Name: ____________________ Date: __________

Choose past simple or past continuous:

1) I __________ (sit) in a cafe when you __________ (call) .
2) When you __________ (arrive) at the party, who __________ (be) there?
3) Susie __________ (watch) a film when she __________ (hear) the noise.
4) Yesterday I __________ (go) to the library, next I __________ (have) a swim, later I
__________ (meet) Julie for coffee.
5) We __________ (play) tennis when John __________ (hurt) his ankle.
6) What __________ (they/do) at 10pm last night - it was really noisy?
7) He __________ (take) a shower when the telephone __________ (ring).
8) He __________ (be) in the shower when the telephone __________ (ring).
9) When I __________ (walk) into the room, everyone __________ (work).
10) It __________ (be) a day last September. The sun __________ (shine) and the birds
__________ (sing). I __________ (walk) along the street when I __________ (meet) an old
friend.
11) He __________ (live) in Russia when the Revolution __________ (start).
12) When her train __________ (get) to the station, we __________ (wait) on the platform.
13) He __________ (be) so annoying! He __________ (always leave) his things everywhere.
14) On holiday we __________ (visit) Rome, __________ (see) the Vatican, and __________
(spend) a few days at the beach.
15) Why __________ (stand) on a chair when I __________ (come) into the room?
16) They __________ (live) in Germany when they __________ (be) young.
17) At 7pm yesterday, we __________ (listen) to music.
18) When I __________ (leave) the house, it __________ (snow).
19) He __________ (work) in a bank when he __________ (meet) his wife.
20) What __________ (you/do) when I __________ (call) you last night?

Choose the correct past continuous and past simple forms to complete the sentences
below:

1) I was falling down/fell down while I went/was going down the stairs.

2) He drove/was driving very fast when he had/was having the accident.

Name: ____________________ Date: __________

3) It was snowing/snowed when we were leaving/left home.

4) I wasn't answering/didn't answer your call because I worked/was working.

5) This morning I was getting up/got up and I made/was making breakfast for everybody.

6) When I was seeing/saw her, she wore/was wearing a really nice purple dress.

7) Last Saturday we were getting up/got up late and we were missing/missed the train.

8) I didn't say/wasn't saying hello because you walked/were walking very fast.

9) I was sleeping/slept happily when a loud noise woke me up/was waking me up.

10) What did you do/were you doing when I was calling/called you last night?

Choose the correct past continuous and past simple forms for the gaps below:
1) After the conference, I _____ that a man _____ the walls of the building.

a. was seeing / was painting

b. saw / was painting
c. was seeing / painted

2) He was so angry that he _____ and _____.

a. was getting up / left

b. got up / was leaving
c. got up / left

3) I _____ the vase while I _____ the bookshelf.

a. broke / was cleaning

b. broke / cleaned
c. was breaking / was cleaning

4) As soon as we walked into the room, we _____ a noise. Someone ______ my computer.

a. heard / used
Name: ____________________ Date: __________

b. were hearing / used

c. heard / was using

5) The bus in which the football team ______ had an accident, but nobody ______.

a. were travelling / died

b. travelled / died
c. were travelling / were dying

6) I _____ the party, but Sonia _____ to leave.

a. was enjoying / was wanting

b. enjoyed / was wanting
c. was enjoying / wanted

7) The police _____ him while he ______ to escape.

a. caught / tried
b. caught / was trying
c. were catching / was trying

8) We _____ what to do, so we just called the police and ______.

a. didn't know / waited

b. weren't knowing / waited
c. didn't know / were waiting

9) When I last _____ her she ______ high-heeled shoes.

a. saw / wore
b. was seeing / was wearing
c. saw / was wearing

10) The sun _______, so we _____ our clothes and got into the water.

a. was shining / took off

b. shone / took off
c. shone / were taking off
Name: ____________________ Date: __________

Fill in the gaps with the correct past continuous and past simple forms of the verbs in
brackets:

When I 1 __________ (arrive) at the station, Raimond 2 __________ (wait) for me. He 3
__________ (wear) a nice black suit and he 4 __________ (hold) a red rose in his right hand.
When I 5 __________ (get off) the train, he 6 __________ (run) up to me and 7 __________
(kiss) me passionately.
It 8 __________ (rain) heavily so he 9 __________ (take off) his jacket and 10 __________
(put) it over my head. I 11 __________ (tell) Raimond to go to a café so that we could talk,
but he 12 __________ (insist) on going to another place.
While he 13 __________ (drive), I 14 __________ (throw) a look at him. He 15 __________
(smile), but he also 16 __________ (look) nervous.
He finally 17 __________ (stop) his car on the top of a hill with fantastic views. It was so
wonderful. We 18 __________ (get out) of the car, and he 19 __________ (kneel) in front of
me and 20 __________ (take) a ring out of his pocket. “Kathy, will you...” he said. “Listen,
Raimond, I want to break up with you,” I interrupted.