1. Complete the sentences with the past continuous forms of the verbs in brackets.
1 When we arrived at the station, my uncle …was waiting…… (wait) for us in the car park.
2 It ………………… (snow) hard when we got to our hotel.
3 ………………… (you, fl y) over the Alps when the turbulence started?
4 How fast ………………… (you, drive) when the accident happened?
5 Where ………………… (you, stand) when the thief stole your handbag?
6 Did you get lost because your GPS ………………… (not work)?
Answer
2 was snowing 3 Were you flying 4 were you driving
5 were you standing 6 wasn’t working
2. Complete the text with the past simple or past continuous forms of the verbs in brackets.
My mother and I (1) …had…… (have) a terrible journey from London to Edinburgh last weekend. First, when my brother (2) ……………… (drive) us to the airport on Saturday evening, his car (3) ……………… (break down) on the motorway. In the end, we (4) ……………… (miss) our plane and (5) ……………… (buy) some new tickets for the flight on Sunday morning instead. However, on Sunday morning we (6) ……………… (wait) for our flight when it (7) ……………… (start) snowing heavily, and they (8) ……………… (decide) to close the airport. So we (9) ……………… (take) a taxi to Euston Station and (10) ……………… (buy) tickets for the 2 pm train to Edinburgh.
Answer
2 was driving 3 broke down 4 missed 5 bought 6 were waiting
7 started 8 decided 9 took 10 bought
3. Complete the sentences with the past continuous or past simple forms of the verbs in brackets.
1 The train ……………… (leave) the station, when I ……………… (realise) I was on the wrong train.
2 When I ……………… (travel) around Australia, I ……………… (lose) my passport.
3 I ……………… (run) for the bus when my bag ……………… (open) and all my things ……………… (fall) out.
4 I ……………… (drive) to a family wedding when my GPS ……………… (stop) working.
5 Someone ……………… (steal) my bag when I ……………… (stand) in the queue for a ticket.
Answer
1 was leaving, realised
2 was travelling around, lost
3 was running, opened, fell
4 was driving, stopped
5 stole, was standing
4. Complete the sentences with the past continuous forms of the verbs.
1 A year ago, ……………… (I / live) with my parents.
2 At nine last night, ……………… (we / sleep)
3 A What ……………… (you / do) at midnight on New Year’s Eve?
B We ……………… (watch) the celebrations on TV.
4 ……………… (she / not study) when I got home, ……………… (she / chat) to her friends online.
5 A ……………… (Most people / not wear) suits for the job interview.
B What ……………… (they / wear)?
Answer
1 I was living
2 we were sleeping
3 were you doing; were watching
4 She wasn’t studying, she was chatting
5 Most people weren’t wearing; were they wearing
5. Choose the best form for each verb. There is one past simple verb and one past continuous verb in each sentence.
1 The Internet stopped / was stopping when I watched / was watching a film.
2 She walked / was walking down the street when she saw / was seeing her friend.
3 He left / was leaving his job when he studied / was studying for his exams.
4 I did / was doing some cleaning when I heard / was hearing the news on the radio.
5 We felt / were feeling tired when we got / were getting home.
6 I didn’t visit / wasn’t visiting Cancún when I worked / was working in Mexico.
7 I wasn’t looking / didn’t look when I crashed / was crashing my bicycle into a tree.
Answer
1 stopped; was watching 2 was walking; saw
3 left; was studying 4 was doing; heard
5 were feeling; got home 6 didn’t visit; was working
7 wasn’t looking; crashed
6. Use the past continuous and the past simple of the verbs in brackets to complete the sentences about each picture.
1 When I ……………… down the street, I ……………… ten pounds. (walk, find)
2 It ……………… when she ……………… the house. (rain, leave)
3 When you ……………… me, I ……………… dinner. (call, cook)
4 They ……………… quietly when the teacher ……………… back. (not work, come)
Answer
1 was walking; found 2 was raining; left
3 called; was cooking 4 weren’t working; came
7. Choose the correct verb forms.
I had a terrible journey. I (1) walked / was walking to the train station and it started raining. And then the train was twenty minutes late. When it (2) came / was coming, I (3) found / was finding a seat by the window. Some girls (4) played / were playing music on their mobiles, but it was great music. That was OK, but I (5) read / was reading my book when the train (6) arrived / was arriving at the next station. Two people got on and a man (7) sat / was sitting down next to me and he started talking loudly on his mobile. He (8) told / was telling someone about his new car, his job – everything! He was still talking when the train (9) got / was getting in to the station.
Answer
1 was walking 2 came 3 found 4 were playing
5 was reading 6 arrived 7 sat 8 told / was telling 9 got
8. Correct the sentences.
1 When I did some housework, I heard the news on the radio.
When I was doing some housework, I heard the news on the radio.
2 When we were getting to the station, the train was just arriving.
3 My wife phoned me while I waited for my plane.
4 A man was taking my wallet while I was waiting in the queue for my ticket.
5 Last year, we were going on holiday to Greece for two weeks.
6 I was driving to the airport when I was seeing the accident.
Answer
2 When we got to the station, the train was just arriving.
3 My wife phoned me while I was waiting for my plane.
4 A man took my wallet while I was waiting in the queue for my ticket.
5 Last year, we went on holiday to Greece for two weeks.
6 I was driving to the airport when I saw the accident.
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