complete with past simple or past continuous

had w as w orking

1. Jane (have) a wonderful time in Hawaii while her sister (work) in New
York.
w as w atching w ent

2. Last night I (watch) 'Operacion Triunfo' on TV when the lights off (go)
w ere you doing called

3. What (you/do) yesterday when I you (call).

Were sleeping started

4. the children (sleep) when the rain (start)?

w ere w earing

5. All the girls at the party (wear) jeans.

w asn't listening gave

6. I (not listen) when she (give) the answer.

w ere havin saw

1) We (have) a walk, when we (see) Mary.
w as going stopped
2) She (go) to the cinema, when the police (stop) her.
w as having phoned
3) I (have) breakfast, when my brother (phone) me.
came w ere playin
4) When the teacher (come) in, you (play) football in the classroom.
w ere w aiti started
5) They (wait) for the bus, when it (start) raining.
rang w as having
6) The telephone (ring) while I (have) a bath.
happened w as cross
7) The accident (happen) while Janet (cross) the road.
called w as having
8) When my sister (call) me, I (have) a cup of tea.
w ere w aiti arrived
9) You (wait) on the platform, when the train (arrive) .
w as going w ere chatting
10) When I (go) out, they (chat) on the Internet.
w en w as visiting
James Ellis (go) on a business trip last week. He (be) (visit) some customers in Frankfurt.
left took got
He (leave) home early on Monday morning and (take) a taxi to the airport. He (get) there at
checked w en w ent
about 8 o'clock. He (check in) and (go) to the airport lounge. He (buy) a newspaper
w en
and (go) to get a coffee.

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

boarded put sat

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

took w alked got

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

w ere you doing

1. A: What (you, do) when the accident occurred?
w as trying
B: I (try) to change a light bulb that had burnt out.

found immediately w ent

2. After I (find) the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately) to the police and
turned
(turn) it in.

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

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

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

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

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

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

called just thinked

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

w as crossing struck
11. The Titanic (cross) the Atlantic when it (strike) an iceberg.

w ere busily bargaining

12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants (bargain, busily) and (try)
trying w ere hunting
to sell their goods to naive tourists who (hunt) for souvenirs. Some young boys
w ere leading
(lead) their donkeys through the narrow streets on their way home. A couple of men (argue)
w ere arguing w as w alking w as selling
over the price of a leather belt. I (walk) over to a man who (sell)
bought
fruit and (buy) a banana.

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

w as alw ays leavin

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

lived w as living
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.

fell w as painting
1. George (fall) off the ladder while he (paint) the ceiling.
w as reading heard
2. Last night I (read) in the bed when I suddenly (hear) a scream.
Were w atching called
3. you (you watch) TV when I (call) you?
w as w aiting arrived
4. Ann (wait) for me when I (arrive).
w asn't driv happened
5. I (not drive) very fast when the accident (happen).
broke w as w ashing sliped
6. I (break) a plate last night. I (wash) the dishes when it (slip) out of my
hand.
w as taking w as playing
7. Tom (take) some photos when I (play) in the garden.
didn't go rained
8. We (not go) out because it (rain).
w ere you doin
9. What (you do) last week?
saw w as w earing
10. I (see) Carol at the party. She (wear) a new dress.
rang w as taking
11. The cell phone (ring) when I (take) a shower.
began w as w alkin
12. It (begin) to rain when I (walk) home.
 saw w ere w aiti
13. We (see) an accident when we (wait) for the bus.
slept
14. The children (sleep) all night.
w as makin
15. The car (make) strange noises all the way home.

w ent arrived
Yesterday I (go) to the bus station to meet Jerry. When I (arrive) he
w as sitting arrived
(sit) at the entrance. His bus (arrive) early.
w ere doing tried
2 What you (do) when I (try) to phone you last night?
w ere lea driving realised
We (leave) early and (drive) along when Mum (realise) she
3
left
(leave) the oven on.
4 We w ere w as
never (be) to Denmark before last year.
5 While I w as doing noticed
(do) the ironing, I (notice) a cat in the garden.
6 By the time she got w ere finishing
(get) back, they (finish) dinner.
played w as playing
Sam (play) tennis for a long time before our match yesterday. I (play)
7 w as be gave decided
very well and he (be) out of practice, so we (give) up the game and
(decide) to go for a drink instead.
escaped ran
The thieves (escape) from the building and (run) down the street
8
started
before the alarm (start).
w as w alking cought
Last week I (walk) down the street when a woman (catch) my arm. I
9
turned w as recognisin w as seeing
(turn) round to see Janet. She (recognise) me but I (see) her.
got w as lying w as be
When I (get) home Graham (lie) on the bed. The DVD player (be) on
w as w atching w as falling w as snoring
10 but he (watch) the film. He (fall) asleep and (snore)
turned sw itched w as w
loudly. I (turn) on the light and (switch) the machine off. Just then he
(wake) up.
w as calling called
Last night, while I was doing my homework, Angela (call) . She said she (call) me
w as w aiting
on her cell phone from her biology classroom at UCLA. I asked her if she (wait) for class, but
w as talking
she said that the professor was at the front of the hall lecturing while she (talk) to me. I
w as making
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)
w ere actually sleeping w ere talking
in class. Some of the students (talk) about their plans for the weekend
w as draw ing told
and the student next to her (draw) a picture of a horse. When Angela (tell) me
w as mentioning
she was not satisfied with the class, I (mention) that my biology professor was quite good and
 w as suggestin
(suggest) that she switch to my class.

heard
While we were talking, I (hear) her professor yell, "Miss, are you making a phone call?"
w as hanging
Suddenly, the line went dead. I (hang) up the phone and went to the kitchen to make dinner.
w as cutting w as
As I (cut) vegetables for a salad, the phone rang once again. It (be) Angela, but
this time she wasn't sitting in class.

lived w as
John and Paul (live) in a nice house at the seaside. It (be) a great place to live, especially if the
w as being
weather (be) nice.
sat looked
Sometimes they (sit) in Paul's bedroom and (look) out of the window.
w as being could see
If the weather (be) good they (can / see) all sorts of things - the lighthouse across the bay,
w ere runni sw iming building
children who (run) around on the beach, (swim) in the sea and (build)
w ere could also see
sandcastles. If they (be) lucky they (can / also/ see) lots of different ships.
w ere sitting w ere lookin
One day they (sit) on Paul's sofa and (look) out of the window, when suddenly they
heard looked saw
(hear) a terrible noise. They (look) up into the sky and (see) an aeroplane which
w as coming w as burning saw
(come) towards them and which (burn). Then they (see) it crash straight into the
saw w as coming
sea. A few seconds later they also (see) the pilot, but he (come) down with his parachute.
w ere running called saw
The boys (run) to the telephone and (call) for help. A few minutes later they (see) a
w as flying w as lookin found
helicopter which (fly) around and (look) for the pilot. Luckily they (find) him and
pulled
(pull) him out of the water with a special rope.
came gave
A few days later, the pilot (come) round to the boys' house and (give) them a reward for saving
his life.

w as driving saw
1. While I (drive) into town I (see) a bad accident.

ran w as milking
2. The pigs (run) away while the farmer (milk) the cows.

w ere w atching w as coming turned

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

w as opening w as w alking
4. I (open) the door and (walk) into the house.

w as makin came
5. I (make) lunch when the children (come) home from school.
 w as tidying w as doing
6. While I (tidy) up my bedroom John (do) his homework.

w as w alking started
7. The Smiths (walk) around town when it (start) to rain.

w ere running came

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

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

had rang
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).

w as w atching rang
4. 1. While I TV, the doorbell . (watch/ring)

w as finishing started
2. Jack his presentation when the fire alarm . (finish/start)

w as opening w as running
3. Just as I my front door, a cat inside. (open/run)

w as telephoning w as eatting
4. My mom me while I dinner. (telephone/eat)

w as w alking w itnessed
5. While I to work, I an accident. (walk/witness)

came w as doing
6. When the mailman , I my exercises. (come/do)

w oke up w as ringing
7. When I , my alarm clock . (wake up/ring)

w as phoning w as sitting
8. Peter me while I on the train. (phone/sit)

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

w as leaving w as driving
10. As I the building, a police car through the gate. (leave/drive)