Past Simple and Past Continous

I. Phân biệt thì quá khứ đơn (Past Simple) và quá khứ tiếp diễn (Past
Continuous):
Thì quá khứ đơn Thì quá khứ tiếp diễn
- Diễn tả hành động đang diễn ra trong quá
khứ
- Diễn tả hành động đã xảy ra tại một thời
- Diễn tả hai hành động hoặc nhiều hơn đang
điểm cố định trong quá khứ
diễn ra tại thời điểm nói trong quá khứ
- Diễn tả hành động đã xảy ra ngay sau hành
- Diễn tả hành động đang diễn ra thì một
động khác trong quá khứ
hành động khác xen vào. Hành động làm
gián đoạn chia thì quá khứ đơn.
Dấu hiệu: ago, yesterday, last month/ year/ Dấu hiệu: while, when, all day/ night/
week, in 2019, then,… morning, ….
II. Bài tập luyện tập
Exercise 1: Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past
continuous form the verbs.
1. Peter ___________ (play) a video game when his brother, Jack,
___________ (enter) the room.
2. I ___________ (study) for my English test when my mother ___________
(come) home from work.
3. Emma ___________ (wash) the dishes when the telephone ___________
(ring).
4. I ___________ (ate) a sandwich while my parents ___________ (drink)
coffee.
5. I ___________ (watch) a DVD when my cat ___________ (jump) on me.
6. I ___________ (not hear) the thunder during the storm last night because I
___________ (sleep)
7. It (be) ___________ beautiful yesterday when we ___________ (go) for a
walk in the park. The sun ___________ (shine). The birds ___________ (sing).
8. My brother and sister ___________ (talk) anout something when I
___________ (walk) into the room.
9. Tom ___________(go) to his friend’s house, but the boys ___________ (not
be) there. They ___________ (play) soccer in the vacant lot down the street.
10. The little boy ___________ (fall) asleep while his mother ___________
(read) him a story.
11. I really ___________ (enjoy) my holiday last January. While it
___________ (snow) in Iowa, the sun ___________ (shine) in Floria.
12. It ___________ (snow) when I ___________ (leave) home this morning.
13. It was a sunny afternoon and people ___________ (sit) on the grass in the
park. Then suddenly it ___________ (start) to rain.
14. My brother ___________ (talk) on the phone when I arrived, but when he
___________ (see) me, he ___________ (finish) the call. Perhaps he thought
that I ___________ (listen) to his conversation.
15. We ___________ (climb) the wall when the gardener ___________ (see)
us.
16. Susan ___________ (play) the piano while Mary ___________ (sing)
17. ___________ (you/ listen) to the teacher when she ___________ (explain)
this exercise?
18. Linda ___________ (have) a beautiful dream when the alarm clock
___________ (ring).
Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer
1. The Smiths aren’t painting/ weren’t painting their house last weekend
2. Tom cleaned/ was cleaning the living room when Jane arrived
3. Did/ Were the students writing an essay in class this morning?
4. Frank was fixing/ fixed his car when his mobile rang
5. Mark didn’t wear/ wasn’t wearing a coat when it started to rain.
6. He is/ was driving to work this morning when Anna called.
7. While my parents were working/ was working, I was studying at home
8. I walked/ was walking home when I tripped/ was tripping and fell
9. At 8 o’clock last night, we were having/ had dinner at a Chinese restaurant
Exercise 3: Read the letter and write the missing words. Write one word on
each line
Dear Georgia,
I’m writing to you from my hotel room (1) ______ New York. You can’t
imagine what happened to me yesterday! I was walking in Mitte at around noon
(2) _______ it started raining. (3) ______ I was running back to the hotel, I saw
a famous actor who was eating in a restaurant. I went in and (4) ______ hello
and he gave me two tickets to see his new film. Isn’t that great?
That’s all for now. See you (5) ______ I get back!
Love,
Rachel
Exercise 4: Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past
continuous
1. A: How (1) _______________ (Anne/ break) her leg?
B: She (2) ______________ (ride) her horse when she (3) _______________
(fall) and (4) __________ (land) on her leg.
A: (5) ________________ (she/go) to hospital?
2. A: When (1) ___________ (you/see) Peter?
B: While I (2) ___________ (do) my shopping at the supermarket
3. A: I (1) __________ (call) you last night but you (2) _____________ (not/
answer). Where were you?
B: I (3) __________________ (jog) in the park
Exercise 5: Give the correct forms of the verbs given in the brackets
Exercise 5: Give the correct forms of the verbs given in the brackets
1. Susan ___________ (study) in her room when she heard the noise.
2. What ____________ (they, do) at eleven p.m. last night - it was so noisy?
3. I was eight years old when my elder sister __________ (teach) me how to
ride a bike.
4. John ______________ (not go) to school last week because he was ill.
5. I didn't know anything about the plane crash in my neighborhood because I
________ (work) inside at that time.
6. Yesterday at 9.30 p.m my parents ______________ (sit) in the garden
______________ (drink) some Coke.
7. The chambermaid ______________ (make) my bed in the hotel and
______________ (clean) the bathroom.
8. Someone ______________ (knock) on the door while ______________
(read) the newspaper.
9. My brother ______________ (buy) a lot of books when he ______________
(live) in Cambridge.
10. William ______________ (not meet) Sally at the airport last Sunday.
11. Jerry ______________ (have) dinner when the lights ______________ (go)
out.
12. The girl ______________ (feel) ill so she ______________ (not go) to
work.
Exercise 6: Supply the correct tenses of the verbs in brackets
One afternoon, a big wolf (wait) ____________ in a dark forest for a little girl
to come along carrying a basket of food to her grandmother. Finally a little girl
did come along and she (carry) ____________ a basket of food. 'Are you
carrying that basket to your grandmother?' asked the wolf. The little girl said
yes, she (be)____________. So the wolf (ask) ____________her where her
grandmother lived and the little girl (tell)____________ him and he
(disappear)____________ into the wood.
When the little girl (open) ____________ the door of her grandmother's house,
she (see)____________ that there was somebody in bed with a nightcap and
nightgown on. She (approach)____________ no nearer than twenty-five feet
from the bed when she (see)____________ that it was not her grandmother but
the wolf , for even in a nightcap a wolf does not look like anybody's
grandmother. So the little girl (take) ____________ an automatic pistol out of
her basket and (shoot) ____________the wolf dead.
Exercise 7: Complete this email with either the past simple or the past
continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Where alternatives are possible,
think about any difference in meaning.
I (1. buy) ____________ a new alarm clock the other day in Taylor’s the
jewellers, when I actually (2. see) ____________ somebody shoplifting. I’d
finished paying for my clock and as I (3. turn) ____________ round, an elderly
woman (4. slowly put) ____________ a silver plate into a bag that she (5. carry)
____________. Then she (6. walk) ____________ over to another part of the
shop and (7. pick up) ____________ an expensive-looking watch a number of
times. When she (8. think) ____________ that nobody (9. look) ____________,
she (10. drop) ____________ it into the bag. Before I (11. have) ____________
a chance to tell the staff in the shop, she (12. notice) ____________ that I (13.
watch) ____________ her and (14. hurry)____________ out. Unfortunately for
her, two police officers (15. walk) ____________ past just at that moment and
she (16. run) ____________ straight into them.
Exercise 8: Complete the sentences using these pairs of verbs. Use the past
simple in one gap and the past continuous in the other.
come - show get - go hope - give live - spend
look - see play - break start - check in
1. Just as I was getting into the bath all the lights went off.
2. I……………………..to go away this weekend, but my
boss…………………..me some work that I have to finish by Monday.
3. When I………………………..in Paris, I……………………three hours a day
travelling to and from work.
4. A friendly American couple…………………..chatting to him as
he…………………at the hotel reception.
5. I bumped into Lena last week. She……………………….a lot better than
when I last…………………..her.
6. My boss…………………………..into the office just as
I…………………………everyone my holiday photos.
7. I…………….badminton four times a week before I……………………..my
ankle.
Exercise 9: Choose the correct alternative “When/ While”
1. I had a bad dream _____________ I was sleeping on the sofa
2. I was talking to my husband in the park _____________ two cars crashed
behind us.
3. You called me last night _____________ I was studying for an important
exam.
4. The students were doing an exercise _____________ the bell rang.
5. Anna was doing her homework _____________ the lights went out.
Exercise 10: Circle the correct verb form in each of the following sentences
1. Mary (prepared/ was preparing) lunch when they (came/ was coming)

2. The sun (shone/ was shining) brightly when I (got up/ was getting up) this
morning.

3. Ann finally (told/ was telling) us the whole story about Peter

4. We (drove/ were driving) to Berlin in Robert’s new car

5. Last weekend Susan (fell/ was falling) and (broke/ was breaking) her leg

6. Who was that nice girl you (talked/ were talking) to when I (walked/ was
walking) by the pub?

7. When I (entered / was entering) the cafeteria Mary (had / was having)
lunch with Peter.
 -The end-

Đáp án bài tập luyện tập

Exercise 1: Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past
continuous form of the verbs.
1. Peter ____was playing_______ (play) a video game when his brother, Jack,
____entered_______ (enter) the room.
2. I _______was studying____ (study) for my English test when my mother
_____came______ (come) home from work.
3. Emma ____was washing_______ (wash) the dishes when the telephone
___rang________ (ring).
4. I ___was eating________ (eat) a sandwich while my parents __were
drinking____ (drink) coffee.
5. I ___was watching________ (watch) a DVD when my cat
_____jumped______ (jump) on me.
6. I _____didn’t hear______ (not hear) the thunder during the storm last night
because I _____was sleeping______ (sleep)
7. It (be) ____was_______ beautiful yesterday when we ____went_______ (go)
for a walk in the park. The sun _______was shining____ (shine). The birds
_____was singing______ (sing).
8. My brother and sister ___were talking________ (talk) about something when
I ______walked_____ (walk) into the room.
9. Tom _____went______(go) to his friend’s house, but the boys
_____weren’t______ (not be) there. They _____were playing______ (play)
soccer in the vacant lot down the street.
10. The little boy _____fell______ (fall) asleep while his mother ____was
reading_______ (read) him a story.
11. I really ____enjoyed _______ (enjoy) my holiday last January. While it
____was snowing_______ (snow) in Iowa, the sun _____was shining______
(shine) in Floria.
12. It ______was snowing_____ (snow) when I ______left_____ (leave) home
this morning.
13. It was a sunny afternoon and people ____were sitting_______ (sit) on the
grass in the park. Then suddenly it _____started______ (start) to rain.
14. My brother ____was talking_______ (talk) on the phone when I arrived, but
when he ______was seeing_____ (see) me, he ______finished_____ (finish) the
call. Perhaps he thought that I ______listened_____ (listen) to his conversation.
15. We ___were climbing________ (climb) the wall when the gardener
____saw_______ (see) us.
16. Susan ____was playing_______ (play) the piano while Mary ______was
singing_____ (sing)
17. ____Did you listen_______ (you/ listen) to the teacher when she _____was
explaining______ (explain) this exercise?
18. Linda _____was having______ (have) a beautiful dream when the alarm
clock ___rang________ (ring)
Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer
1. The Smiths weren’t painting their house last weekend
2. Tom was cleaning the living room when Jane arrived
3. Were the students writing an essay in class this morning?
4. Frank was fixing his car when his mobile rang
5. Mark didn’t wear a coat when it started to rain.
6. He was driving to work this morning when Anna called.
7. While my parents were working, I was studying at home
8. I was walking home when I tripped and fell
9. At 8 o’clock last night, we were having at a Chinese restaurant
Exercise 3: Read the letter and write the missing words. Write one word on
each line
1. in
2. when
3. as
4. said
5. when
Exercise 4: Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past
continuous
1.A: How (1) _______did Anne break________ (Anne/ break) her leg?
B: She (2) ______was riding________ (ride) her horse when she (3)
_____fell__________ (fall) and (4) __landed________ (land) on her leg.
A: (5) ____Did she go____________ (she/go) to hospital?
2.A: When (1) ___did you see________ (you/see) Peter?
B: While I (2) ___was doing________ (do) my shopping at the supermarket
3.A: I (1) ____called______ (call) you last night but you (2) ___didn’t
answer_______ (not/ answer). Where were you?
B: I (3) ____was jogging______________ (jog) in the park.
Exercise 5: Give the correct forms of the verbs given in the brackets
1. Susan ____was studying_______ (study) in her room when she heard the
noise.
2. What _____were they doing_______ (they, do) at eleven p.m. last night - it
was so noisy?
3. I was eight years old when my elder sister _____taught_____ (teach) me how
to ride a bike.
4. John _______did not go_______ (not go) to school last week because he was
ill.
5. I didn't know anything about the plane crash in my neighborhood because I
____was working____ (work) inside at that time.
6. Yesterday at 9.30 p.m my parents ____were sitting__________ (sit) in the
garden ______drinking________ (drink) some Coke.
7. The chambermaid ______made________ (make) my bed in the hotel and
______cleaned________ (clean) the bathroom.
8. Someone _______knocked_______ (knock) on the door while ______was
reading________ (read) the newspaper.
9. My brother ____bought__________ (buy) a lot of books when he
_______lived/ was living_______ (live) in Cambridge.
10. William ______didn’t meet________ (not meet) Sally at the airport last
Sunday.
11. Jerry _______was having_______ (have) dinner when the lights
______went________ (go) out.
12. The girl _____felt_________ (feel) ill so she _____didn’t go_________
(not go) to work.
Exercise 6: Supply the correct tenses of the verbs in brackets
One afternoon, a big wolf (wait) ____was waiting________ in a dark forest for
a little girl to come along carrying a basket of food to her grandmother. Finally
a little girl did come along and she (carry) ____was carrying________ a basket
of food. 'Are you carrying that basket to your grandmother?' asked the wolf. The
little girl said yes, she (be)_____was_______. So the wolf (ask)
_____asked_______her where her grandmother lived and the little girl
(tell)____told________ him and he (disappear)_____disappeared_______ into
the wood.
When the little girl (open) ______opened______ the door of her grandmother's
house, she (see)____saw________ that there was somebody in bed with a
nightcap and nightgown on. She (approach)_____had approached_______ no
nearer than twenty-five feet from the bed when she (see)____saw________ that
it was not her grandmother but the wolf , for even in a nightcap a wolf does not
look like anybody's grandmother. So the little girl (take) ______took______ an
automatic pistol out of her basket and (shoot) _____shot_______the wolf dead.
Exercise 7: Complete this email with either the past simple or the past
continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Where alternatives are possible,
think about any difference in meaning.
I (1. buy) ____was buying________ a new alarm clock the other day in
Taylor’s the jewellers, when I actually (2. see) _____saw_______ somebody
shoplifting. I’d finished paying for my clock and as I (3. turn) _____turned/ was
turning_______ round, an elderly woman (4. slowly put) ______was slowly
putting/ out______ a silver plate into a bag that she (5. carry) _____was
carrying_______. Then she (6. walk) _____walked_______ over to another part
of the shop and (7. pick up) ____picked up________ an expensive-looking
watch a number of times. When she (8. think) ____thought________ that
nobody (9. look) _____was looking_______, she (10. drop)
_____dropped_______ it into the bag. Before I (11. have) _____had_______ a
chance to tell the staff in the shop, she (12. notice) _______noticed_____ that I
(13. watch) _____was watching_______ her and (14.
hurry)_____hurried_______ out. Unfortunately for her, two police officers (15.
walk) ___were walking/ walked_________ past just at that moment and she
(16. run) ______ran______ straight into them.
Exerccise 8: Complete the sentences using these pairs of verbs. Use the past
simple in one gap and the past continuous in the other.
1. was getting - went off 2. was hoping - gave
3. lived- was spending/ was living- spent 4. started- was checking in
5. was looking- saw 6. came- was showing
7. was playing-broke
Exercise 9: Choose the correct alternative “When/ While”
1. I had a bad dream _____while________ I was sleeping on the sofa
2. I was talking to my husband in the park ______when_______ two cars
crashed behind us.
3. You called me last night _____while________ I was studying for an
important exam.
4. The students were doing an exercise ____when_________ the bell rang.
5. Anna was doing her homework ______when_______ the lights went out.
Exericise 10: Circle the correct verb form in each of the following sentences
1. Mary was preparing lunch when they came
2. The sun was shining brightly when I got up this morning.
3. Ann finally told us the whole story about Peter
4. We were driving to Berlin in Robert’s new car
5. Last weekend Susan fell and broke her leg
6. Who was that nice girl you were talking to when I walked by the pub?
7. When I entered the cafeteria Mary was having lunch with Peter.