Exercise 1
What were you doing at these times? Write sentences as in the examples. The past continuous is not always necessary.
1) (at 8 o'clock yesterday evening) ________
2) (at 5 o'clock last Monday) ________
3) (at 10.15 yesterday morning) ________
4) (at 4.30 this morning) ________
5) (at 7.45 yesterday evening) ________
6) (half an hour ago) ________
Show answers
1)
1 I was having dinner
2 I was on a bus on way home.
3 I was working.
4 I was in bed asleep.
5 I was getting ready to go out.
6 I was watching TV at home.
Exercise 2
Use your own ideas to complete the sentences. Use the past continuous.
1) Matt phoned while we ________
2) The doorbell rang while I ________
3) The car began to make a strange noise when we ________
4) Jessica fell asleep while she ________
5) The television was on, but nobody ________
Show answers
2)
1 were having dinner
2 was having a shower
3 were driving home
4 was reading the paper
5 was watching it
Exercise 3
Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.
1)
I ________ (see) Sue in town yesterday, but she ________ (not I see) me. She ________ (look) the other way.
2)
I ________ (meet) Tom and jane at the airport a few weeks ago. They ________ (go) to Paris and I ________ (go) to Rome. We ________ (have) a chat while we ________ (wait) for our flights.
3)
I ________ (cycle) home yesterday when a man ________ (step) out into the road in front of me. I ________ (go) quite fast, but luckily I ________ (manage) to stop in time and ________ (not / hit) him.
Show answers
3)
1 saw ___ didn't see … was looking
2 met … were going … was going … had … were waiting / waited
3 was cycling … stepped … was going … managed … didn't hit
Exercise 4
Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.
1) Jenny ________ (wait) for me when I ________ (arrive).
2) 'What ________ (you I do) at this time yesterday?' ‘I was asleep.’
3) ' ________ (you / go) out last night?' 'No, I was too tired.’
4) How fast ________ (you I drive) when the accident ________ (happen)?
5) Sam ________ (take) a picture of me while I ________ (not / look).
6) We were in a very difficult position. We ________ (not / know) what to do.
7) I haven't seen Alan for ages. When I last ________ (see) him, he________ (try) to find a job.
8) I ________ (walk) along the street when suddenly I ________ (hear) footsteps behind me. Somebody ________ (follow) me. I was scared and I ________ (start) to run.
9) When I was young, I ________ (want) to be a pilot.
10) Last night I ________ (drop) a plate when I ________ (do) the washing-up. Fortunately it ________ (not I break).
Show answers
4)
1 was waiting
2 were you doing
3 Did you go
4 were you driving … happened
5 took … wasn't looking
6 didn't know
7 saw … was trying
8 was walking … heard … was
following … started
9 wanted
10 dropped … was doing … didn't break
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