1. Choose the correct tense to complete the sentences.
1) Jake looked at the weather outside: it was grey, but it didn’train / wasn’training .
2) You didn’t answer when I phoned you this morning. What did you do / were you doing ?
3) Lucy switched off her computer, put on / was puttingon her coat and left / wasleaving the office.
4) She closed the window because some children made / weremaking a lot of noise outside.
5) When I told friends about the robbery, they didn’tbelieve / weren’tbelieving me.
6) She didn’t hear the doorbell because she had / washaving a shower.
Show answers
1) wasn’t raining 2) were you doing 3) put on, left
4) were making 5) didn’t believe 6) was having
2. Complete the sentences. Use the past simple form of one verb and the past continuous form of the other.
1) I ____________ (see) Henry as I ____________ (cycle) to the sports centre.
2) While we ____________ (prepare) the picnic, it ____________ (start) to rain.
3) All friends ____________ (leave) the party when I ____________ (arrive).
4) As we ____________ (walk) by the river, we ____________ (hear) a shout.
5) We ____________ (not eat) very much while we ____________ (stay) in that hotel.
6) I ____________ (drink) dad’s coffee while he ____________ (not look).
7) She ____________ (drop) her new phone as she ____________ (put) it in her pocket.
8) I ____________ (meet) a really interesting person while I ____________ (wait) for the bus.
Show answers
1) saw, was cycling 2) were preparing, started
3) were leaving, arrived 4) were walking, heard
5) didn’t eat, were staying 6) drank, wasn’t looking
7) dropped, was putting 8) met, was waiting
3. Complete the text with the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets.
In January 2014, a doctor from New Zealand 1) had (have) a frightening experience with a shark – but his calm reaction 2) _____. (make) him the star of news reports around the world.
James Grant 3) _____. (fish) with friends one Saturday when a shark attacked him. He 4) _____. (not see) anything, but he 5) _____. (felt) a sudden pain in his leg. At first, he thought that his friends 6) _____. (play) a prank on him. He 7) _____. (turn) around – but nobody 8) _____. (be) behind him. Then he 9) _____. (realise) what 10) _____. (happen).
Luckily, James 11) _____. (carry) a knife so he 12) _____. (use) it to fight off the shark. Then he 13) _____. (get) out of the water and 14) _____. (look) at his leg. The bites were 5 cm long and they 15) _____. (bleed) a lot. James 16) _____. (clean) his leg. Then he and his friends 17) _____. (go) to a nearby café! While they 18) _____. (enjoy) a drink, somebody 19) _____. (give) James a bandage because his leg 20) _____. (bleed). He 21) _____. (go) to hospital for some treatment, but on Monday he was back at work.
Show answers
2) made 3) was fishing 4) didn’t see 5) felt
6) were playing 7) turned 8) was 9) realised
10) was happening 11) was carrying 12) used
13) got 14) looked 15) were bleeding 16) cleaned
17) went 18) were enjoying 19) gave
20) was bleeding 21) went
4. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first.
1) I hurt finger while I was playing the guitar.
I was playing the guitar when I hurt finger.
2) I was walking home when it started to rain.
While I ____________
3) She broke her leg while she was learning to ski.
She was learning ____________
4) He was making lunch when he suddenly felt ill.
As he ____________
5) She was telling me about her party when she started to laugh loudly.
She started ____________
6) I lost wallet while I was shopping.
While I ____________
7) As the band were playing their first song, all the lights went out.
The band were playing ____________
Show answers
2) While I was walking home, it started to snow.
3) She was learning to ski when she broke her leg.
4) As he was making lunch, he suddenly felt ill.
5) She started to laugh when she was telling me about her party.
6) When I was shopping, I lost wallet.
7) The band were playing their first song when the lights went out.
5. Complete the sentences with your own ideas. Use the past simple or past continuous.
1) As I was getting off the bus, ____________
2) We were trying to find our hotel when ____________
3) An amazing thing happened as ____________
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your own answers
6. Complete the paragraph from a story. Use the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets.
When they 1) _____. (set out) from the hotel at eight in the morning, the sun 2) _____. (shine). They 3) _____. (walk) along the path when suddenly Emily 4) _____. (stop) and asked, ‘5) _____. (you / hear) something strange?’ Anna replied, ‘I 6) _____. (not hear) anything. What do you mean?’ A moment later, the sun 7) _____. (not shine) and the sky was black. ‘It’s a tornado!’ Anna said. ‘We need to go indoors – fast!’
Show answers
1) set out 2) was shining 3) were walking 4) stopped
5) did you hear 6) didn’t hear 7) wasn’t shining