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Past Continuous and Past Simple Exercises

The document provides examples of sentences using past tense verbs and asks the reader to identify whether the verbs should be in the past simple or past continuous form. It includes sentences for the reader to practice completing with the correct verb tense, as well as a short paragraph to rewrite using past tense verbs. The goal is to help the reader practice identifying and using the past simple and past continuous verb tenses correctly in sentences.

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Ana Mateus
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172 views3 pages

Past Continuous and Past Simple Exercises

The document provides examples of sentences using past tense verbs and asks the reader to identify whether the verbs should be in the past simple or past continuous form. It includes sentences for the reader to practice completing with the correct verb tense, as well as a short paragraph to rewrite using past tense verbs. The goal is to help the reader practice identifying and using the past simple and past continuous verb tenses correctly in sentences.

Uploaded by

Ana Mateus
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Fill in the gaps with the correct verb tense Past Simple or Past Continuous.

1. Daniel and Frank _________________ (walk) home when they _________________ (hear) a
strange noise. They _________________ (know) someone _________________ (follow) them.
2. The sun _________________ (shine) when I _________________ (wake up).
3. I _________________ (lose) my wallet when I _________________ (play) football with my
friends.
4. My sister _________________ (burn) herself while she _________________ (bake) cookies.
5. They _________________ (have) a party when the lights _________________ (go) out.
6. When they _________________ (arrive) in Madrid, it _________________ (rain).

Read the paragraphs and put the verbs into the Past Simple or Past Continuous.
(1) (2)
a) Two years ago, my friends and I _______________ (go) camping. It _________________
(be) sunny and we (3)
_________________ (go) swimming. While we (4)
_________________
(5) (6)
(swim), a film crew _________________ (arrive) with lots of actors. The director
____________________ (tell) us to stay in the water because it was natural. It was my first film
and the only thing covering my skin were my swimming trunks.

b) I (1) ___________________ (meet) my girlfriend last year. I (2)


___________________ (see) her
(3) (4)
while I ___________________ (play) football on the beach. I ___________________ (ask)
her out and she (5) ___________________ (accept). It was great!

Past Simple or Past Continuous – Choose the right answer.

1. Last night we phoned / were phoning John to remind him to bring the project tomorrow.
2. At 3:00 pm yesterday I was doing / did my homework.
3. I loved / was loving the film on TV last night.
4. Shakespeare wrote / was writing Romeo and Juliet.
5. While my mother made / was making dinner last night, my father watched / was watching
the football game.
6. At 11:00 pm last night I slept / was sleeping.
7. I cleaned / was cleaning my room when you called / were calling me.
8. They arrived / were arriving home at 7 o’clock yesterday evening.
9. He had / was having a shower when the doorbell rang / was ringing.
10. I ate / was eating two slices of pizza for lunch today.
Past Simple or Past Continuous? Complete the sentences.
1. Last summer, my friends and I ________________________ (travel) around Europe. We really
________________________ (enjoy) ourselves.
2. Sandra ________________________ (have) lunch at 12 o’clock today when I saw her.
3. This time last weekend, they ________________________ (visit) their friends.
4. My computer ________________________ (fall) on the floor but the screen
________________________ (not break). How lucky ________________________ (be) that?
5. Anne is really mad. What ________________________ (you / say) to her when you
________________________ (talk) to her last night?
6. I ________________________ (start) to read a book when John
________________________ (send) me a message.
7. We ________________________ (not see) what happened.
8. Sam and I ________________________ (sit) behind two really tall boys, so we
________________________ (not see) most of the film.
9. Who was that girl you ________________________ (dance) with at Peter’s party?
10. I ________________________ (send) my grandfather an email yesterday with a photo but he
________________________ (not know) how to open it.

Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Simple or Past Continuous.

1. James _________________ (not wait) for me when I


_________________ (arrive).
2. When the phone _________________ (ring), my parents and I
_________________ (have) lunch.
3. I _________________ (listen) to my iPod, so I _________________
(not hear) the fire alarm.
4. You _________________ (not listen) to me when I
_________________ (tell) you to turn the lights off.
5. While we _________________ (sleep) last night, someone
_________________ (steal) my father’s car.
6. While we _________________ (have) the picnic, it _________________ (start) to rain.
7. When I _________________ (walk) into the office, five clerks _________________ (work)
on their computers, the secretary _________________ (talk) on the phone and two
managers _________________ (discuss) new marketing strategies.
8. The doctor _________________ (say) that Tim _________________ (be) too sick to work
and that he _________________ (need) to stay at home for the whole week.
9. ‘What _________________ (you/do) at about 8.00 yesterday evening?’ ‘I
____________________ (work out) at the fitness centre.’
10. Mary _________________ (arrive) at Sue’s house at about midday, but she
_________________ (not be) there. She _________________ (study) at the school library.

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