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Choose the correct verb form: mind the irregular verbs (answers below the exercise)

1 When I came / was coming home, my girlfriend taked / took / was taking a bath.

2 Where was / were you yesterday? I went / goed / was going to Paris with my parents.
3 My mom called / was calling me a few minutes ago.
4 When the phone rang / was ringing / ringed , he was talking / talked to a client.
5 The company carryed out / carried out / was carrying out a survey for us.
6 They offered / offerred / were offering / were offerring to pay back the money.
7 Last week we signed / were signing a new contract.
8 when I was / were / was being / were being young, I didn't liked / I didn't like / liked not /
was not liking pizza.
9 I waited / was waiting in the waiting room while the doctors operated / were operating /
was operating on her.
10 When he was / was being 15 years old he lived / was living in London.

1. My brother and sister _____ playing tennis at 11am yesterday.

 are
 was
 were

2. _____ you still working at 7pm last night?

 Were
 Are
 Was

3. At 8.30am today I _____ driving to work.

 was
 am
 were

4. We _____ sleeping when the police came.

 was
 weren't
 won't

5. Why _____ he having lunch at 4pm?

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 was
 does
 were

6. Was he not _____ his homework?

 doing
 do
 done

7. Snow _____ lightly. Suddenly a reindeer appeared.

 fell
 was falling
 is falling

8. Somebody threw a shoe at him _____ he was speaking.

 after
 when
 while

9. They ________ TV when I arrived.

 were watching
 were watched
 watched

10. I was reading a detective story _____ I heard a noise.

 during
 while
 when
 Q. We really(enjoy) the game last Sunday.
answer choices
enjoyed
enjoying
were enjoying
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  Question 2
 20 seconds
Q. The kids (play) in the garden when it suddenly began to rain.
answer choices
played
were playing
playing
  Question 3
 20 seconds
Q. They(not play) very well yesterday. They lost the match.
answer choices
weren't playing
not play
didn't play
wasn't playing
  Question 4
 20 seconds
Q. (Marco / win) the golf competition?
answer choices
Did Marco win
Was Marco winning
Win Marco
  Question 5
 20 seconds
Q. Jon and Bill were washing the car when they (see) their friend Alex
answer choices
were seeing
saw
did see
  Question 6
 30 seconds
Q. George (fall) off the ladder while he (paint) the ceiling.
answer choices
was falling, was painting
fell, painted
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was falling, painted

fell, was painting
  Question 7
 30 seconds
Q. Last night I (read) in the bed when I suddenly (hear) a scream.
answer choices
read, heard
was reading, heard
read, was hearing
was reading, was hearing
  Question 8
 30 seconds
Q. (you watch) TV when I (call) you?
answer choices
Were you watching, called
Did you watch, called
Were watching, was calling
Did you watch, was calling
  Question 9
 30 seconds
Q. I (not drive) very fast when the accident (happen).
answer choices
didn't drive, happened
didn't drive, was happening
wasn't driving, was happening
wasn't driving, happened
  Question 10
 30 seconds
Q. We (not go) out because it (rain).
answer choices
didn't go, was raining
wasn't going, rained
didn't go, rained
wasn't going, was raining
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  Question 11
 30 seconds
Q. We (see) an accident when we (wait) for the bus.
answer choices
saw, waited
saw, were waiting
were seeing, were waiting
were seeing, waited
  Question 12
 20 seconds
Q. The car (make) strange noises all the way home.
answer choices
made
was making
  Question 13
 20 seconds
Q. The children (sleep) all night.
answer choices
slept
were sleeping
  Question 14
 30 seconds
Q. Tom  (take) some photos when I  (play) in the garden.
answer choices
took, played
was taking, was playing
took, was playing
was taking, played
  Question 15
 30 seconds
Q. The cell phone  (ring) when I  (take) a shower.
answer choices
was ringing, was taking
was ringing, took
rang, was taking
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rang, took
  Question 16
 30 seconds
Q. When Mrs. Golan  (open) the door, her children  (do) their homework and her
husband  (read) the newspaper.
answer choices
opened, did, read
opened, were doing, was reading
was opening, did, read
was opening, were doing, was reading
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate past tense form.

1. I .................... with my son when you ....................

played, called

was playing, were calling

was playing, called

played, were calling

2. The doorbell .................... while I ..................... a bath.
rang, was having

was ringing, was having

was ringing. had

3. As I ........................ for bus, I ............................. Joe crossing the road.
waited, saw

was waiting, saw

waited, was seeing

4. Yesterday, I ....................... to the movies with my wife.
was going

went
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had gone
5. When I was a child, we ................ our own amusements.
were making

made

have made
6. When we .................... home, we discovered that water .......................... down the walls.
reached, ran

reached, was running

was reaching, was running

7. It ........................ while I .......................... in Mumbai.
was happening, was living

happened, was living

happened, lived
8. I .................... in Rome for ten years while I ................. a child.
lived, was

was living, was

lived, had been

9. I ......................... all day yesterday.
had slept

was sleeping
10. What ................................. at 11 pm last night?
did you do

were you doing

had you done

11. Who .......................... you that watch?
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was giving

gave

had given
12. When I ......................... into the office, everybody ...................
was walking

walked, worked

walked, was working

Level: Pre-intermediate and above
1. While I was working, he __ to music.

  listened

  was listening
2. When we went to Barcelona, we __ in a lovely hotel.

  stayed

  were staying
3. While I __ in London, I met my best friend.

  studied

  was studying
4. When I was at university, I __ someone very important.

  met

  was meeting
5. There's a story about a famous model who __ down the road when someone from a
modelling agency saw her.

  walked

  was walking
6. I clearly remember when I heard about the terrorist attacks. I __ in Rome at the time.

  was working
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  worked
7. This time last week we __ on the beach. Now look at the weather!

  sat

  were sitting
8. What __ yesterday when I called you?

  did you do

  were you doing

9. I __ a lot of interesting people when I lived in London.

  knew

  was knowing
10. Excuse me Mr Green! I __ we could talk about the new project today.

  hoped

  was hoping
Level: Pre-intermediate and above
1. While I was working, he __ to music.

  listened

  was listening
2. When we went to Barcelona, we __ in a lovely hotel.

  stayed

  were staying
3. While I __ in London, I met my best friend.

  studied

  was studying
4. When I was at university, I __ someone very important.

  met

  was meeting
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5. There's a story about a famous model who __ down the road when someone from a
modelling agency saw her.

  walked

  was walking
6. I clearly remember when I heard about the terrorist attacks. I __ in Rome at the time.

  was working

  worked
7. This time last week we __ on the beach. Now look at the weather!

  sat

  were sitting
8. What __ yesterday when I called you?

  did you do

  were you doing

9. I __ a lot of interesting people when I lived in London.

  knew

  was knowing
10. Excuse me Mr Green! I __ we could talk about the new project today.

  hoped

  was hoping

Q1. Which sentence makes more sense?

I had a bath when the phone rang last night.

I was having a bath when the phone rang last night.

Q2. Which sentence makes more sense?

How fast did he drive when the accident happened?

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How fast was he driving when the accident happened?

Q3. Which sentence makes more sense?

The students stopped talking when the teacher walked into the room.

The students were stopping talking when the teacher walked into the

room.

Q4. Which sentence makes more sense?

We had a picnic when it began to rain.

We were having a picnic when it began to rain.

Q5. Which sentence makes more sense?

We ran to the car to keep dry when it started to rain.

We were running to the car to keep dry when it began to rain.

Q6. Which sentence makes more sense?

When you called last night I did my homework.

When you called last night I was doing my homework.

Q7. Which sentence makes more sense?

Did you listen to me? - Yes. You asked me if I had done my

homework.
Were you listening to me? - Yes. You asked me if I had done my
homework.
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Q8. Which sentence makes more sense?

What did you do when the dog ran into the room? - I jumped out of
the window.
What were you doing when the dog ran into the room? - I was
jumping out of the window.

Q9. Which sentence makes more sense?

What did you do when the dog ran into the room? - I looked up a word
in my dictionary.
What were you doing when the dog ran into the room? - I was looking
up a word in my dictionary.

Q10. Which sentence makes more sense?

While he held the old vase, he dropped it.

While he was holding the old vase, he dropped it.

Q11. Which sentence makes more sense?

It rained heavily while I ran for the bus.

It was raining heavily while I ran for the bus.

Q12. Which sentence makes more sense?

The train just came into the station when we arrived on the platform.

The train was just coming into the station when we arrived on the

platform.

Q13. Which sentence makes more sense?

He broke his leg while riding his bike at the weekend.

He was breaking his leg while riding his bike at the weekend.

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Q14. Which sentence makes more sense?

While I was watching TV, someone knocked on the window.

While I was watching TV, someone was knocking on the window.

Q15. Which sentence makes more sense?

No wonder she fell off her bike. She didn’t look where she was going.

No wonder she fell off her bike. She wasn’t looking where she was
going.

Q16. Which sentence makes more sense?

My friend didn’t wait for me when I arrived late.

My friend wasn’t waiting for me when I arrived late.

Q17. Which sentence makes more sense?

When did he have the accident? - As he was climbing up the ladder.

When was he having the accident? - As he was climbing up the ladder.

Q18. Which sentence makes more sense?

I read a book when she sent me an SMS.

I was reading a book when she sent me an SMS.

Q19. Which sentence makes more sense?

Did you eat lunch when the fire alarm rang?

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Were you eating lunch when the fire alarm rang?

Q20. Which sentence makes more sense?

It was a beautiful day. The sun shone and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in
the sky.