1. Yesterday, at six I ___________ dinner.

was preparing
was prepare
was prepared
did prepare
2. My father __________ a novel while I _______ TV.
was read / was watching
were reading / was watching
read / watched
was reading / was watching
3. We ___________ our school when he came in.
talked
were talking
were talked
talking
4. The kids _____________ in the garden when it suddenly started to rain.
played
playing
were playing
was playing
5. Most of the time we __________ in the park.
were sat
sitting
was sitting
were sitting
6. While I ____________ in my room, my sister left home.
was studying
studied
study
have studied
7. My baby brother ______________ loudly so I couldn't do my homework.
was cried
cried
was crying
has cried
8. The teacher tried to explain but they they __________.
were listening
weren't listening
listened
have listened
9. _______ you doing your homework at six o'clock last night?
Are
Did
Have
Were
10. The teacher was angry because some students ___________ football in the class when he came
in.
are playing
played
have played
were playing

Use the words to write questions in the past continuous. Then, try to answer the questions.

1. what/you/do/at/lunchtime/yesterday?

Ans: What were you doing at lunchtime yesterday?

I was reading a book at lunchtime yesterday.

2. your family/have/dinner/at/eight o’clock/last night?

3. you/do/your homework/at/half past six/on Sunday?

4. what/you/watch/on/TV/last/night?
5. it/rain/at/nine o’ clock/this/morning?

Fill in the blanks with the past continuous tense form and the past tense form of the verbs
given in the brackets, as required.

1. Ronit. _____ (play) the guitar when the electricity _____ (go) off.

2. Jack. _____ (study) when I _____ (return) home.

3. I _____ (write) a letter when my mother _____ (call) me

4. I _____ (watch) television when they _____ (arrive).

5. Sahil _____ (finish) his homework when he _____ (get) a call.

6. The traffic _____ (move) very slowly because the roads _____ (be) waterlogged.

7. The children _____ (do) their homework when I ______ (come) back home.

8.1 _____ (listen) to music when the cat _____ (spill) the milk.

Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.

1 Jenny ……………………. (wait) for me when I ……………………. (arrive).

2 ‘What ……………………. (you I do) at this time yesterday?’ ‘I was asleep.’

3 ‘ ……………………. (you / go) out last night?’ ‘No, I was too tired.’

4 How fast ……………………. (you I drive) when the accident ……………………. (happen)?

5 Sam ……………………. (take) a picture of me while I ……………………. (not / look).

6 We were in a very difficult position. We ……………………. (not / know) what to do.

7 I haven’t seen Alan for ages. When I last ……………………. (see) him, he…………………….
(try) to find a job.

8 I ……………………. (walk) along the street when suddenly I ……………………. (hear)

footsteps behind me. Somebody ……………………. (follow) me. I was scared and
I ……………………. (start) to run.

9 When I was young, I ……………………. (want) to be a pilot.

10 Last night I ……………………. (drop) a plate when I ……………………. (do) the washing-
up. Fortunately it ……………………. (not I break).

Write sentences. Use the past continuous.

1 Jake / ride / his bike

Jake was riding his bike.

2 the sun / shine?

……………………………………….

3 it / not rain

……………………………………….

4 where / he / go ?

……………………………………….

5 he / not wear / a helmet

 ……………………………………….

Complete the text with the past continuous form of the verbs below.
carry follow hurry leave rain stand wear not wear

When I got off the coach in London, the weather was awful. It 1……………………….. and there
was a cold wind. A short, fat man, who 2……………………….. a hat and 3………………………..
a small briefcase, got off after me. It was five o’clock and lots of people 4………………………..
work and 5……………………….. to catch the bus or the Underground. I 6………………………..
a raincoat so I went into a department store and bought a cheap umbrella. When I came out, the
short, fat man from the bus 7……………………….. outside the department store.
8……………………….. he ……………………….. me?

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).

Write the verbs in the negative form.

Example: I'm enjoying my holiday.  I'm not enjoying my holiday.
1.He's doing his homework.

2. They are playing tennis.

3. Linda's having breakfast now.

4. Steve's sleeping.

5.We're listening to the teacher.

6.It's raining.

7.The students are doing morning exercises.

8.She's interviewing some students.