Fill-in the gaps of the following conversations with the correct verb form in the simple past or

past continuous tense.

1. A: How you.(break) the window?

B: I .................(play) football and the ball.(hit) the window acci-

dentally.

2. A: you.(see) John at the party last night?

B:Oh yes! he.(dance) with Jane when I(see) him

3. A: What you.(do) at midnight last night?

B: I.(sleep)

4. A: I wonder how he..(break) his left arm yesterday.

B: He ...(paint) the walls of his bedroom when he

suddenly.(fall) off the ladder.

5. A: Why.she(have) an accident last week?

B: Because she.(drive) very fast and she(loose) control of her car

and eventually she(hit) a big tree.

6. A: Why(not) you(answer) my call an hour ago?

B: Because I.(have) a bath.

7. A: WhatTerry.(do) when you ..(see) him?

B: He .(study) for his English exam.

8. A: What they..(do) when the power .(go) off suddenly?

B: They(watch) TV.

9. A:..it(rain) when you.(get) up?

B: No. It ..(snow).
 10. A: Where you..(go) when I ..(see) you last week?

B: We.(go) to the cinema?

A: Oh nice! What.(be) the movie like?

B: Boring! I.(fall) asleep in the middle of the film while I..

(watch) it.

Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Cont.).

1. While Tony. (watch) a DVD, Alan (listen) to his favourite radio

show.
2. Melly.. (get) home, (turn) the computer on and (check) her
emails.
3. The burglar. (break) into the house, (steal) the money and
(leave) without a trace.
4. Just a few students (listen) while the teacher.. (explain) the les-
son.
5. While they.. (do) a sight-seeing tour, my friends and I... (lie) on the
beach.
6. She.. (wake) up and. (look) at her watch.
7. When the doorbell..(ring), they (have) coffee in the garden.
8. He ..(have) breakfast when she..(come).
9. Eric (wait) in the car while Caroline(do) the shopping.
10. When she..(feed) the doggies, he ..(take)some photos.
11. When they(come)into the office, the boss..(wait) for them.
12. While John(sleep), they..(have) a barbecue in the garden.
13. When the plane..(arrive) we.(wait) at the airport.
14. While my mother and father..(clean) home, my sister(do) ironing.
EXERCISES: Mixed Tenses

1. Escribe el verbo entre parntesis en "past simple" o "past continuous" segn corresponda:

1. Last Saturday when my brother arrived, I ____________________ TV (to watch)

2. The police arrested the murderer when he ___________________ an old woman (to attack)

3. My uncle ________________________ all his fortune playing in casinos (to lose)

4. Yesterday it rained all day and the river almost _____________________ its banks (to burst)

5. Last night when I left the party two gangs of hooligans _____________________ (to fight)

6. Last Friday my father __________________ to Paris to visit my brother who works there (to go)

7. They __________________ the new bridge in time for the Olympic Games (to finish)

8. My girlfriend didn't come with us to the cinema because she _____________________ (to study)

9. When the teacher entered the classroom the students ________________ very loudly (to speak)

10. That terrible accident ________________________ yesterday evening (to happen)

11. Last night when the thieves _____________________ into my house I was sleeping (to break)

12. My parents ___________________ in the Cathedral of Seville 40 years ago (to get married)

13. The Socialist Party ______________________ the last elections and is now in power (to win)

14. The other day when I ___________________________ tennis I hurt my leg (to play)

15. Philip ________________________ at home in very strange circumstances (to die)

16. Susan ________________________ Law in the university of Madrid (to study)

17. Yesterday when you came home I _____________________ the dog (to walk)

18. The plane ______________________ into the mountains due to the weather conditions (to crash)
 Past Simple / Past Continuous (2)

1.- Complete the sentences with the verbs in brackets into the
correct tense Past Simple or Past Continuous.

1.- It _____________ (snow) when I _________ (leave)

home this morning.
2.- It was a sunny afternoon and people __________ (sit)
on the grass in the park. Then suddenly it __________
(start) to rain.
3.- A: I tried to explain my problem to her.
B: ____________________ (she/listen)?
4.- 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.
5.- I nearly had an accident today. A car ____________ (come) towards
me, but I moved quickly out of the way and fortunately nothing
____________ (happen).
6.- A: Which hotel ______________ (you/stay) in when you lost your
passport?
B: I dont remember. I ____________ (visit) many places during my
European tour and I ____________ (stay) in many different hotels.
7.- I ____________ (move) to Hastings in 1999. I ____________ (live)
there when I met them.
8.- ________________(many people / wait) for the 9:15 bus
last night?
9.- I ______________ (dance) with my girlfriend when the
disc jockey played our favourite song.
10.- I ____________ (study) grammar when I ___________
(fall) asleep.
11.- The scientists ___________ (work) in their laboratory
when they___________ (discover) the new drug.
12.- We ___________ (climb) the wall when the gardener
___________ (see) us.
13.-Vicky ___________ (have) a beautiful dream when the alarm clock
__________ (ring)
14.- As he ____________ (run) for the bus he ___________ (collide) with
a street lamp.
15.- When he __________ (carry) a suitcase, he __________ (drop) it on
his foot.
16..- ___________ (you / do) your homework on the bus
while you ____________ (come) to school?
17.- The students ____________ (read) the article when
the last class ___________ (finish).
18.- When I ____________ (arrive) at the cinema, my
friends __________ (wait) for me.
19.- ____________ (you / listen) to the teacher when she ___________
(explain) this exercise?
20.- Susan __________ (play) the piano while Mary ___________ (sing).
Activity 3

Complete the following sentences with the correct form (Past Simple or Past
Continuous).

1. A: What (you, do) ___________________ when you heard that noise?

B: I (try) ___________________ to change a light bulb that had burnt out.

2. After I (find) ___________________ the wallet full of money, I (go,

immediately)___________________ to the police and (turn)
___________________ it in.

3. The doctor (say) ___________________ that Brian (be) _________________ too

weak to go to work and that he (need) ___________________ to stay at home
for a couple of days.

4. My best friend (arrive) ___________________ at my house a little before 9:00

pm, but I (be, not) ___________________ there. I (study) ___________________
at the library for my final examination in Italian.

5. John is in the living room working on his computer. At this time yesterday,
he (work, also) ___________________ on his computer. That's all he ever does!

6. I (call) ___________________ you last night after dinner, but you (be,
not)___________________ there. Where were you?
B: I (work) ___________________ out at the gym.

7. When I (walk) ___________________ into the busy office, the secretaries

(talk)___________________ on the phone with customers, a clerk (work,
busily)___________________ at his desk, and two managers (discuss, quietly)
___________________ methods to improve customer service.

8. I (watch) ___________________ a thriller on T.V. when the electricity went

out. Now I am never going to find out how the film ends.

9. Samantha (be) ___________________ in the room when Bob (tell)

___________________ me what happened, but she didn't hear anything
because she (be, listen) ___________________ to music.

10. It's strange that you (call) ___________________ because I (think, just)
___________________ about you.
Activity 5

Write the correct form of the verb, using the Past Simple or the
Past Continuous tense.

A: I __________________________ (see) Peter and John in the park on Sunday.

B: _________________________________ (they/play) football?
They always play football on Sundays.
A: No, they ______________________ (not/be).
They _______________________ (talk) with some girls.
B: ____________________________ (you/say) hello to them?
A. Although I _______________________ (call) their names, they
_______________ (not/hear) me.
B: Maybe they _______________________ (not/notice) you ________________
(be) there

Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Continuous or the Past
Simple.

1) Frank _______________ (finish) his lunch and ____________ (ring) his friend
Jason.

2) Jason ____________ (watch) TV when Fran______________ (phone) him.

3) He ____________ (turn off) the TV when he ____________ (hear) the phone

ringing.

4) They _________________________ (decide) what to do when Jason

_____________________ (suggest) going to the club.

5) Frank _______________ Jason ____________ (pick up) and _________________

(drive) to the club.

6) Two other people _______________________(use) their tennis court when

they _________________________ (arrive).

7) They ______________________ (drink) a soda and ____________________

(eat) a sandwich while they _____________________(wait) to play.

8) While they __________________________ (play), it ________ (start) to rain so

they ______________________ (have) to stop playing.
Activity 6

Put the verbs into the correct form (past progressive).

1. When I phoned my friends, they (play) ___________________

Monopoly.

2. Yesterday at six I (prepare) ___________________________ dinner.

3. The kids (play) ____________________ in the garden when it suddenly

began to rain.

4. I (practice) ___________________- the guitar when he came home.

5. We (not / cycle) ____________ all day.

6. While Aaron (work) __________ in his room, his friends

(swim)______________ in the pool.

7. I tried to tell them the truth but they (listen / not) _______________.

8. What (you / do) _______________ yesterday?

9. Most of the time we (sit) ________________ in the park.

 Unit
Exercises 6
What were you doing at these times? Write sentences as in the examples. The past continuous
is not always necessary (see the second example).
1 (at 8 o'clock yesterday evening) .. ..1. ... ho...vmg.... ........... ...... .... .... .... .. ..........................
2 (at 5 o'clock last Monday) I .O.n Q.- ..b<As qn_ __ m!:J ... . ...... .............. .... . . . ..... ..
3 (at 10.15 yesterday morning) ... ................... .. . ...... ...................... ........ ..... ....... .. ....... ......... .......... .. .................... ..
4 (at 4.30 this morning) .......... ...... .. ....... . ....... ... .... ..... . ..... .......... . . .... . ................... . .... . .. ................ ..
5 (at 7.45 yesterday evening) .. . ......... ...... .. .. . ....... ....................... ...................................................... .......... .
6 (half an hour ago) .................... ........ . ....... . ..... ........... .. .. .. .... ...... ........ ...... .. .. ... . ...... .

Use your own ideas to complete the sentences. Use the past continuous.
1 Matt phoned while we .... .. .. ......... .............................. ............ ................. .......... .................. .
2 The doorbell rang while I .. ...... . ...... .................... . . . .................... . . .... . ...... . ..... ................. .
3 The car began to make a strange noise when we ....... ... .. ........... .. . .. ... ... . .... ........ ...... .
4 jessica fell asleep whi le she .. ...... ............ ...... . ... .... .. .. ..... ..... .. . ..... ... ....... . ..... .. ..... . . ........ .... .. .................... .
5 The television was on, but nobody ........................................ ................................................................................................................... .

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

w <1 Gates 1-10 I

....... (see) Sue in town I ........................ .................... (meet) I ..... .......................... (cycle) home
yesterday, but she ............. . Tom and jane at the airport a yesterday when a man
... ... .. .......... (not I see) me. few weeks ago. They ...... ... ........... .... (step) out
She .... ................. (go) to Paris and into the road in front of me. I
(look) the other way. I . ... ..... ..... . .................. ... (go) ......... . ............ (go) quite fast,
to Rome. We ...... ............... (have) but luckily I .......................................... .
a chat while we ........................ (manage) to stop in time and
............ ......... (wait) for our flights . ..... .... (not I hit) him.

Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.
1 jenny ...... ....NP,W.g ...... (wait) for me when I (arrive).
2 'What . ......... ...... .. .. ....... ..... (you I do) at this time yesterdayt 'I was asleep.'
3 ' .... ............................................. (you I go) out last night?' 'No, I was too tired .'
4 How fast ........... ... . ..................... ..... . .. . ......... .... ..... (you I drive) when the accident .............................................. .
(happen) ?
5 Sa m . ... ....... ..... . ................ (take) a picture of me while I ... ....................... . .... .. ...................... .... .. ........
(not I look).
6 We were in a very difficult position. We ..... ........ . ......... . ...... . ..................... (not I 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).

-t Additional exercise 1 (page 302) 13