Past Continuous and Past Simple.

We often use the past continuous and the past simple in the same sentence, especially
whentell stories. The past continuous forms a background for the main action, which comes in
the simple past. The simple past refers to a shorter action or event that happened in the
middle of the longer action presented by the past continuous.
1/ Complete the sentences with the correct tenses: simple past or past continuous.

I ____________________________ (dial) my friend’s number to tell her I _______ (be) late

when the doorbell unexpectedly _______________(ring). It ____________________(be) Kate, my

friend.

She ___________________(wear) her green T-shirt and her yellow shorts.

I ______________________ (ask) her to come in and watch TV for some

minutes so that I _________ (can) finish getting ready to go to our school

football match. I ______________________(brush) my hair back into a pony tail

very carefully when Kate ________________

(shout), ‘ Let’s go Sally. It’s late. Hurry up!’ .

Half an hour later we _____________________(play) football and

the score ____________________(be) 1-1. Suddenly, as I
______________________(run) towards the ball, I ____________(fall) and my boot
_________________(come) off. Everybody ________________ (look) at the boot as it
__________________(fly) through the air, __________(hit) the ball and then the ball
______________(go) into the goal! The referee ___________(blow) his whistle and our team
_______________(win) the game. That __________(be) a very lucky day although nobody
________________(notice) my pony tail!

2/ Put the verbs in colour into the correct form.

1. Cinderella ....................................... play in the garden

when her mother ........................................... die.

2. Cinderella ......................................... sit by her mother’s

grave when her father .................................. arrive with his new wife.

3. When Cinderella’s father .......................................... die

 her stepmother .................................. make a maid of her.

4. Cinderella ...................................... make breakfast when the news of the royal ball ..................................
arrive.
5. The stepsisters .................................. practise singing when Cinderella .................................. knock at the
door.
6. While Cinderella ....................................... clean the house the little mice .................................. sew her a
dress.
7. Cinderella just .................................................................. stand while her stepsisters .................................. tear
her dress to pieces.
8. Cinderella .................................. cry in the garden when her fairy grandmother ..................................
appear.
9. While the duke .................................. introduce the princesses to the prince he .................................. yawn.
10. Cinderella and the prince .................................. dance when the clock .................................. strike 12.
11. While Cinderella ................................................. run down the stairs she .................................. lose her shoe.
12. When the prince ................................................. find Cinderella again he .................................. marry her
immediately.

3/ Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past continuous of the verbs in brackets.

1. I ____________ (watch) TV when she ____________(call).

2. Sam ____________(wait) for us when we ____________(arrive).

3. ____________she____________(drive) fast when she ____________(crash)?
4. The last time I ____________(see) Daniel he ____________(work).
5. He ____________(break) his leg while he ____________(skate).
6. Emily ____________talk) on the phone when I ____________(come) in.
7. I____________(not answer) the phone because I ____________(study).
8. While the teacher ____________ (talk), he ____________ (look) outside.
9. When my sister ____________(be) younger, she ____________ (not like) soup.
10. He ____________(make) a lot of friends while he ____________(live) in the US.
11. I____________ (miss) the bus because I ____________(sleep).
12. They ____________(not pay) attention when the teacher ____________(call) them.
13. When I ____________(see) her, she ____________(stand) at the bus stop.
14. When I ____________ (check) my passport, I ____________ (notice) that it ____________(be) no longer
valid.
15. While Charles ____________(read) the newspaper, the kids ____________(play) football in the garden.
4/ Fill in the correct verb:

1. I ________ (see) a very interesting film yesterday.

2. We always ________ (play) volley-ball at school.
3. They ________ (visit) London two years ago.
4. She often ________ (help) her mother at home.
5. Tom _________ (win) the championship last week.
6. Lana, you always ________ (come) in time!
7. We ________ (write) the test yesterday.
8. I always ________ (send) SMS to my friends.
9. My mother usually ________ (come) home at 5 o’clock.
10. The girls ________ (find) that game yesterday.
11. I often ________ (listen) to this wonderful song.
12. He ________ (not help) me with the text yesterday.
13. Liz ________ (not want) to go to the disco club today.
14. We _______ (not take part) in the performance yesterday.
15. Ben ________ (not often use) his vocabulary in the test.
16. The boys ________ (not play) football last Sunday.
17. The girls ________ (not want) to stay in the gym today.
18. I ________ (not often read) books.
18. We ________ (not go) to Madrid last Saturday.
20. Pam ________ (not like) to run at all.
21. Mona ________ (not do) her homework yesterday.
22. ________ you (go) to the gym every day?
23. ________ he (write) the test yesterday?
24. ________ they (win) the game last week?
25. ________ they often (do) their homework?
26. ________ she (win) a gold or a silver medal last Sunday?
27. ________ he (use) his gadgets every day?
28. ________ you (swim) in the swimming pool every day?
29. ________ they (swim) in the swimming pool yesterday?
30. ________ you always (play) computer games?
31. ________ you (play) computer games yesterday?
32. ________ he (go) to the sports club every day?
 Fill in the correct verb:

1. Pam …………… one 2. There ……………… many 3. Dad …………… in the 4. “How many hens ………… Sue
today. She …………… two pupils with Mrs White today, dining room. He ………… got?” “She …………………
balloons. only three. in the kitchen. three”.

5. “How many children 6. Mum ………………… 7. Our neighbours’ house 8. Sushi ……………… from
………the Smiths………?” some new shoes. They ………… for sale. China. It …………… from Japan.
“They ……………… two. …………… yellow.
They …………… twins”.

9. Albert …………… in 10. “Where …………… you 11. Ken …………… blind. 12. “What …………… it?” “It
love. now?” “We …………… in He …………… a guide ……………… a pink button”.
the living room”. dog.

13. Grandma’s hair 14. “…………… there any 15. “What colour ………… 16. This …………… my favourite
………… grey. She ……… biscuits left, mum?” “Yes, Kim’s balloon?” “It……… dessert: strawberries and cream.
curly, blonde hair. there ……………” yellow.”