PAST SIMPLE / CONTINUOUS
3. Fill in the blanks with the past simple or continuous of the verbs in brackets:
1. James and Amy …………………… (wait) for the 9:30 train when I ……………………… (see) them.
2. While Sue …………………… (cook) spaghetti, Tom ………………… (prepare) a tomato salad.
3. The teacher …………………… (not/ accept) John’s excuses for being late again.
4. I ……………… (phone) Paula last Monday, but she ……………… (not/be) in; her mum ………………
(tell) me she …………………… (jog) in the park.
5. “……………………… (the teacher/explain) how to solve the maths problem yesterday?” “Yes,
she ……………”
6. While Alice ………………… (draw) a picture, Lewis ………………… (have) a relaxing bath.
7. The house ………………… (burn) for hours until the fire brigade ………………… (put) the fire out.
8. What ………………… (Jenny/ do) when her boss unexpectedly ……………… (come) into her
office?
9. Nobody ………………… (can/ hear) what Mary ……………………… (tell) Sue at the party yesterday.
10. We …………………… (not/understand) how to get to the station.
11. They …………………… (drive) home when the car suddenly …………………… (stop).
12. A strong wind ………………………… (blow) all night long.
13. Jenny ………………… (get) really disappointed when the teacher ………………… (tell) her that her
history project ………………… (not/ be) as good as she had expected, so she ……………… (have) to
rewrite it.
14. The company ……………………… (apologize) for the delay of the flight to New York.
15. Why ………………………… (Andy/not/ wait) for us at the station yesterday?
16. The police …………………… (come) as soon as the bank manager …………………… (call) them.
17. The children ……………………… (play) in the street until it ………………… (get) dark and they
………………… (go) home.
18. The workers ……………… (go) on strike because their boss ………………… (not/give) them a pay
rise.
19. Paul finally …………………… (manage) to pass his driving test.
1.
3.
1. Carol WENT (go) to the supermarket and
BOUGHT (buy) the food we NEEDED 1. James and Amy WERE WAITING (wait) for the
(need) for the party. 9:30 train when I SAW (see) them.
2. The cat RAN (run) away from home last 2. While Sue WAS COOKING (cook) spaghetti, Tom
night. WAS PREPARING (prepare) a tomato salad.
3. We HEARD (hear) a terrible noise when the 3. The teacher DIDN’T ACCEPT (not/ accept) John’s
bomb EXPLODED (explode) yesterday. excuses for being late again.
4. Some thieves BROKE (break) into Mr 4. I PHONED (phone) Paula last Monday, but she
Brown’s house and STOLE (steal) two valuable WASN’T (not/be) in; her mum TOLD (tell) me she
paintings. WAS JOGGING (jog) in the park.
5. When DID YOU LAST SEE (you/ last/see) 5. “DID THE TEACHER EXPLAIN (the
Pam? teacher/explain) how to solve the maths problem
6. “Don’t worry, Sarah, I DIDN’T TELL yesterday?” “Yes, she DID.”
(not/tell) your secret to anybody.” 6. While Alice WAS DRAWING (draw) a picture,
7. Sally REFUSED (refuse) to lend me her Lewis WAS HAVING (have) a relaxing bath.
dictionary. 7. The house WAS BURNING (burn) for hours until
8. “DID YOU REMEMBER (you/ remember) to the fire brigade PUT (put) the fire out.
send a Christmas card to Jack?” “No, I’m afraid 8. What WAS JENNY DOING (Jenny/ do) when her
I FORGOT (forget).” boss unexpectedly CAME (come) into her office
9. Diana MISSED (miss) the bus because she 9. Nobody COULD HEAR (can/ hear) what Mary WAS
GOT (get) up later than usual yesterday. TELLING (tell) Sue at the party yesterday.
10. We DIDN’T UNDERSTAND (not/understand) how
to get to the station.
11. They WERE DRIVING (drive) home when the car
suddenly STOPPED (stop).
2. 12. A strong wind WAS BLOWING (blow) all night
long.
1. It WAS RAINING (rain) heavily yesterday 13. Jenny GOT (get) really disappointed when the
evening. teacher TOLD (tell) her that her history project
2. We WERE STUDYING (study) for WASN’T (not/ be) as good as she had expected, so she
tomorrow’s exam last weekend. HAD (have) to rewrite it.
3. The children WERE MAKING (make) such a 14. The company APOLOGIZED (apologize) for the
terrible noise that I punished them. delay of the flight to New York.
4. Jason WAS PLAYING (play) videogames 15. Why WASN’T ANDY WAITING (Andy/not/ wait)
while his sister WAS LISTENING (listen) to for us at the station yesterday?
music. 16. The police CAME (come) as soon as the bank
5. What WAS YOUR MUM DOING (your manager CALLED (call) them.
mum/do) when the bomb exploded? 17. The children WERE PLAYING (play) in the street
6. “Who WAS JACK TALKING (Jack/talk) to until it GOT (get) dark and they WENT (go) home.
yesterday morning?” “He WAS TALKING 18. The workers WENT (go) on strike because their
(talk) to his boss, Mr Jones.” boss DIDN’T GIVE (not/give) them a pay rise.
7. Grandma WAS KNITTING (knit) a nice 19. Paul finally MANAGED (manage) to pass his
sweater and a scarf for Peter last week. driving test.
8. Jamie and Tom WEREN’T LISTENING
(not/listen) to the teacher this morning. They
WERE DISTURBING (disturb) everybody.
9. The children WEREN’T DOING (not/ do)
what the teacher had told them to do.
10. We WERE HURRYING (hurry) for the bus
when you saw us this morning.
