A. Complete the story by matching the phrases in the box to the correct places.
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a while it was running b and showing me his photos while we were eating c when John was speaking d because we were hungry e it ran away f when it happened |
1 I was visiting my friend John in Australia …………f………. .
2 We were having dinner early …………………… .
3 He was telling me about his family …………………… .
4 Suddenly, a kangaroo jumped through the window …………………… .
5 While we were thinking what to do next, …………………… .
6 He took a photo of the kangaroo …………………… .
Answers
2 d 3 b 4 c 5 e 6 a
B. Match each picture to the correct sentence.
1 She was running when she saw him. …a…
2 She ran when she saw him. …b…
3 We went home while it was raining. ……
4 W h e n it started raining, we went home. ……
5 We talked about it when we got home. ……
6 We talked about it while we were going home. ……
7 When he finished his lunch, Dad read the paper. ……
8 Dad read the paper while he was finishing his lunch. ……
Answers
3 d 4 c 5 f 6 e 7 h 8 g
C. Underline the correct option. Sometimes more than one option is possible.
1 I was having / had a shower when my friend called.
2 While Sally was walking / walked to the station, she met Harry.
3 Tom went to bed and was saying / said, ‘Goodnight.’
4 Did you get angry when she finally was telling / told you?
5 We danced while the music was playing / played.
6 I was meeting / met David many years ago.
7 Were the Romans using / Did the Romans use paper?
8 When she wasn’t watching / didn’t watch, I took another biscuit.
Answers
2 was walking 3 said 4 told
5 was playing / played 6 met
7 Did the Romans use 8 wasn’t watching
D. Complete these stories using the correct past simple or past continuous forms of the verbs in brackets.
The clock 1……broke…… (break) while the children 2……………… (play) football in the house. The clock 3……………… (fall) when the ball 4……………… (hit) it. The accident 5……………… (happen) while their parents 6……………… (come) home.
Jill 7……………… (drink) her coffee when she 8……………… (hear) her phone. It was her mother. While they 9……………… (speak), a man 10……………… (run) to the table and 11……………… (give) Jill some flowers.
Answers
2 were playing 3 fell 4 hit 5 happened
6 were coming 7 was drinking 8 heard
9 were speaking 10 ran 11 gave
E. Circle the correct option.
Police officer: What 1……… when you saw the elephant?
Driver: I 2……… through the park.
Police officer: 3……… quickly?
Driver: No, I 4……… fast because there were a lot of animals. My wife 5……… out of the window and watching some lions. She 6……… to take some photos of them but while she 7……… the camera out of her bag, an elephant ran at the car!
Police officer: Why 8……… away while the elephant 9………?
Driver: The elephant was very fast. I only 10……… the elephant when it hit our car.
1 a do you do b was you doing c were you doing
2 a was driving b drove c were driving
3 a Did you go b Were you going c Was you going
4 a wasn’t driving b weren’t driving c didn’t drive
5 a was looking b were looking c looked
6 a were wanting b was wanting c wanted
7 a got b was getting c were getting
8 a didn’t you drive b wasn’t you driving c weren’t you driving
9 a ran b was running c were running
10 a were seeing b was seeing c saw
Answers
2 a 3 b 4 a 5 a 6 c 7 b 8 a 9 b 10 c
F. Make sentences from the words and write them in your notebook. Put one verb in the past simple and one verb in the past continuous.
1 I / shop / when / meet / her
I was shopping when I met her.
2 While / we / eat / breakfast / the letter / arrive
3 Sarah / not go / because / she / not feel / very well
4 As / I / fall / my parachute / suddenly / open
5 you / have / a shower / when / I / phone?
6 Gavin / break / his arm / while / he / do / judo
Answers
2 While we were eating breakfast, the letter arrived.
3 Sarah didn’t go because she wasn’t feeling very well.
4 As I was falling, my parachute suddenly opened.
5 Were you having a shower when I phoned?
6 Gavin broke his arm while he was doing judo.
G. Make excuses for the following situations using the past continuous (and past simple, if you want).
The excuses can be funny!
1 Why are you late for school?
I was taking mu pet kangaroo for a walk and it ran away.
2 Why are your shoes dirty?
……………………………………
3 Why did you eat all the chocolates?
……………………………………
4 Why didn’t you do your homework?
……………………………………
5 Why are you sleeping in class?
……………………………………
6 Why didn’t you answer the telephone?
……………………………………
Answers
Possible answers
2 I walked through the park on the way here and it was raining.
3 I didn’t want my sister to eat them.
4 I was doing it but my dog ate it.
5 I didn’t sleep last night because I was worrying about the exam.
6 I was playing tennis in the garden.
H. Circle the correct option.
1 We went to the cinema last night and ……………… a film. It was excellent.
a watching b watched c were watching
2 She didn’t understand the game. While I ……………… the instructions, she was writing a text.
a was explaining b am explaining c explained
3 The man took her bag and ……………… away with it. We never saw him again.
a run b ran c was running
4 She hurt her head when she fell off her bike. She ……………… a helmet.
a not wearing b didn’t wear c wasn’t wearing
5 A: What ……………… when you heard the noise?
B: I ran outside to help.
a did you do b were you doing c you were doing
6 Were you playing hockey when you broke your nose?
B: Yes, I ……………… .
a did b were c was
Answers
2 a 3 b 4 c 5 a 6 c
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