in winter, and we went skiing. We also went sightseeing in Trento. In this photo, we’re standing in the centre of the town. We were all holding hands and smiling. 2. And in this one I was 15. My parents took my sisters and me on holiday to Spain. We went by plane and then we hired a car and drove to the village where we were staying. It was a fantastic holiday. We went swimming in the sea every day and the weather was perfect. 3. This is a photo of me in Australia when I was 24. I was working in a café in Sydney at that time. And I was living with two English girls in a flat. We spent all our free time at the beach, surfing and swimming, and had a wonderful time. 4. And look at this photo ... my brother’s laughing. He was happy because he was going abroad to work. And I was crying because he was leaving. I was 25 then. 5. This was last summer, when I was 28. I went shopping in Paris with my best friend. We stayed at a luxurious hotel, ate delicious food at expensive restaurants, and didn’t want to come home!

7.20

A B A B A B	So, what are you up to for this holiday, Jack? We’re going backpacking. Look, this is where we’re staying for the first week. Mmm. Isn’t that rather expensive, Jack? No, it’s actually really cheap, much cheaper than a hotel. But I hope it’s not too crowded. Sometimes there are twenty people sleeping in one room! I’m glad I’ve got a really comfortable sleeping bag. What about food? This place hasn’t got a restaurant, has it? No, but that’s OK. We’re going to spend most of the time sightseeing anyway. You know, visiting museums, that kind of thing. We can just buy bread and fresh vegetables from the markets every day.
A B A B A B	Sam, do you know where you’re staying yet? Yes. It’s a wonderful place, very romantic. Oh really? Yes, the views are fantastic! You can see the sea from every window! And there’s a wonderful bar and two restaurants. We’ve got a double room for six nights, luxury breakfast included in the price. But it’s very expensive! Well… yes, it is. Very…
A B A B A B	So, you’re off on holiday, Bill? Where are you going this time? Scotland, again. I’m going hiking in the mountains. Are you taking your tent again? No, not this time. I’m staying in bothies. Bothies? What’s that? It’s a Scottish word. A bothy is a small wooden hut in the mountains… like a shelter, you know. They’re very basic, just a place to put your sleeping bag really, but I’m looking forward to it. Peace and quite – just me and a few sheep!

7.21

Pam Tom Pam Tom Pam Tom Pam Tom Pam

Hi, Tom! How are things? Hi, Pam, we’re really busy. We’re just packing our suitcases. We 1are leaving for the airport in a few minutes. Where 2are you going? We 3are going to Poland for a week. We 4are flying to Krakow at midday. 5Are you staying in Krakow all week? No, we 6are staying there for three nights. We’ve got a reservation in a guest house in the city centre. What 7are you going to do there? Well, we 8are going to go sightseeing) and I 9am going to take lots of photos. Then if the weather is good, we 10are going to go hiking) in the Tatra Mountains for a few days. Lucky you! I’m not sure where to go on holiday this year. I 11am going to pop into the travel agent’s on my way home.

7.25 – I’m flying to the States on Saturday with my parents. First, we’re going to spend three days in New York. I really want to see the Ellis Island Museum and, of course, the Statue of Liberty. We’re staying in a hotel near Central park. It’s quite expensive, I think, but everyone tells me the park is great in the summer. There’s always a lot going on, like free concerts and things… Then we’re spending a few days in Washington at my uncle’s house. I’m really looking forward to it.

7.27.1

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Where are you travelling from today? From London. What’s the purpose of your visit? Business, I’m afraid. I have a meeting tomorrow. Do you have anything to declare? No, nothing to declare.

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Where are you going to stay? At the Orlando Hotel. How long are you going to stay in the country? Just three days. I go Beijing on Monday. OK, that’s all. Thank you very much. enjoy your stay in LA Thanks a lot.

Notice that the non-native speaker says ‘I go Beijing on Monday.’ This is a mistake. A native speaker would say ‘I’m going to Beijing on Monday.’