Choose which verb tense (simple past or past continuous) fits better.

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Tyler Sherman Baker
7 years ago
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2 Activity 1 Choose which verb tense (simple past or past continuous) fits better. 1. I - I didn't hear you come in. a) was sleeping b) slept 2. I to see her twice, but she wasn't home. a) was coming b) came 3. What? I was watching TV. a) did you do b) were you doing 4. Robin Hood was a character who from the rich and gave to the poor. a) stole b) was stealing 5. Hey, did you talk to her? Yes, I to her a) was talking b) talked 6. I home very late last night. a) came b) was coming 7. How long the flu? a) did you have b) were you having 8. a good time in Brazil? Yes, I had a blast! a) Were you having b) Did you have 9. We breakfast when she walked into the room. a) Had b) were having 10. Last month I decided to buy a new car, and today I finally it. a) bought b) was buying

3 Activity 2 Sample answer Read the story and answer the following questions A DISASTROUS DINNER Answer these questions about the story. Answer in complete sentences. 1. What did Mrs. Anderson plan? She planned to have a delicious dinner 2. Why did she buy cream and apples?. She bought them for an apple pie. 3. When did her pets watch her? Her pets watched her while she was setting the table. 4. Where did she leave the steak? She left the steak on the table. 5. When did the dog jump on the chair? It jumped on the chair while she was making the pastry. 6. How did the dog look at the steak? The dog looked at it longingly. 7. When did the dog jump off the chair? The dog jumped off the chair as she was coming into the dining room. 8. Where did the dog go?. It ran into the garden. 9. What was she doing when the cat jumped on the table? She was chasing the dog. 10. What did Mrs. Anderson do when she saw the cat?. She shrieked when she saw the cat.

4 Activity 3 Complete the following sentences with the correct form (Past Simple or Past Continuous). 1. A: What (you, do) were you doing when you heard that noise? B: I (try) tried to change a light bulb that had burnt out. 2. After I (find) found the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately) went immediately to the police and (turn) turned it in. 3. The doctor (say) said that Brian (be) was too weak to go to work and that he (need) needed to stay at home for a couple of days. 4. My best friend (arrive) arrived at my house a little before 9:00 pm, but I (be, not) wasn t/ was not there. I (study) was studying at the library for my final examination in Italian. 5. John is in the living room working on his computer. At this time yesterday, he (work, also) was also working on his computer. That's all he ever does! 6. I (call) called you last night after dinner, but you (be, not) were not/ weren t there. Where were you? B: I (work) was working out at the gym. 7. When I (walk) walked into the busy office, the secretaries (talk) were talking on the phone with customers, a clerk (work, busily) was working busily at his desk, and two managers (discuss, quietly) were discussing quietly methods to improve customer service. 8. I (watch) was watching a thriller on T.V. when the electricity went out. Now I am never going to find out how the film ends. 9. Samantha (be) was in the room when Bob (tell) told me what happened, but she didn't hear anything because she (be, listen) was listening to music. 10. It's strange that you (call) called because I (think, just) was just thinking about you.

5 Activity 4 Find the Past Simple of the following verbs: Work worked come came Walk walked speak spoke Talk talked see saw Clean cleaned do did Live lived go went Wash washed sing sang Complete what Jenny says using the following verbs in the Past Continuous: Jenny is telling her teacher why she couldn't study for an exam. watch listen sing clean cook play lie It was impossible for me to concentrate! I went to my bedroom and my mother was cleaning the carpet with the vacuum cleaner. Then I went to the living room but my brother Paul was lying on the sofa. He was playing his guitar. After that I decided to go to the kitchen. There, my grandmother was cooking and she was also watching TV. Finally, I went out to the garden where I found my sister. She was listening to her Walkman and she was singing at the top of her voice.

6 Activity 5 Write the correct form of the verb, using the Past Simple or the Past Continuous tense. A: I saw (see) Peter and John in the park on Sunday. B: Where they playing (they/play) football? They always play football on Sundays. A: No, they were not/ weren t (not/be). They were talking (talk) with some girls. B: Did you say (you/say) hello to them? A. Although I called (call) their names, they did no t hear (not/hear) me. B: Maybe they didn t notice (not/notice) you were (be) there Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Continuous or the Past Simple. 1) Frank finished (finish) his lunch and rang (ring) his friend Jason. 2) Jason was watching (watch) TV when Fran phoned (phone) him. 3) He turned off (turn off) the TV when he heard (hear) the phone ringing. 4) They were deciding (decide) what to do when Jason suggested (suggest) going to the club. 5) Frank picked Jason up (pick up) and drove (drive) to the club. 6) Two other people were using (use) their tennis court when they arrived (arrive). 7) They drank (drink) a soda and ate (eat) a sandwich while they were waiting (wait) to play. 8) While they were playing (play), it started (start) to rain so they had (have) to stop playing.

7 Activity 6 Put the verbs into the correct form (past progressive). 1. When I phoned my friends, they (play) were playing Monopoly. 2. Yesterday at six I (prepare) was preparing dinner. 3. The kids (play) were playing in the garden when it suddenly began to rain. 4. I (practice) was practicing the guitar when he came home. 5. We (not / cycle) were not cycling all day. 6. While Aaron (work) was working in his room, his friends (swim) were swimming in the pool. 7. I tried to tell them the truth but they (listen / not) weren t listening. 8. What (you / do) were you doing yesterday? 9. Most of the time we (sit) were sitting in the park.

Past Simple & Past Continuous. Exercises

Past Simple & Past Continuous. Exercises Past Simple & Past Continuous Exercises The following document is a brief description and a series of exercises for practicing the past simple and the past continuous in order to improve your knowledge