Unit 5 • Tenses

THE PAST CONTINUOUS Thì quá khứ tiếp diễn

Grade-6 entrance exam — gifted & high-quality schools
Chinh phục toàn diện kì thi vào 6 — Tập 1 Ôn thi vào lớp 6 — Trường chuyên & chất lượng cao

📖 Mở sách trang: 11 – 12 Theory & examples · Phần lý thuyết và ví dụ

✏️ Bài tập bổ sung trang: 30 – 34 Exercise 21 – 25 · Bài tập luyện thêm ở nhà

Objectives

By the end of this lesson you can… Học xong bài này, con sẽ làm được…

1. FORMCấu trúc câu

Write the three sentence types — affirmative, negative, question — with was / were + V-ing. Viết đúng 3 dạng câu: khẳng định – phủ định – nghi vấn với was/were + V-ing.

2. WAS or WEREChọn was hay were

Look at the subject and pick the right past form of be every single time. Nhìn chủ ngữ là chọn đúng was/were ngay.

3. USAGECách dùng

Recognise the 3 situations that need the Past Continuous. Nhận ra 3 tình huống phải dùng thì quá khứ tiếp diễn.

4. WHEN vs WHILEPhân biệt when và while

The favourite question of the grade-6 entrance exam. Câu hỏi quen thuộc nhất của đề thi vào 6.

How we learn: one idea per slide — each rule comes with when to use it and how to apply it, then 1 worked example + 2 exercises, and the lesson ends with a game. Cách học: mỗi slide một ý — mỗi quy tắc đều nêu rõ khi nào dùng và các bước áp dụng, sau đó có 1 ví dụ mẫu + 2 bài tập, cuối bài có trò chơi ôn tập.

a. Form

📖 Mở sách trang: 11

Form — ① Affirmative Cấu trúc — câu khẳng định

FormulaCông thức

I / He / She / It + was + V-ing

You / We / They + were + V-ing

When do we use it?Khi nào dùng?

To say what somebody was in the middle of doing at a moment in the past. Kể việc ai đó ĐANG làm gì tại một thời điểm trong quá khứ.

V-ing = verb + ing

How to apply itCác bước áp dụng

1. Look at the subject (nhìn chủ ngữ) 2. Singular → was · plural → were 3. Add -ing to the main verb (thêm đuôi -ing)

E.g. She was planting trees in the garden at 4 p.m. yesterday. Cô ấy đang trồng cây trong vườn lúc 4 giờ chiều hôm qua. — “She” số ít → was + planting.

E.g. Jack and his brother were playing badminton at 9 a.m yesterday. Jack và anh trai đang chơi cầu lông lúc 9 giờ sáng hôm qua. — “A and B” số nhiều → were + playing.

Common mistake: They was playing badminton. → They were playing badminton. Lỗi hay gặp: chủ ngữ số nhiều mà vẫn dùng “was”.

a. Form

📖 Mở sách trang: 11

Form — ② Negative Cấu trúc — câu phủ định

FormulaCông thức

I / He / She / It + wasn't + V-ing

You / We / They + weren't + V-ing

When do we use it?Khi nào dùng?

To say somebody was NOT in the middle of doing something at that past moment. Nói ai đó ĐANG KHÔNG làm việc gì tại thời điểm đó trong quá khứ.

wasn't = was not · weren't = were not

How to apply itCác bước áp dụng

1. Choose was / were by the subject 2. Add not right after it (thêm “not” ngay sau) 3. Keep the verb as V-ing (động từ giữ đuôi -ing)

E.g. He wasn't working when the boss came yesterday. Anh ta đang không làm việc khi ông chủ đến vào ngày hôm qua. — “He” → wasn't + working.

E.g. They weren't having lunch at 12 o'clock yesterday. Họ đang không ăn trưa lúc 12 giờ hôm qua. — “They” → weren't + having.

Common mistake: They wasn't going to school. → They weren't going to school. Luôn kiểm tra chủ ngữ số ít hay số nhiều trước khi viết wasn't / weren't.

a. Form

📖 Mở sách trang: 11

Form — ③ Yes / No question Cấu trúc — câu nghi vấn

FormulaCông thức

Was + I / he / she / it + V-ing ?

Were + we / you / they + V-ing ?

When do we use it?Khi nào dùng?

To ask whether somebody was in the middle of doing something. Hỏi “có đang … không?” về một việc trong quá khứ.

How to apply itCác bước áp dụng

1. Put Was / Were at the front (đưa lên đầu câu) 2. Then the subject (rồi đến chủ ngữ) 3. Then V-ing — never did (không mượn did)

E.g. Was Mary going to the market at 6 p.m. yesterday? Có phải Mary đi chợ vào lúc 6 giờ chiều hôm qua không? — “Mary” số ít → Was.

E.g. Were they taking the exam? Lúc đó họ đang làm bài thi phải không? — “they” số nhiều → Were.

The book's negative question: Exercise 21 (câu 4) writes it in full — Was she not doing her homework? The short form Wasn't she doing…? is also correct. Sách viết dạng đầy đủ “Was … not …?”; dạng rút gọn “Wasn't she doing…?” cũng đúng.

a. Form

📖 Mở sách trang: 30

Form — ④ Wh- question Cấu trúc — câu hỏi có từ để hỏi

FormulaCông thức

Wh- + was / were + S + V-ing ?

When do we use it?Khi nào dùng?

To ask for details — what, why, where — about an action in progress in the past. Hỏi chi tiết (làm gì, tại sao, ở đâu) về việc đang xảy ra trong quá khứ.

what · why · where · who

How to apply itCác bước áp dụng

1. Wh- word first (từ để hỏi đứng đầu) 2. was / were by the subject 3. Subject + V-ing

E.g. What were you doing when his mother came? Bạn đang làm gì khi mẹ cậu ấy đến? — “you” → were (Exercise 21, câu 17).

E.g. Why was she having dinner at 5 p.m.? Tại sao lúc 5 giờ chiều cô ấy lại đang ăn tối? — “she” → was (Exercise 21, câu 1).

Common mistake: Why does she having dinner? → Why was she having dinner? Hành động đang diễn ra trong quá khứ dùng was/were, không mượn does/do (bẫy đáp án B, Ex21 câu 1).

Application practice

Form — the four sentence types Luyện tập ứng dụng: 4 dạng câu

✔ Worked example — let us do it together (Ví dụ mẫu — cùng phân tích)

Mary / go / to the market / at 6 p.m. yesterday? → question form

1. It is a question → was / were goes first 2. Mary = one person → Was (số ít) 3. go → going (thêm -ing) → Was Mary going to the market at 6 p.m. yesterday?

1 Rewrite in the NEGATIVE and the QUESTION form Viết lại câu ở dạng phủ định và nghi vấn

a. She was planting trees in the garden.wasn't planting / Was she planting…?

b. They were having lunch at 12 o'clock.weren't having / Were they having…?

c. Nam was doing his homework at 8 p.m.wasn't doing / Was Nam doing…?

2 Complete with was or were Điền was hoặc were vào chỗ trống

a. Why ______ she having dinner at 5 p.m.?was

b. ______ she not doing her homework?Was

c. What ______ you doing when his mother came?were

d. Jack and his brother ______ playing badminton at 9 a.m yesterday.were

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a. Form

📖 Mở sách trang: 11

WAS or WERE? Chọn was hay were theo chủ ngữ

RuleQuy tắc

I / he / she / it / one person → was

you / we / they / two or more → were

When do we use it?Khi nào dùng?

Before every past continuous sentence — this choice comes first. Trước mọi câu quá khứ tiếp diễn, việc đầu tiên là chọn was hay were.

I → was (not “were”)

How to apply itCác bước áp dụng

1. Find the real subject (tìm đúng chủ ngữ) 2. One person or thing → was 3. Subject with and or a plural noun → were

E.g. At 9 a.m today, Daniel was driving to work. Lúc 9 giờ sáng nay, Daniel đang lái xe đi làm. — “Daniel” một người → was.

E.g. Jack and his brother were playing badminton. Jack và anh trai đang chơi cầu lông. — “A and B” là hai người → were.

Common mistake: Jack and his brother was playing. → Jack and his brother were playing. Bẫy quen thuộc của đề thi: chủ ngữ dài nhưng vẫn phải đếm xem có mấy người.

Application practice

Was or were? Luyện tập ứng dụng: chọn was / were

✔ Worked example — let us do it together (Ví dụ mẫu — cùng phân tích)

At this time last month, they ______ building this park.

1. Subject = they (số nhiều) 2. Plural → were 3. Keep building (giữ đuôi -ing) → At this time last month, they were building this park.

1 Complete with was or were Điền was hoặc were

a. My sister ______ reading a romance story.was

b. We ______ waiting for the bus at 7 a.m. yesterday.were

c. At 9 a.m today, Daniel ______ driving to work.was

d. Jack and his brother ______ playing badminton.were

2 Complete with wasn't or weren't Điền wasn't hoặc weren't

a. He ______ working when the boss came yesterday.wasn't

b. They ______ going to school at that time.weren't

c. Lan and Hoa ______ studying at 8 p.m. last night.weren't

d. It ______ raining when we left home.wasn't

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b. Usage

📖 Mở sách trang: 11

The 3 uses of the Past Continuous 3 cách dùng của thì quá khứ tiếp diễn

① An action in progress at a definite moment in the past Hành động đang xảy ra tại một thời điểm xác định trong quá khứ

② A long action that another short action cut into — when Hành động đang xảy ra thì một hành động khác xen vào — thường có “when”

③ Two actions going on side by side — while Hai hành động cùng xảy ra song song — thường có “while”

👉 One use per slide, then we practise it Mỗi cách dùng học riêng một slide, học xong luyện tập ngay

Road map: uses ② and ③ are the ones the entrance exam asks about most — we will compare when and while on their own slide. Lộ trình: cách dùng ② và ③ hay ra thi nhất, sẽ có slide so sánh when và while riêng.

b. Usage ①

📖 Mở sách trang: 11

Use ① — at a definite moment in the past Cách dùng ① — tại một thời điểm xác định trong quá khứ

FormulaCông thức

S + was / were + V-ing + at + time

When do we use it?Khi nào dùng?

When the sentence names one exact past moment and the action was already going on then. Khi câu nêu rõ một thời điểm trong quá khứ và việc đó đang diễn ra lúc đó.

at 4 p.m. yesterday · at this time last month

How to apply itCác bước áp dụng

1. Find the time phrase (tìm cụm chỉ thời gian) 2. Ask: was it already happening? (việc đó ĐANG diễn ra?) 3. Write was / were + V-ing

E.g. They were having lunch at 12 o'clock yesterday. Bọn họ đang ăn trưa vào lúc 12 giờ ngày hôm qua. — thời điểm “at 12 o'clock yesterday”.

E.g. At this time last month, they were building this park. Vào thời điểm này tháng trước, họ đang xây công viên này. — “at this time last month”.

Common mistake: She planted trees at 4 p.m. yesterday. → She was planting trees at 4 p.m. yesterday. Muốn nói việc ĐANG diễn ra tại thời điểm đó thì phải dùng quá khứ tiếp diễn.

Application practice

Use ① — at a definite past moment Luyện tập ứng dụng: thời điểm xác định

✔ Worked example — let us do it together (Ví dụ mẫu — cùng phân tích)

At this time last month, they (build) ______ this park.

1. “At this time last month” = an exact past moment (thời điểm xác định) 2. Subject they → were 3. build → building → they were building this park

1 Put the verb into the past continuous Chia động từ ở thì quá khứ tiếp diễn

a. At 9 a.m today, Daniel (drive) ______ to work.was driving

b. They (have) ______ lunch at 12 o'clock yesterday.were having

c. She (plant) ______ trees in the garden at 4 p.m. yesterday.was planting

d. Jack and his brother (play) ______ badminton at 9 a.m yesterday.were playing

2 Choose the best option Chọn phương án đúng

a. When I came home at 8 p.m. last night, my father ______ the newspaper. (A. read B. was reading)B. was reading

b. At this time last month, they ______ this park. (A. were building B. was building)A. were building

c. Why ______ she having dinner at 5 p.m.? (A. was B. does)A. was

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b. Usage ②

📖 Mở sách trang: 11

Use ② — WHEN: one action cuts into another Cách dùng ② — “when”: một việc xen ngang việc đang diễn ra

FormulaCông thức

S1 + was/were + V-ing + when + S2 + V2 (past simple)

When do we use it?Khi nào dùng?

When a long action was going on and a short action suddenly happened. Khi một việc đang diễn ra thì một việc ngắn khác xảy đến xen vào.

long action → V-ing · short action → V2

How to apply itCác bước áp dụng

1. Find the long action → past continuous 2. Find the short action → past simple 3. Put when in front of the SHORT action

E.g. He was chatting with his friend when his mother came into the room. Anh ấy đang nói chuyện với bạn khi mẹ bước vào phòng. — “came” là việc ngắn xen vào.

E.g. She was walking down the street when it began to rain. Cô ấy đang đi trên phố thì trời bắt đầu mưa. — Exercise 22, câu 1.

Common mistake: …when his mother was coming into the room. → …when his mother came into the room. Sau “when” là hành động ngắn nên chia quá khứ đơn, không chia tiếp diễn.

Application practice

Use ② — the WHEN sentence Luyện tập ứng dụng: câu có “when”

✔ Worked example — let us do it together (Ví dụ mẫu — cùng phân tích)

She (walk) ______ down the street when it (begin) ______ to rain.

1. “walk” lasts longer → was walking 2. “begin to rain” is short → began → She was walking down the street when it began to rain.

1 Put the verbs into the correct tense Chia động từ đúng thì

a. He (chat) ______ with his friend when his mother (come) ______ into the room.was chatting / came

b. Anna (clean) ______ up the living room when John (ask) ______ her to marry him.was cleaning / asked

c. My sister (read) ______ a romance story when she (hear) ______ a noise.was reading / heard

2 Write the sentence from the prompts Viết câu từ những từ gợi ý

a. She/ type a letter/ when/ her boss/ go into the meeting room?Was she typing a letter when her boss went into the meeting room?

b. I/ do my homework/ when/ the lights/ go out.I was doing my homework when the lights went out.

c. They/ play football/ when/ it/ start to rain.They were playing football when it started to rain.

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b. Usage ③

📖 Mở sách trang: 11

Use ③ — WHILE: two actions side by side Cách dùng ③ — “while”: hai việc song song

FormulaCông thức

While + S1 + was/were + V-ing, S2 + was/were + V-ing

When do we use it?Khi nào dùng?

When two long actions were going on at the same time in the past. Khi hai việc cùng đang diễn ra tại cùng một thời điểm trong quá khứ.

while → both verbs are V-ing

How to apply itCác bước áp dụng

1. Are both actions long? (cả hai đều kéo dài?) 2. Both → was / were + V-ing 3. Put while in front of one of them

E.g. My mother was cooking lunch while my father was cleaning the floor at 10 a.m. yesterday. Mẹ tôi đang nấu cơm trưa trong khi bố tôi đang lau sàn nhà lúc 10 giờ sáng hôm qua.

E.g. While she was studying in her room, her roommates were having a party. Trong khi cô ấy đang học trong phòng, các bạn cùng phòng đang mở tiệc. — Exercise 22, câu 8.

Common mistake: While she studying, her roommates were having a party. → While she was studying, her roommates were having a party. Hai việc song song thì cả hai vế đều chia quá khứ tiếp diễn.

Application practice

Use ③ — the WHILE sentence Luyện tập ứng dụng: câu có “while”

✔ Worked example — let us do it together (Ví dụ mẫu — cùng phân tích)

My mother (cook) ______ lunch while my father (clean) ______ the floor at 10 a.m. yesterday.

1. Two actions at the same time → both V-ing 2. mother → was cooking · father → was cleaning → My mother was cooking lunch while my father was cleaning the floor.

1 Put the verbs into the past continuous Chia cả hai động từ ở quá khứ tiếp diễn

a. While she (study) ______ in her room, her roommates (have) ______ a party.was studying / were having

b. While Lily (study) ______ in her room, her sister (have) ______ a birthday party.was studying / was having

c. I (listen) ______ to music while my brother (do) ______ his homework.was listening / was doing

2 Write the sentence from the prompts Viết câu từ những từ gợi ý

a. The doorbell/ ring/ while/ she/ eat lunch.The doorbell was ringing while she was eating lunch.

b. While/ my mother/ cook/ my father/ clean the floor.While my mother was cooking, my father was cleaning the floor.

c. We/ watch TV/ while/ our parents/ talk in the kitchen.We were watching TV while our parents were talking in the kitchen.

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Compare

📖 Mở sách trang: 11

WHEN or WHILE? Phân biệt “when” và “while” — câu hỏi hay ra thi nhất

QuestionCâu hỏi	WHENkhi (việc xen ngang)	WHILEtrong khi (song song)
What comes after it?Sau nó là gì?	the short action → `past simple` (came, heard, began)	the long action → `was/were + V-ing`
The other clauseVế còn lại	`was/were + V-ing`	usually `was/were + V-ing` too
MeaningÝ nghĩa	one action cuts into anothermột việc chen ngang	two actions run togetherhai việc song song
ExampleVí dụ	He was chatting with his friend when his mother came in.	My mother was cooking lunch while my father was cleaning the floor.

Quick test: look at the verb after the blank — a past simple verb (heard, came, began) → when; a V-ing verb → while. …a romance story while she heard a noise. → …when she heard a noise. Mẹo: sau chỗ trống là động từ quá khứ đơn → when; là was/were + V-ing → while (Ex21 câu 6).

From the book: The rain started to fall while we were coming home. (Ex25, câu 14) Sau “while” luôn là V-ing, vế kia có thể là quá khứ đơn.

Application practice

When or while? Luyện tập ứng dụng: chọn when hay while

✔ Worked example — let us do it together (Ví dụ mẫu — cùng phân tích)

My sister was reading a romance story ______ she heard a noise.

1. Verb after the blank: heard (quá khứ đơn) 2. A short action takes when → …a romance story when she heard a noise.

1 Choose when or while Chọn when hoặc while

a. My sister was reading a romance story ______ she heard a noise.when

b. ______ she was studying in her room, her roommates were having a party.While

c. He was chatting with his friend ______ his mother came into the room.when

d. The doorbell was ringing ______ she was eating lunch.while

e. She was walking down the street ______ it began to rain.when

2 Put the verb into the correct tense Chia động từ đúng thì

a. While Lily was studying, her sister (have) ______ a birthday party.was having

b. Anna was cleaning the living room when John (ask) ______ her to marry him.asked

c. The rain (start) ______ to fall while we were coming home.started

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Signal words

📖 Mở sách trang: 11

See the signal → choose the tense Dấu hiệu nhận biết thì quá khứ tiếp diễn

SignalDấu hiệu	MeaningNghĩa	ExampleVí dụ
`at + time + yesterday / last night`	vào lúc … (thời điểm xác định)	She was planting trees at 4 p.m. yesterday.
`at this time + last month / last year`	vào thời điểm này … trước đây	At this time last month, they were building this park.
`when + past simple`	khi (một việc chen ngang)	He wasn't working when the boss came yesterday.
`while + was/were + V-ing`	trong khi (hai việc song song)	My mother was cooking lunch while my father was cleaning the floor.

Note: the book has no separate signal-word box for this tense — this table is built from the examples on page 11 and from Exercise 21 (page 30). Lưu ý: sách không có bảng dấu hiệu riêng; bảng này rút ra từ ví dụ trang 11 và Exercise 21 trang 30.

Application practice

Read the signal, then answer Luyện tập ứng dụng: dựa vào dấu hiệu để chọn thì

✔ Worked example — let us do it together (Ví dụ mẫu — cùng phân tích)

He wasn't working ______ the boss came yesterday.

1. Signal to look at: the verb came (quá khứ đơn) 2. A past simple verb = a short action cutting in 3. Short action → when → He wasn't working when the boss came yesterday.

1 Put the verb into the correct tense Chia động từ đúng thì

a. At 4 p.m. yesterday, she (plant) ______ trees in the garden.was planting

b. When the boss (come) ______, he wasn't working.came

c. At this time last month, they (build) ______ this park.were building

d. While my father (clean) ______ the floor, my mother was cooking.was cleaning

2 Complete with at, when or while Điền at, when hoặc while

a. ______ 9 a.m today, Daniel was driving to work.At

b. My sister was reading ______ she heard a noise.when

c. ______ she was studying, her roommates were having a party.While

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Exam skill

📖 Mở sách trang: 31 – 32

Skill — put the verbs in brackets Kĩ năng: chia động từ trong ngoặc (Exercise 22 – 23)

What you must writePhải viết ra

(verb) → was / were + V-ing

When do we use it?Khi nào dùng?

Whenever the instruction says “Put the verbs in brackets in the past continuous tense.” Khi đề yêu cầu chia động từ trong ngoặc ở thì quá khứ tiếp diễn.

How to apply itCác bước áp dụng

1. Read the subject (đọc chủ ngữ) 2. Write was / were (đừng bỏ quên!) 3. Add -ing to the verb 4. Question? → put Was / Were first

E.g. She (walk) → She was walking down the street. “She” số ít → was + walking (Exercise 22, câu 1).

E.g. ______ (to be) they ______ (take) the exam? → Were they taking the exam? Câu hỏi: Were đứng đầu, take → taking (Exercise 23, câu 11).

Common mistake: She walking down the street. → She was walking down the street. Lỗi phổ biến nhất: chỉ viết V-ing mà quên was/were.

Exam skill

📖 Mở sách trang: 30

always / often + V-ing Hành động lặp đi lặp lại trong quá khứ

FormulaCông thức

S + was / were + always + V-ing

When do we use it?Khi nào dùng?

To describe an action that happened again and again in the past — often an annoying one. Nói về việc lặp đi lặp lại trong quá khứ (thường là việc gây khó chịu).

How to apply itCác bước áp dụng

1. Keep was / were (vẫn giữ was/were) 2. Put always between was/were and the verb 3. Verb stays V-ing

E.g. When Jenny stayed with me, she was always singing. Hồi Jenny ở cùng tôi, cô ấy suốt ngày hát. — Exercise 21, câu 14 (đáp án D).

E.g. Michelle was always complaining about his wives. Exercise 23, câu 3 — sách in nguyên văn “about his wives”, ta giữ đúng như sách.

Common mistake: she always sang → she was always singing Bẫy đáp án C của Ex21 câu 14: đừng đổi sang quá khứ đơn.

Application practice

Put the verbs in brackets Luyện tập ứng dụng: chia động từ (Exercise 22 – 23)

✔ Worked example — let us do it together (Ví dụ mẫu — cùng phân tích)

______ (to be) they ______ (take) the exam?

1. There is a “?” → it is a question (câu hỏi) 2. they is plural → Were at the front 3. take → taking → Were they taking the exam?

1 Exercise 22 — put the verbs in the past continuous Chia động từ ở quá khứ tiếp diễn

a. She (walk) ______ down the street when it began to rain.was walking

b. While she (study) ______ in her room, her roommates (have) ______ a party.was studying / were having

c. I (watch) ______ TV at 9 p.m. last night.was watching

2 Exercise 23 — mind the questions and always Chú ý câu hỏi và “always”

a. Michelle ______ (always/ complain) about his wives.was always complaining

b. ______ (to be) they ______ (take) the exam?Were … taking

c. My brother ______ (always/ borrow) my pens last year.was always borrowing

Click any question to check it one by one · Bấm vào từng câu để chữa lần lượt

Exam skill

📖 Mở sách trang: 32 – 33

Skill — write the sentence from prompts Kĩ năng: viết câu từ từ gợi ý (Exercise 24)

What you must writePhải viết ra

S + was / were (+ not) + V-ing + …

When do we use it?Khi nào dùng?

When the exercise gives only key words separated by / and asks for a full sentence. Khi đề chỉ cho các từ gợi ý ngăn cách bằng dấu “/” và yêu cầu viết thành câu.

How to apply itCác bước áp dụng

1. What type of sentence? (có “?” → câu hỏi) 2. Add was / were by the subject 3. V → V-ing 4. Put back the small words: a, the, to, in

E.g. What/ she/ do/ during the day? → What was she doing during the day? Có từ để hỏi “What” và dấu “?” → Wh- + was + S + V-ing (Exercise 24, câu 1).

E.g. The doorbell/ ring/ while/ she/ eat lunch. → The doorbell was ringing while she was eating lunch. Có “while” → cả hai vế đều was/were + V-ing (Exercise 24, câu 17).

Remember: a question needs Was / Were in front and a ? at the end — She was typing a letter…? → Was she typing a letter…? Câu hỏi phải đảo Was/Were lên đầu và có dấu “?”.

Application practice

Write sentences in the past continuous Luyện tập ứng dụng: viết câu (Exercise 24)

✔ Worked example — let us do it together (Ví dụ mẫu — cùng phân tích)

She/ type a letter/ when/ her boss/ go into the meeting room?

1. “?” → question: Was she typing 2. after when → short action → went → Was she typing a letter when her boss went into the meeting room?

1 Write the sentence Viết thành câu hoàn chỉnh

a. What/ she/ do/ during the day?What was she doing during the day?

b. They/ build/ this park/ at this time last month.They were building this park at this time last month.

c. Why/ she/ have dinner/ at 5 p.m.?Why was she having dinner at 5 p.m.?

2 Write the sentence Viết thành câu hoàn chỉnh

a. The doorbell/ ring/ while/ she/ eat lunch.The doorbell was ringing while she was eating lunch.

b. Jack and his brother/ play badminton/ at 9 a.m yesterday.Jack and his brother were playing badminton at 9 a.m yesterday.

c. She/ not/ do/ her homework/ at that time.She wasn't doing her homework at that time.

Click any question to check it one by one · Bấm vào từng câu để chữa lần lượt

Exam skill

📖 Mở sách trang: 33

Past continuous or past simple? Trộn hai thì trong cùng một câu (Exercise 25)

The two jobsHai nhiệm vụ

long action → was / were + V-ing

short action → V-ed / V2

When do we use it?Khi nào dùng?

When one sentence has two actions — one already going on, one happening in a moment. Khi một câu có hai hành động: một cái đang diễn ra, một cái xảy ra rồi kết thúc ngay.

as = when

How to apply itCác bước áp dụng

1. Which action lasted longer? → continuous 2. Which happened in a moment? → past simple 3. After while luôn là V-ing · sau when / as thường là quá khứ đơn, nhưng vẫn có thể là V-ing

E.g. A friendly Australian couple started talking to her as she was checking in at the hotel reception. Việc “check in” kéo dài → tiếp diễn; “start talking” xảy ra ngay → quá khứ đơn (Ex25, câu 1).

E.g. The rain started to fall while we were coming home. Sau “while” là việc kéo dài → were coming; “started” là việc ngắn (Ex25, câu 14).

Common mistake: Anna cleaned up the room when John was asking her… → Anna was cleaning up the room when John asked her… Đảo ngược hai thì là lỗi mất điểm hay gặp nhất (Ex25 câu 5).

Application practice

Choose the tense for each verb Luyện tập ứng dụng: chọn thì cho từng động từ

✔ Worked example — let us do it together (Ví dụ mẫu — cùng phân tích)

A friendly Australian couple ______ (start) talking to her as she ______ (check in) at the hotel reception.

1. “check in” lasts longer → was checking in 2. “start talking” is short → started (as = when) → …couple started talking to her as she was checking in…

1 Exercise 25 — past continuous or past simple? Chia quá khứ tiếp diễn hay quá khứ đơn?

a. Anna (clean) ______ up the living room when John (ask) ______ her to marry him.was cleaning / asked

b. While Lily (study) ______ in her room, her sister (have) ______ a birthday party.was studying / was having

c. The rain (start) ______ to fall while we (come) ______ home.started / were coming

2 More practice in the same style Luyện thêm cùng dạng

a. I (read) ______ a book when the phone (ring) ______.was reading / rang

b. They (watch) ______ TV while their mother (cook) ______ dinner.were watching / was cooking

c. When the teacher (come) ______ in, the pupils (talk) ______ loudly.came / were talking

Click any question to check it one by one · Bấm vào từng câu để chữa lần lượt

Summary

📖 Mở sách trang: 11 – 12

Everything on one page Toàn bộ bài học trong một trang

ItemNội dung	Key pointĐiểm cốt lõi	ExampleVí dụ
AffirmativeKhẳng định	`S + was / were + V-ing`	She was planting trees at 4 p.m. yesterday.
NegativePhủ định	`S + wasn't / weren't + V-ing`	He wasn't working when the boss came.
QuestionNghi vấn	`Was / Were + S + V-ing?` · `Wh- + was/were + S + V-ing?`	Was Mary going to the market at 6 p.m. yesterday?
was or wereChọn was/were	I / he / she / it / số ít → was · you / we / they / số nhiều → were	Jack and his brother were playing badminton.
Use ①Thời điểm xác định	an action in progress at an exact past moment	They were having lunch at 12 o'clock yesterday.
Use ② whenViệc xen ngang	long action = continuous · short action after when = past simple	He was chatting with his friend when his mother came in.
Use ③ whileHai việc song song	after while the verb is always V-ing	My mother was cooking lunch while my father was cleaning the floor.
always + V-ingViệc lặp lại	keep `was / were + always + V-ing`	She was always singing.

Mixed practice

✏️ Bài tập bổ sung: 30 – 34

Past continuous or past simple? (1) Luyện tập tổng hợp 1 — Exercise 25, trang 33 – 34

1. A friendly Australian couple (start) ______ talking to her as she (check in) ______ at the hotel reception.started / was checking in

2. Anna (clean) ______ up the living room when John (ask) ______ her to marry him.was cleaning / asked

3. She (walk) ______ down the street when it (begin) ______ to rain.was walking / began

4. He (not / work) ______ when the boss (come) ______ yesterday.wasn't working / came

5. They (have) ______ lunch at 12 o'clock yesterday.were having

6. What (you / do) ______ when his mother (come) ______?were you doing / came

7. At 9 a.m today, Daniel (drive) ______ to work.was driving

8. My sister (read) ______ a romance story when she (hear) ______ a noise.was reading / heard

9. At this time last month, they (build) ______ this park.were building

10. When Jenny stayed with me, she (always / sing) ______.was always singing

Click any question to check it one by one · Bấm vào từng câu để chữa lần lượt

Mixed practice

✏️ Bài tập bổ sung: 30 – 34

Past continuous or past simple? (2) Luyện tập tổng hợp 2 — when / while và chia động từ

1. While Lily (study) ______ in her room, her sister (have) ______ a birthday party.was studying / was having

2. The rain (start) ______ to fall while we (come) ______ home.started / were coming

3. The doorbell (ring) ______ while she (eat) ______ lunch.rang / was eating (sách: was ringing / was eating)

4. My mother (cook) ______ lunch while my father (clean) ______ the floor.was cooking / was cleaning

5. ______ (to be) they ______ (take) the exam?Were … taking

6. My sister was reading a romance story ______ she heard a noise. (when / while)when

7. ______ she was studying, her roommates were having a party. (When / While)While

8. Jack and his brother ______ playing badminton at 9 a.m yesterday. (was / were)were

9. Why ______ she having dinner at 5 p.m.? (was / does)was

10. Michelle ______ (always / complain) about his wives.was always complaining

Click any question to check it one by one · Bấm vào từng câu để chữa lần lượt

Game time

🎮 PAST CONTINUOUS QUEST Trò chơi ôn lý thuyết và ứng dụng

How to playCách chơi

24 questions · 4 rounds · 3 lives. Press 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question. 24 câu hỏi, 4 vòng, 3 mạng. Bấm phím 1–4 để chọn đáp án, Enter để sang câu tiếp.

What you practiseNội dung ôn

Round 1 WAS or WERE · Round 2 WHEN or WHILE · Round 3 VERB FORM · Round 4 SENTENCE BUILDING Vòng 1 chọn was/were · Vòng 2 when hay while · Vòng 3 chia động từ · Vòng 4 viết lại câu

ScoringTính điểm

+10 for each correct answer, +5 bonus from a 3-answer streak. Every answer comes with an explanation. Mỗi câu đúng +10 điểm, đúng liên tiếp 3 câu được thưởng +5. Câu nào cũng có giải thích ngay.

After the gameSau khi chơi

The result table shows exactly which round you must review. Bảng kết quả sẽ chỉ rõ con cần ôn lại phần nào.

▶ OPEN THE GAME / Mở trò chơi

Wrap-up

Three things to remember 3 điều phải nhớ

1

was / were + V-ing

Singular → was · plural → were. Never drop was/were. Số ít → was, số nhiều → were; đừng bao giờ quên was/were.

2

when + V2 · while + V-ing

A past simple verb after the blank → when. A V-ing verb → while. Sau chỗ trống là quá khứ đơn → when; là V-ing → while.

3

Long action vs short action

The long one is continuous, the short one is past simple. Việc kéo dài → tiếp diễn, việc xảy ra chớp nhoáng → quá khứ đơn.

Homework: write 5 sentences about what you were doing at five different times yesterday — two of them with when, two with while. Then do Exercise 21 – 25 on pages 30 – 34. Bài về nhà: viết 5 câu kể việc con đang làm vào 5 thời điểm khác nhau hôm qua (2 câu dùng when, 2 câu dùng while), sau đó làm Exercise 21 – 25 trang 30 – 34.