GRAMMAR

Tense revision

Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

The Past Continuous is used to talk about continuous actions which are interrupted by a
Past Simple action:

 I was having my breakfast when the police arrived.

It is also used for descriptions and to set the scene when telling a story:
A) Complete the sentences, setting the scene for a story.
 It was rainning hard as I walked down the road.
1) It ______________ foggier as we drove further into the forest. (get)
2) The sun_________________ when I woke up. (shine)
3) It ______________________ so hard that we decided to stay at home. (snow)
4) Alex ___________________ a newspaper in the library. (read)
5) The birds ____________________ in the early morning sunshine. (sing)

B) Complete the sentences, using the Past Simple and the Past Continuous.
1) I ________________ TV when the phone _______________. (watch, ring)
2) Keith ______________ a bath when the detective ____________. (have, arrived)
3) Alberto ______________ a leg when he ___________________ (break, ski)
4) Last night Lydia ______________ to the radio when she _______________ a strange noise
downstairs. (listen, hear)
5) Jim ______________ out of the tree while he _______________ (fall, climb)
6) While I _______________, I ______________ an old man lying on the ground. (wait, notice)
7) Rachel ______________ not to go out, because it ______________. (decide, rain)
8) The thief _________________ my purse while I _______________ at the shop window. (steal,
look)

Past Simple vs.

Present Perfect
 A) Complete the sentences using past simple, present perfect o present perfect continuos and the verbs
between the brackets.
1- Rafael ___________________________ shopping for me yesterday. (go)
2- Sandra ____________________________ her brother $200 so far. (lend)
3- Karen _____________________________Italian for three years now and is still studying. (study)
4- The headmaster _______________________ to the school in 1985 (come)
5- Jack ____________________________ to get a job for six months, but is still unemployed. (try)
6- The teacher ____________________________ him to be quiet. (already / tell)
7- Tim ___________________________________ many potos yet. (not / take)
8- They __________________________________in lov with each other ar first sight. (fall)
9- I don’t want a bath, thanks. I __________________________ a shower. (just / have)
10- I’m sorry, I _____________________________ your name. What is it? (forgot)

B) Complete the sentences with for (refers to a period of time) or since (refers to a fixed point in time)
1- I haven’t seen him ___________ ages.
2- Maria hasn’t played tennis _____________ last summer.
3- Bob and I have been friends ____________ years.
4- ___________ his birthday, Peter has been behaving rather strangely.
5- Mr. Brown worked in NY _________ ten weeks.
6- They waited outside the cinema _________ half an hour.
7- Peter has been in this country _________ January 27th 1990.
8- We lived in Paris _________ a long time before moving to Brussels.
9- I’ve been waiting for the doctor ________4.30
10- I’m sorry I haven’t written __________ so long.

VOCABULARY: Work

Complete the passage with some of these words. Do no t use any word or phrase more than once.