1. Giving an account
Form and usage

2. Giving an account
When you give an account, you talk about something that you did in the past. Examples include:
A birthday celebration as a child
My holiday
An accident report
You have to give an account in your writing and speaking and listening exams from E2.

3. Giving an account When you give an account you should
describe where and when something happened
give some details about what happened and the order it happened (first, then, after that, later on…)
explain how you feel/felt about it or what happened at the end

4. Verb tenses
When we give an account, we usually use past verb tenses. These include:
Simple past – I went to London.
Used to – I used to live in London.
Past continuous – It was raining.

5. The past continuous tense
We use
WAS / WERE VERB + ING
I was shopping.
I was eating my dinner.
I was sleeping.

6. The past continuous tense
For the question – change the order:
WAS / WERE VERB + ING
I was shopping. Was I shopping.
I was eating my dinner. Was I eating
I was sleeping. Were you sleeping

7. The past continuous tense
For the negative use NOT
WAS / WERE NOT VERB + ING
WASN’T / WEREN’T VERB + ING
I was shopping.
I was eating my dinner.
I was sleeping.

8. Past continuous - uses
to talk about an event that was happening at a specific time in the past
At 2 o’clock
when it started to rain
To set the scene – describe the background to the story
It was snowing heavily.
The old man was sitting on a bench.

9. to talk about an event that was happening at a specific time in the past

10. At 2 pm yesterday… Justina was walking the dog.
Mike was waiting at the bus stop.
Pete was cleaning windows.
Sarah and Ahmed were having a coffee.
Stefan was riding his bike.
Sammy was crossing the road.
Anna was running for the bus

12. It started to rain

13. It started to rain

14. A man and woman were drinking coffee, …

15. A man and woman were drinking coffee, when it started to rain.

16. A man and woman were drinking coffee, when it started to rain.

17. A man and woman were drinking coffee, when it started to rain.
Past continuous

18. A man and woman were drinking coffee, when it started to rain.
Past continuous

19. A man and woman were drinking coffee, when it started to rain.
Past continuous

20. A man and woman were drinking coffee, when it started to rain.
Past continuous
Past simple

21. The window cleaner fell of his ladder while

22. The window cleaner fell of his ladder while he was cleaning the window.

23. The window cleaner fell of his ladder while he was cleaning the window.

24. Past simple
The window cleaner fell of his ladder while he was cleaning the window.

25. Past simple
Past continuous
The window cleaner fell of his ladder while he was cleaning the window.

26. To set the scene – describe the background to the story

27. Look at these examples:
I was about 17 years old at that time. I was staying with my grandparents in an old farmhouse near the sea.

28. Look at these examples:
We were at a bonfire display in the park. We were watching the fireworks. Everybody was enjoying themselves, especially the children.

29. Look at these examples:
I was cleaning the floor when I slipped on some water and fell down. I hurt my back and twisted my ankle.

30. Look at these examples:
It was night when he left. The rain was pouring down and the wind was howling.