News events: -ar verbs preterite tense for interruptions
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe past news events using the imperfect continuous with ‘cuando’ ('when') and the preterite tense for interruptions.
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- The preposition 'de' joins two nouns to describe a type of something, e.g. ‘un billete de avión’ ('a plane ticket').
- We use 'estar' in the present tense + present participle to talk about ongoing events; this is the present continuous.
- 'Estar' in the imperfect + present participle describes what someone was doing; this is the imperfect continuous.
- Sometimes an action interrupts what someone was doing. We use 'cuando' followed by the preterite to express this.
Keywords
De - preposition meaning 'from' and 'of'
Present continuous - verb tense used to describe events happening right now, e.g. ‘I am doing’
Imperfect continuous - verb tense used to talk about ongoing actions in the past, what was happening
Preterite - verb tense used for events completed in the past
Common misconception
When telling a story about a past event, I have to keep the full account in the same past tense.
Different past tenses describe different elements of a story. The imperfect continuous describes what was happening ('Estaba corriendo ...') then the preterite tense describes an interruption to that activity ('... cuando llegó una vaca'.).
Teacher tip
To help students express their full imagination for the final written activity (task C2), access to a bilingual dictionary would be useful.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Some of our videos, including non-English language videos, do not have captions.
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the best reply to 'gracias'?
Q2.Match the Spanish and English.
Q3.Match the Spanish and English.
Q4.Order the words to say: 'he is between the volunteer and the mother'.
Q5.Write in English: 'hay nueve edificios aquí'.
Q6.Write in Spanish: 'I don't like the photo'.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Match the sentence halves.
Q2.'Yo estaba preparando la comida cuando ...'. Choose the correct ending.
Q3.Order the words to say: 'she was writing when he responded to the message'.
Q4.Write in Spanish: 'you were dancing'.
To help you plan your 9 Spanish lesson on: News events: -ar verbs preterite tense for interruptions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 Spanish lesson on: News events: -ar verbs preterite tense for interruptions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 Spanish lessons from the Important events: present and imperfect continuous unit, dive into the full secondary Spanish curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.