Past simple

1. Choose a verb form from the box and complete

each sentence. Put the verb in the Past Simple. Use
each verb once.
fly
pass play
win
leave send meet
drive visit
go
a. Jane . to Madrid.
b. You your exams.
c. He golf at the club yesterday morning.
d. The Italian team the match.
e. The train the station at five oclock
yesterday evening.
f. Mario .me an e-mail from France.
g. John .Helen yesterday morning.
h. They to Scotland.
i. I .. my sister in Murcia last week.
j. I . to Spain three years ago.
2. Make questions from these statements. Start your
question with Did .
a. Mary cooked the meal.

b. He left the office at four oclock

c. He travelled to Paris last week.

d. Anne drank a glass of water.

e. They lived in Chester.

f. Julia improved her Spanish.

g. John took the bus early this morning.

h. Colin gave up smoking at the beginning of this year.

3. Make sentences of exercise 2 into negative form.

a).
b).
c).
d).
e).
f)....
g).
h).

Past continuous
1. Look at Anns diary. What was she doing on Friday
afternoon and evening? Pay attention to the example
and change the possessive adjectives when
necessary.
4:00 p.m. wash my hair
5:30 p.m. drink a cup of tea
6:15 p.m. speak to manager on the phone
6:55 p.m. put on my green coat
7:20 p.m. take a taxi
7:45 p.m. meet Joe at the restaurant
e.g. At four oclock she was washing her hair.
a. (5:30 p.m.)
__________________________________________
b. (6:15 p.m.)
__________________________________________
c. (6:55 p.m.)
__________________________________________
d. (7:20 p.m.)
__________________________________________
e. (7:45 p.m.)
__________________________________________
2. Write sentences with WHILE to link two
simultaneous actions.
e.g. Julie / smile / Tommy and Sally / talk to her
Julie was smiling while Tommy and Sally were talking
to her.
a. She / get out of the cab / the taxi driver / hold door
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
b. A man / clean windows / Julie speak to her husband
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
c. The sun / shine / photographers / take photos
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
d. Andy / talk about horses / his parents / watch TV
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
e. My friends / sleep / I / do an exam
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
3. Write sentences using the past continuous.
e.g. Joe / not play / computer games / at nine oclock
last night.
Joe wasnt playing computer games at nine oclock last
night.
a. Mike and Mandy / listen / to music at the party
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

4. Correct the mistakes.

1. The doctor didnt came yesterday
2. My sister studied for the exam last night
3. We couldnt find our books
4. The car broke down.
5. Did you readed the newspaper
6. It start to rain at 8 oclock
7. We didnt know the answer..
5. Write questions for these answers.
Ex: When did you meet her? I met her last night.
1?
We went to Alicante five days ago.
2...?
She bought in 1995.
3. .?
No, I didnt.
4...?
Yes, we did.
5. .?
I ate fish and chips.
6. Arrange the order of these sentences.
Ex: went in we Italy February skiing
We went skiing in Italy in February
a) see you Scream did film the ?

b) two bought me she tickets for

c) a lived the flat man in small

d) night plane very the arrived on late Friday

7. Translate these sentences into English.

1. Los nios no tenan hambre.
.
2. La mujer tena fro.
.
3. Mi madre no trabaj ayer.

4. El telfono son a las cinco.

.
5. Viste a tus amigos?
.
6. La semana pasada llovi mucho

b. My parents / not have / supper / with me / at a

quarter past seven yesterday
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
c. you / watch / TV / at Nicks house / on Saturday
night?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
d. Yesterday morning / it / not rain / but / it / snow
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
e. Sam / do / his homework / at five oclock last
Monday?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
4. Answer the following questions. More than one
answer may be correct.
e.g. What were you doing at seven oclock yesterday
evening?
I was doing my homework. OR I was watching TV.
a. What were you doing at half past seven this
morning?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
b. Was it raining yesterday afternoon?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
c. What were you and your classmates studying in
class at 9 a.m. yesterday?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
d. Were your friends watching a film at 10 p.m. last
Saturday night?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
e. Where were you going after school last Wednesday?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

Past Simple & Past Continuous

Signal
words

PAST SIMPLE: first, when, then.

PAST CONTINUOUS: when, while, as long as.

1. Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Continuous).
1. While Tom .(read) , Amely ... (watch) a documentary on TV.
2. Marvin . (come) home, (switch) on the computer and (check) his emails.
3. The thief (sneak) into the house, .(steal) the jewels and
.(leave) without a trace.
4. Nobody .(listen) while the teacher (explain) the tenses.
5. While we (do) a sight-seeing tour, our friends.. (lie) on the beach.
6. He (wake) up and (look) at his watch.
2. Put the verbs into the correct tense.
1. The receptionist ..(welcome) the guests and .(ask) them to fill in the form.
2. The car .(break) down and we .(have) to walk home.
3. The boys (swim) while the girls . (sunbathe) .
4. My father ..(come) in, (look) around and
.(tell) me to tidy up my room.
5. As long as one group .(prepare) dinner, the others .(collect)
wood for their campfire.
6. While the parents ...(have) breakfast, their children ..(run) about.
7. Martha (turn) off the lights and (go) to bed.
3. Put the verbs into the correct tense.
1. We (wait) for Jane, when suddenly Louis (come) around the corner.
2. I (cycle) through the park, when I .(hear) a strange noise.
3. He .(pass) her a message when the teacher (look / not) .
4. I (fall) asleep while I ..(watch) TV last night.
5. When Mike and Jane. (paint) the walls, their dog ...(knock) over the paint pot.
6. Tom (break) his leg when he (play) frisbee.
7. The phone .(ring) when I (sit) on the toilet.
4. Put the verbs into the correct tense.
1. I ..(jog) in the park, when two squirrels ..(cross) my way.
2. Robert .(fall) off the ladder when he .(pick) cherries.
3. Archimedes .(discover) the theory of buoyancy while he .(take) a bath.
4. When we .. (travel) around Ireland, we ..(meet) some very nice people.
5. While she (speak) on the phone, the milk (boil) over.
6. When I (leave) the house this morning, the sun ..(shine) .
7. Caroline ..(burn) her hand when she .. (iron) her clothes.

5. Put the verbs into the correct tense.

A: What ..(do / you) yesterday at 8 pm?
B: I (sit) in the pub with Sam. Why?
A: I (drive) to the sports centre at that time to play squash with a few friends. As we
.(be) only three players, I (try) to ring you to ask if you would
like to come as well. But I (reach / not) you at home.
B: Why (ring / not / you) my mobile?
A: I actually (want) to ring your mobile, but by accident I ..
(dial) William's number. He (do / not) anything special at that moment and really
(like) the idea of playing squash with us.
6. Put the verbs into the correct tense.
1. When I (do) the washing-up, I (break) a plate.
2. While Tom (play) the piano, his mother .(do) the washing-up.
3 .He (drink) some juice and then he.. (eat) a few chips.
4. I .(have) dinner when I suddenly .(hear) a loud bang.
5 .When my father (work) in the garden, an old friend ..(pass) by to see him.
6. She (go) to school, .(take) out her textbook and
.(begin) to learn.
7. When it (start) to rain, our dog.(want) to come inside.
8. When Jane (do) a language course in Ireland, she ..(visit) Blarney
Castle.
9. When I ..(be) on my way home, I. (see) an accident.
10. I .(not / understand) what they .(talk) about.
7. Put the verbs into the correct tense.
1. When I .(get) up yesterday, the sun (shine) .
2. It ..(be) a beautiful morning.
3. So I (decide) to cycle around a little.
4. I .. (go) to the shed and (take) out my bike.
5. While I.. (cycle) past some villages, I .. (see) some people in
their gardens.
6. One man .(mow) the grass while his wife.. (pick) strawberries.
7. After one hour of cycling in sunshine, a big fat raincloud suddenly ..(appear) and it
(start) to rain.
8. Luckily, a farmer (notice) me and (tell) me to
come in.
9. While it (rain) outside, I (sit) in the farmer's house.
10. After a while, the sun ..(come) out again.
11. I ..(thank) the farmer for his hospitality and .(move)
on.