complete with past simple or past continuous

1. Jane (have) a wonderful time in Hawaii while her sister (work) in New
York.
2. Last night I (watch) 'Operacion Triunfo' on TV when the lights off (go)
3. What (you/do) yesterday when I you (call).
4. the children (sleep) when the rain (start)?
5. All the girls at the party (wear) jeans.
6. I (not listen) when she (give) the answer.

1) We (have) a walk, when we (see) Mary.

2) She (go) to the cinema, when the police (stop) her.
3) I (have) breakfast, when my brother (phone) me.
4) When the teacher (come) in, you (play) football in the classroom.
5) They (wait) for the bus, when it (start) raining.
6) The telephone (ring) while I (have) a bath.
7) The accident (happen) while Janet (cross) the road.
8) When my sister (call) me, I (have) a cup of tea.
9) You (wait) on the platform, when the train (arrive) .
10) When I (go) out, they (chat) on the Internet.
James Ellis (go) on a business trip last week. He (be) (visit) some customers in
Frankfurt. He (leave) home early on Monday morning and (take) a taxi to the airport. He
(get) there at about 8 o'clock. He (check in) and (go) to the airport lounge. He
(buy) a newspaper and (go) to get a coffee.

He (be) (drink) his coffee when he (see) an old friend, Bob. He (be) very
surprised that Bob (be) in London and (find out) that he (be) (start) a
new job in the city. As they (be) (speak) they (hear) an announcement. "Would
all passengers for the 9.30 flight to Frankfurt please go to boarding gate 10". James (say)
goodbye to Bob and as they (be) (leave) Bob (give) him his business card and
(ask) him to phone when he (return) from Frankfurt.

After (board) James (put) his briefcase in the overhead locker and (sit) down.
During the flight, James (do) some paper work and (speak) to the woman sitting next to
him, while they (be) (speak) the flight attendant (bring) breakfast. When the
plane (land) in London, it was almost 11 o'clock.

James (take) a train to his hotel. Then he (walk) to the customer's office. He (get)
there at 1.00 pm and (go) to the reception desk. The receptionist (ask) him to wait.
Whilst he (be) (wait) she (offer) him a drink. He and his customer (talk)
all afternoon. When Bob (get) to his hotel at 7 o'clock that night, he (phone) his wife and
then (go) to the hotel restaurant.

1. A: What (you, do) when the accident occurred?

B: I (try) to change a light bulb that had burnt out.

2. After I (find) the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately) to

the police and (turn) it in.

3. The doctor (say) that Tom (be) too sick to go to work and that
he (need) to stay at home for a couple of days.

4. Sebastian (arrive) at Susan's house a little before 9:00 PM, but she (be, not)
there. She (study, at the library) for her final
examination in French.

5. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she (watch, also)
television. That's all she ever does!

6. A: I (call) you last night after dinner, but you (be, not) there.
Where were you?
B: I (work) out at the fitness center.

7. When I (walk) into the busy office, the secretary (talk) on the
phone with a customer, several clerks (work, busily) at their desks, and two
managers (discuss, quietly) methods to improve customer service.

8. I (watch) a mystery movie on TV when the electricity went out. Now I am

never going to find out how the movie ends.

9. Sharon (be) in the room when John told me what happened, but she didn't
 hear anything because she (listen, not) .

10. It's strange that you (call) because I (think, just) about you.

11. The Titanic (cross) the Atlantic when it (strike) an iceberg.

12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants (bargain, busily)

and (try) to sell their goods to naive tourists who (hunt) for
souvenirs. Some young boys (lead) their donkeys through the narrow streets
on their way home. A couple of men (argue) over the price of a leather belt. I
(walk) over to a man who (sell) fruit and (buy) a
banana.

13. The firemen (rescue) the old woman who (be) trapped on the
third floor of the burning building.

14. She was so annoying! She (leave, always) her dirty dishes in the sink. I
think she (expect, actually) me to do them for her.

15. Samantha (live) in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live)
there when the Berlin Wall came down.
3. Use the past simple or past progressive to complete the sentences.
1. George (fall) off the ladder while he (paint) the ceiling.
2. Last night I (read) in the bed when I suddenly (hear) a scream.
3. you (you watch) TV when I (call) you?
4. Ann (wait) for me when I (arrive).
5. I (not drive) very fast when the accident (happen).
6. I (break) a plate last night. I (wash) the dishes when it
(slip) out of my hand.
7. Tom (take) some photos when I (play) in the garden.
8. We (not go) out because it (rain).
9. What (you do) last week?
10. I (see) Carol at the party. She (wear) a new dress.
11. The cell phone (ring) when I (take) a shower.
12. It (begin) to rain when I (walk) home.
13. We (see) an accident when we (wait) for the bus.
 14. The children (sleep) all night.
15. The car (make) strange noises all the way home.

Yesterday I (go) to the bus station to meet Jerry. When I (arrive) he

(sit) at the entrance. His bus (arrive) early.
2 What you (do) when I (try) to phone you last night?

We (leave) early and (drive) along when Mum (realise) she

3
(leave) the oven on.
4 We never (be) to Denmark before last year.
5 While I (do) the ironing, I (notice) a cat in the garden.
6 By the time she (get) back, they (finish) dinner.

Sam (play) tennis for a long time before our match yesterday. I (play)
7
very well and he (be) out of practice, so we (give) up the game and
(decide) to go for a drink instead.

The thieves (escape) from the building and (run) down the street before
8
the alarm (start).

Last week I (walk) down the street when a woman (catch) my arm. I
9
(turn) round to see Janet. She (recognise) me but I (see) her.

When I (get) home Graham (lie) on the bed. The DVD player (be) on
10 but he (watch) the film. He (fall) asleep and (snore) loudly. I
(turn) on the light and (switch) the machine off. Just then he (wake) up.

Last night, while I was doing my homework, Angela (call) . She said she (call)

me on her cell phone from her biology classroom at UCLA. I asked her if she (wait)

for class, but she said that the professor was at the front of the hall lecturing while she

(talk) to me. I couldn't believe she (make) a phone call during the lecture.
I asked what was going on.

She said her biology professor was so boring that several of the students (sleep, actually)

in class. Some of the students (talk) about their plans for the

weekend and the student next to her (draw) a picture of a horse. When Angela (tell)

me she was not satisfied with the class, I (mention) that my biology

professor was quite good and (suggest) that she switch to my class.
While we were talking, I (hear) her professor yell, "Miss, are you making a phone call?"

Suddenly, the line went dead. I (hang) up the phone and went to the kitchen to make

dinner. As I (cut) vegetables for a salad, the phone rang once again. It (be)

Angela, but this time she wasn't sitting in class.

Last night, while I was doing my homework, Angela (call) . She said she (call)

me on her cell phone from her biology classroom at UCLA. I asked her if she (wait)

for class, but she said that the professor was at the front of the hall lecturing while she

(talk) to me. I couldn't believe she (make) a phone call during the lecture.
I asked what was going on.

She said her biology professor was so boring that several of the students (sleep, actually)

in class. Some of the students (talk) about their plans for the

weekend and the student next to her (draw) a picture of a horse. When Angela (tell)

me she was not satisfied with the class, I (mention) that my biology

professor was quite good and (suggest) that she switch to my class.

While we were talking, I (hear) her professor yell, "Miss, are you making a phone call?"

Suddenly, the line went dead. I (hang) up the phone and went to the kitchen to make

dinner. As I (cut) vegetables for a salad, the phone rang once again. It (be)

Angela, but this time she wasn't sitting in class.

John and Paul (live) in a nice house at the seaside. It (be) a great place to live, especially if

the weather (be) nice.

Sometimes they (sit) in Paul's bedroom and (look) out of the window.

If the weather (be) good they (can / see) all sorts of things - the lighthouse across the

bay, children who (run) around on the beach, (swim) in the sea and

(build) sandcastles. If they (be) lucky they (can / also/ see) lots of
different ships.

One day they (sit) on Paul's sofa and (look) out of the window, when suddenly

they (hear) a terrible noise. They (look) up into the sky and (see) an aeroplane
which (come) towards them and which (burn). Then they (see) it crash

straight into the sea. A few seconds later they also (see) the pilot, but he (come)
down with his parachute.

The boys (run) to the telephone and (call) for help. A few minutes later they (see) a

helicopter which (fly) around and (look) for the pilot. Luckily they (find)

him and (pull) him out of the water with a special rope.

A few days later, the pilot (come) round to the boys' house and (give) them a reward for
saving his life.

1. While I (drive) into town I (see) a bad accident.

2. The pigs (run) away while the farmer (milk) the cows.

3. While John and Mary (watch) TV their mother (come) into the room

and (turn) the TV off.

4. I (open) the door and (walk) into the house.

5. I (make) lunch when the children (come) home from school.

6. While I (tidy) up my bedroom John (do) his homework.

7. The Smiths (walk) around town when it (start) to rain.

8. The children (run) wild when their mother (come) home.

9. My father (put) the car away when the dog (run) in front of it.

10. I (have) a nice cup of tea when the phone (ring).

2. Fill in the blanks with the correct tense (simple past or past progressive).

4. 1. While I TV, the doorbell . (watch/ring)

2. Jack his presentation when the fire alarm .

(finish/start)
3. Just as I my front door, a cat inside. (open/run)

4. My mom me while I dinner. (telephone/eat)

5. While I to work, I an accident. (walk/witness)

6. When the mailman ,I my exercises. (come/do)

7. When I , my alarm clock . (wake up/ring)

8. Peter me while I on the train. (phone/sit)

9. While I out the window, it to rain. (look/start)

10. As I the building, a police car through the gate.

(leave/drive)