SIMPLE PAST AND PAST CONTINUOUS

Grammar summary

Simple Past Past Continuous

Use ● To describe completed ● To talk about an

actions in the past action in progress in
the past
● To describe a long
action

● We use the two tenses in a sentence to describe long and

short actions together.
Example: While the woman was asking for help, two kids heard
her.
● When we use the two tenses together, it shows that the
sentence in the simple past interrupted the action in
progress, past continuous.
Example: James and Acelyn were watching TV at home when they
heard a loud banging at the door by a panicked woman.
Form
● Affirmative ● James locked all the doors. ● James and his sister
sentences were watching TV.
● He didn’t lock all the ● They
● Negative doors. weren’t/wasn’t
sentences watching TV.
● Did he lock all the doors?
● Questions ● Were
● Yes, he did.
No, he didn’t
●
● Short
answers
● they watching TV?

● Yes, they were.

No, they weren’t

2.1Grammar Practice
2.2 Read the story and choose the correct form of the verb to complete it.

Bethany Hamilton, a young American surfer, was born on February 8, 1990 in

Hawaii. She grew up in a surfing family along with her two brothers. Bethany 1)___ to handle the waves
when she was a child, and by the age of 9, she 2) ___ her first sponsorship. Unfortunately, when she was
13 years old, a shark attack almost 3) ___ her. On October 31st, Bethany, Alana –her best friend, Alana’s
father and brother went surfing at Tunnels Beach. While Bethany 4) ____ on her board, she 5) ____
pressure on her left arm. She felt like something 6) ___ her back and forth, but she 7) ____ any pain.
Suddenly, she realized that the water around her turned red. Her friends were shocked when they 8) ____
that her left arm had been severed. Alana’s father used his surfboard leash to apply a tourniquet while he
9) ___ everyone to shore. Bethany was taken to the hospital where her father was about to have a knee
surgery. She lost 60 percent of her blood in the 14-foot tiger shark attack, but after some surgeries she
was released and surprisingly after a month she 10) ___ again.
1. A) was learned B) learned C) was learning
2. A) got B) was getting C) was got
3. A) killed B) was killing C) killing
4. A) lied B) lay C) was lying
5. A) was feeling B) was felt C) felt
6. A) pulled B) was pulling C) was pulled
7. A) wasn’t feel B) didn’t feel C) didn’t felt
8. A) noticed B) were noticing C)were noticed
9. A) was lead B) led C) was leading
10. A) surfed B) was surfing C) was surfed
 2.3 Grammar gap fill

Complete the story by writing in the correct tense of each of the verbs in brackets.

A young couple (1) _________________________ (drive) through the woods at night. The moon
(2)_________________________ (shine) through the trees and it was very spooky. Suddenly, the car
(3)_________________________ (break down).

‘I’ll go for help and you stay here,’ said the man. 'Keep the door locked and don't get out until I get
back.' He (4)_________________________ (walk off) into the night.

After a while, the woman (5)_________________________ (hear) a noise on the roof of the car. Then

there was a banging sound. It (6)_________________________ (sound) like someone hitting something

on the roof of the car. She was terrified, but she stayed in the car. The banging went on and on.

Then there was a noise outside and lots of bright lights came on. A voice shouted, 'This is the police.
Get out of your car, walk towards the police car and DO NOT look back.'

She got out and began to walk towards the police car. But she couldn’t help looking back. On the roof of

her car was a madman. In one hand he (7)_________________________ (hold) a huge knife. In the

other hand was something round, about the size of a ball.

It was this round thing that he (8)_________________________ (bang) on the roof of her car. To her

horror, she (9)_________________________ (see) it was her boyfriend's head. The madman

(10)_________________________ (cut) it off.