PAST CONTINUOUS

1 - Fill in the blanks with the past continuous. Pay attention to affirmative, negative and
interrogative forms.

Affirmative > I ______________________ yesterday while my mom was cooking. (to study)
Negative > I ______________________ yesterday while my mom was cooking. (to study)
Interrogative > ______ I ____________ yesterday while my mom was cooking? (to study)

Affirmative > You ________________ yesterday while Bob was washing the car. (to study)
Negative > You ___________________ yesterday while Bob was washing the car.
Interrogative > ______ you ___________ yesterday while Bob was washing the car? (to
study)

Affirmative > Barbara ________________ yesterday while Bob was washing the car. (to
work)
Negative > Barbara ___________________ yesterday while Bob was washing the car.(to
work)
Interrogative > ______ Barbara ___________ yesterday while Bob was washing the car?
(to work)

Affirmative > My friend and I __________________ yesterday while Bob was washing the
car. (to work)
Negative > My friend and I ____________________ yesterday while Bob was washing the
car.(to work)
Interrogative > ______ my friend and I ___________ yesterday while Bob was washing the
car? (to work)

Affirmative > The children ________________ yesterday while Bob was washing the car.
(to play)
Negative > The children ___________________ yesterday while Bob was washing the
car.(to play)
Interrogative > _____ the children ___________ yesterday while Bob was washing the car?
(to play)
2- Mark the correct option.

a) Bob _____________ video game when I arrived. He was studying.

( ) were playing ( ) playing ( ) wasn’t playing

b) _____________ when Bob called.

( ) I was sleeping ( ) was I sleeping ( ) I was

c) ___________________________ when the teacher arrived?

( ) The kids were reading ( ) Were the kids reading ( ) The kids weren’t

d) Bob and I ________________ a sandwich when my mom entered the kitchen.

( ) was eating ( ) eating ( ) were eating

e) The women _________________ when the baby started to cry.

( ) were sleeping ( ) was sleeping ( ) sleeping

3- Write either C for correct sentences or I for incorrect sentences. And correct the ones that
are incorrect.

a) My sister was washing the car. ( )

__________________________________________________________________
b) The kids were playing in the yard? ( )
__________________________________________________________________
c) Was the kids studying? ( )
______________________________________________________________
d) Bob and I were traveling on vacation. ( )
___________________________________________________________________
e) My brother were cooking last night. ( )
___________________________________________________________________

PAST CONTINUOUS OR SIMPLE PAST?

Take a look at these examples.

While my sister was crying, my mom was cooking.

My mom was cooking while my sister was crying.

While - Past continuous ( two long actions in the past)

When the boy arrived, the teacher was giving an explanation.

The teacher was giving an explanation when the boy arrived.

Two actions in the past - the long actions uses the past continuous and the short action uses
the simple past.
1- Fill in the blanks with the past continuous or the simple past.
a) You _______ ( to eat ) a hot dog when I _______________ (to open) the door.
b) When I ____________________ (to open) the door, you __________________ (to
eat )a hot dog.
c) When the teacher _________________ (to arrive) , all the students
__________________ (to use) the cell phone in class.
d) All the students __________________ (to use) the cell phone when the teacher
_________________ (to arrive).
e) While my father ____________________ (to work), my brother
____________________ ( to play) basketball.
f) My brother _____________________ (to play) basketball while my father
____________________ . ( to work)
g) I _________________ (to wash) the dishes while my brother ________________ (to
play) video game.
h) I __________________ (to wash) the dishes when my father ______________. (to
arrive)
i) When my father _____________ (to open) the door, I______________ the dishes.
(to wash)
j) When Bob ______________ (to call), Jessica ________________. (to sleep)
k) Jessica _________________ (to sleep) when Bob _________________ (to call).
l) While Jessica __________________ (to sleep), Joanna _________________ the
dishes. (to wash)
m) Joanna ____________________ (to wash) the dishes while Jessica
___________________. (to sleep)
n) When Patrick ___________ ( to enter) my room, I _______________ (to play) a
computer game.
o) While I _______________ (to play) a computer game, my sister
___________________ (to play) the piano.
p) My friends _______________ (to clean) the kitchen when my dad ______________.
(to call)
q) The kids ____________________ (to pay) attention while the teacher
___________________ (to talk).
r) The women __________________ (to wait) for the bus when it ______________ (to
start) to rain.
s) The girl ________________( to drink) water when her friend _____________. (to
call)
t) When her friend _______________ (to call), the girl _____________________ (to
drink) water.