Past Indefinite Tense & Past Continuous Tense

Past Indefinite Tense & Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous Tense

Complete the sentences with the past progressive:
1. The girls  (play) cards.
2. Greg  (look) for his wallet.
3. Mr Miller  (not wash) his car.
4. Susan  (do) her homework.
5. They  (not play) football yesterday afternoon.
6. I  (wait) for her in the park.
7. Carol and I  (have) dinner when he arrived.
8. We  (play) the guitar when she entered.
9. Tom  (not swim) in the pool.
10. The boys  (cycle) home from school.
11. She  (work) in her office.
12. I  (not learn) the new words.
13. Ann  (lie) on the beach.
14. We  (sit) on the bench for a long time.
15. He  (phone) his aunt.


Write down the past progressive of the verbs in brackets:
1. We  (write) the essay together.
2. Frank  (prepare) breakfast.
3. Mrs Summers  (not listen) to him.
4. Daniel  (do) the shopping.
5. They  (not read) the book.
6. I  (have) a shower.
7. He  (not watch) TV.
8. We  (swim) in the sea.
9. Tom and I  (vist) the castle.
10. The sun  (shine).
11. She  (clean) the windows.
12. I  (show) them most of the sights.
13. Ann  (not take) a lot of photos.
14. We  (play) voleyball on the beach.
15. They  (talk) to their neighbours.

Use the past progressive to complete the sentences:
1. They  cards. (play)
2. I  the floor. (sweep)
3. Sam  the newspaper. (read)
4. A lot of children  at the station. (wait)
5. Mum  in her office. (work)
6. He  to school. (walk)
7. When they looked at her, she . (smile)
8. We  outside when it started to rain. (play)
9. The boys  their favourite TV series. (watch)
10. I  yesterday afternoon. (not work)
11. Tim and Maggie  in the sun. (sit)
12.  in the sea? (you swim)
13. They  their house. (decorate)
14. Nora  leaflets. (hand out)
15.  on the beach? (he relax)

Past Indefinite Tense & Past Continuous Tense

I. Complete the sentences with the past simple or progressive:
1. When I  to school, I  John. (walk/see)
2. When I  in the kitchen, Mary . (help/come)
3. While she  the soup, the children . (cook/play)
4. While they  cards, the baby . (play/sleep)
5. When I  in the garden, my uncle . (work/call)
6. Carol  TV while Bob and Peter  football. (watch/play)
7. When she  her hair, the baby  to cry. (wash/begin)
8. A strong wind  when the plane . (blow/land)
9. When she  tennis, it  to rain. (play/began)
10. When I  TV, the lights  out. (watch/go)
11. While he  the piano, she  to him. (play/listen)
12. While she  up her room, he  his car. (tidy/wash)
13. The boys  in the garden while she  the flowers. (help/water)
14. He  Mary when he  through the park. (meet/walk)
15. We  computer games while she  a book. (play/read)

II. 1. They  (have) tea when the doorbell  (ring).
2. Father  (smoke) his pipe while mother  (read) a magazine.
3. While he  (mow) the lawn, it  (start) to rain.
4. He  (have) breakfast when the toaster  (blow) up.
5. When I  (come) into the office, my boss  (wait) for me.
6. When we  (see) Brian, he  (drive) a taxi.
7. Father  (wait) in the car while mother  (do) the shopping.
8. When he  (arrive), we  (have) dinner.
9. While they  (play) chess, we  (go) shopping.
10. They  (have) a party while he  (sleep).
11. He  (take) a photo when I  (feed) the ducks.
12. They  (play) football when the lights in the stadium  (go) out.
13. While George and John  (clean) their room, she  (do) the ironing.
14. Sam  (do) the ironing when Jack  (phone) her.
15. We  (wait) at Victoria station when the train  (arrive).

III. Past simple or past progressive - write down the correct form:

1. They  (play) cards when the postman  (come).
2. I  (sweep) the floor when I  (hear) a noise.
3. She  (watch) TV when the doorbell  (ring).
4. We  (hear) a cry and  (run) into the kitchen.
5. First Sam  (buy) the newspaper, and then he  (take) the plane to Chicago.
6. Susan and Sally  (play) tennis when it  (begin) to rain.
7. I think she  (wear) her new hat when I  (see) her at the zoo.
8. A lot of children  (wait) at the station when the star  (arrive).
9. They  (have) their supper when they  (hear) about the accident.
10. When the phone  (ring), mum  (work) in the garden.
11. Sally  (take) a photo when I  (dance).
12. They  (read) a book when the lights  (go) out.
13. While George  (repair) his bike, Bill  (play) computer games.
14. We  (talk) about the movie while we  (walk) home.
15. They  (forget) our lunch at home last Friday.

IV. Complete the sentences. Decide if you need the simple past or the past progressive:
1. I  (look) out of the window and  (see) John.
2. I  (help) to peel the potatoes when Mary  (come) in.
3. The sun  (rise) when we  (reach) the hill.
4. He  (laugh) and  (clap) his hand.
5. While they  (sing), he  (play) the piano.
6. A heavy wind  (blow) when the helicopter  (land).
7. We  (go) to the church when the bell  (start) to ring.
8. While the police  (drive) to the house, the burglars  (put) the paintings into their bags.
9. Father  (smoke) his pipe while mother  (read) a book.
10. The baby  (start) to cry when she  (do) the washing up.
11. While he  (walk) through the park, he  (meet) Phil.
12. When they  (walk) through the wood, they  (see) the stolen car.
13. Although the pianist  (play) wonderfully, a guest  (fall) asleep.
14. She  (brush) her hair while he  (put) on his clothes.
15. When they  (walk) through the shopping centre, he  (promise) to buy her a ring.

V. Fill in past simple or past progressive:
1. When Mrs. Golan  (open) the door, her children  (do) their homework and her husband  (read) the newspaper.
2. What  you  (do) yesterday morning? I  (study) for an exam.
3.  he  (arrive) to the meeting last Friday?
4.  they  (paint) the walls when your mother  (come) home?
5. While Dan  (repair) the car, his sister  (work) in the garden.
6. They  (watch) television when the lights  (go) out.
7. While mother  (hang) up the clothes, her two daughters  (wash) the dishes.
8. Tom  (water) the flowers when it  (start) to rain.
9. She  (talk) on the phone when I  (arrive).
10. I  (read) a book when you  (call) me.
11. The children  (play) tennis when their grandmother  (come) to visit them.
12. When Mrs Smith  (enter) the room, her children  (listen) to the radio very loudly.
13. Ann  (sweep) the floor while John  (make) the beds.
14. The parents  (sleep) while the baby  (play) quietly in her bed.
15. When the teacher  (walk) into the room, the pupils  (make) a lot of noise.

VI. Use the past simple or past progressive to complete the sentences:
1. George  (fall) off the ladder while he  (paint) the ceiling.
2. Last night I  (read) in the bed when I suddenly  (hear) a scream.
3.  you  (you watch) TV when I  (call) you?
4. Ann  (wait) for me when I  (arrive).
5. I  (not drive) very fast when the accident  (happen).
6. I  (break) a plate last night. I  (wash) the dishes when it (slip) out of my hand.
7. Tom  (take) some photos when I  (play) in the garden.
8. We  (not go) out because it  (rain).
9. What  (you do) last week?
10. I  (see) Carol at the party. She  (wear) a new dress.
11. The cell phone  (ring) when I  (take) a shower.
12. It  (begin) to rain when I  (walk) home.
13. We  (see) an accident when we  (wait) for the bus.
14. The children  (sleep) all night.
15. The car  (make) strange noises all the way home.