Where Were You Yesterday?
This was and were ESL lesson practises past locations with common places around town. Students answer yes-or-no questions, chant the verb forms and guess locations from mime. They write about where they and a friend were last Sunday, then perform a short weekend-story dialogue.
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Lesson format
2 × 45 minutes
Level
Pre-Intermediate
Age group
Ages 10–13
Main focus
Speaking first
What students will learn
Lesson flow
Students answer 'Were you at the shop yesterday?' running to Yes/No zones, learn town-place vocabulary, and practise the was/were chant ('I was / You were / He was'). The second lesson mimes past locations for classmates to guess, writes 'My Last Sunday' describing where they and a friend were, and performs a weekend-story roleplay.
Target language
- • 'Where were you?'
- • 'I was at the ___'
- • 'Was/were' positive, negative, question
- • Town-place vocabulary
Key vocabulary
- yesterday
- was
- were
- park
- cinema
- beach
- hospital
- shopping centre
- museum
- market
Speaking questions students answer
- • Were you at the shop yesterday?
- • Where were you on Saturday?
- • Was he at the café?
- • Was it fun?
- • Where was she?
Recommended teaching contexts
Why this lesson works
The lesson follows a clear progression: Answer "Were you at the shop?" in a corners game, interview a partner about where they were on the weekend, write about last Sunday and roleplay a weekend dialogue. Teachers can open the materials and start immediately, while students move from supported vocabulary practice to purposeful spoken English.