Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).

While Tom (read).............. , Amely (watch) .................... a documentary on TV.

Marvin (come).............. home, (switch)............... on the computer and (check) ............... his
emails.
The thief (sneak)............... into the house, (steal)................ the jewels and (leave).................
without a trace.
Nobody (listen) ................ while the teacher (explain)........................ the tenses.
While we (do)................... a sight-seeing tour, our friends (lie) ........................ on the beach.
He (wake) .................... up and (look) ................... at his watch.
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
The receptionist (welcome)................ the guests and (ask) ...................... them to fill in the form.
The car (break) ................ down and we (have).................. to walk home.
The boys (swim) .................... while the girls (sunbathe) ..........................
My father (come) ........................ in, (look)....................... around and (tell)....................... me to
tidy up my room.
As long as one group (prepare).................... dinner, the others (collect)........................ wood for
their campfire.
While the parents (have) .................... breakfast, their children (run)...................... about.
Martha (turn).................... off the lights and (go) ......................... to bed.
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
We (wait)................... for Jane, when suddenly Louis (come) ............................. around the
corner.
I (cycle) ........................ through the park, when I (hear) ......................... a strange noise.
He (pass).................... her a message when the teacher (look / not) ...........................
I (fall)..................... asleep while I (watch).......................... TV last night.
When Mike and Jane (paint) ..................... the walls, their dog (knock)...................... over the
paint pot.
Tom (break)..................... his leg when he (play) ...................... frisbee.
The phone (ring)........................ when I (sit)......................... on the toilet.

Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
I (jog)......................... in the park, when two squirrels (cross) ............................ my way.
Robert (fall)...................... off the ladder when he (pick)............................ cherries.
Archimedes (discover) ...................... the theory of buoyancy while he (take)...................... a
bath.
When we (travel) ................... around Ireland, we (meet)...................... some very nice people.
While she (speak)................ on the phone, the milk (boil)......................... over.
When I (leave) ................... the house this morning, the sun (shine) .........................
Caroline (burn) ........................ her hand when she (iron)......................... her clothes.

The following verbs are usually only used in Simple Past (not in the progressive form).
state: be, cost, fit, mean, suit
Example: We were on holiday.
possession: belong, have
Example: Sam had a cat.
senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch
Example: He felt the cold.
feelings: hate, hope, like, love, prefer, regret, want, wish
Example: Jane loved pizza.
brain work: believe, know, think, understand
Example: I did not understand him
.
introductory clauses for direct speech: answer, ask, reply, say
Example: I am watching TV, he said.
SIGNAL WORDS
SIMPLE PAST:first
then

PAST CONTINUOUS: when

while
as long as