Past Simple &

Past Continuous
Exercises
The following document is a brief
description and a series of exercises
for practicing the past simple and the
past continuous in order to improve
your knowledge of those grammar
points.
Marbla Nava Silva
19/05/2011
Past Simple and Past Continuous
The past simple is used:
For an action that started and ended in the past.

*I saw a ghost last Friday.

For a repeated action in the past.

*When I was young, I watched lots of television every day after school.*
*I always gave my mother flowers on her birthday.
*(We could also say, I used to watch lots of television.)

For stative verbs, which are verbs that do not express an action, but a
state of mind or being, e.g. have (own), be, think (believe), know,
dislike, need, owe, understand, wish.
*He had a small cottage in the woods.
*He wasn't afraid of ghosts.

Regular past simple tense verbs end in -ed.

*I talked to my uncle yesterday.
*I phoned my girlfriend this morning.

Irregular past simple tense verbs do not end in -ed.

*You need to learn irregular past tense verbs.
*I felt sick yesterday morning so I went to the doctor.

The past continuous tense is used:

When talking about TWO actions in the past; one continues for a
period, and the other starts and ends (past simple).
*While I was talking on the phone, someone stole my car.
*I was making breakfast when the cat knocked over the milk carton, so I
burnt the toast.
These sentences usually use while or when.

To talk about TWO actions in the past, both happening over a period.
*I was working on my computer and my children were watching television.

To talk about a TEMPORARY activity taking place over a limited time.

The past continuous tense is was / were + the present participle.
*I was living in Indooroopilly when it happened.
*I was staying at my friend's house while my parents were touring Italy.

(The present participle is the base of a verb + ing i.e. walk walking).
 EXERCISES
PAST SIMPLE
&
PAST CONTINUOUS
Activity 1

Choose which verb tense (simple past or past continuous) fits

better.

1. I ________
a - I didn't hear you come in.
a) was sleeping b) slept

2. I ________
b to see her twice, but she wasn't home.
a) was coming b) came

3. What ________?
b I was watching TV.
a) did you do b) were you doing

4. Robin Hood was a character who ________

a from the rich and gave
to the poor.
a) stole b) was stealing

5. Hey, did you talk to her? Yes, I ________

b to her
a) was talking b) talked

6. I ________
a home very late last night.
a) came b) was coming

7. How long ________

b the flu?
a) did you have b) were you having

a
8. ________ a good time in Brazil? Yes, I had a blast!
a) Were you having b) Did you have

9. We ________
b breakfast when she walked into the room.
a) had b) were having

10. Last month I decided to buy a new car, and today I finally
________
a it.
a) bought b) was buying
Activity 2

Read the story and answer the following questions.

A DISASTROUS DINNER

Last Friday, Mrs. Anderson planned to have a delicious dinner. She bought a
T-bone steak and some cream and apples for an apple pie. When she
came home from the shops she put her shopping on the table. While she
was setting the table, her two pets sat underneath it and watched her. Then
she went to the kitchen to make the pastry for the pie. She was a little
forgetful so she didn’t realize the steak, cream and apples were still on the
table. While she was making the pastry, the dog jumped on a chair and
looked longingly at the steak. At last it took the steak in its mouth and
jumped off the chair, just as Mrs. Anderson was coming back into the dining
room. Mrs. Anderson screamed, but the dog ran into the garden. She ran
after the dog. While she was chasing the dog, the cat jumped on the table
and started drinking the cream. Mrs. Anderson didn’t manage to catch the
dog, and she came back into the dining room. When she saw the cat, she
shrieked, and the cat got such a fright that it jumped a meter into the air,
and leapt out the window. Mrs. Anderson threw her broom at the cat, but
she missed, and broke the window. At the same time she overbalanced
and put her hand in the cream, spilling it all over the tablecloth. Poor Mrs.
Anderson - she had no dinner, only a dirty tablecloth and a broken window.

Glossary: set the table - put knives and forks, plates, salt etc. on the table., underneath -
under it., longingly - e.g. the dog wanted it but knew it couldn’t have it., shriek - louder
than scream., get a fright - suddenly (not the same as be frightened)., overbalance - to
lose your balance and fall.

Answer these questions about the story. Answer in complete sentences.

1. What did Mrs. Anderson plan? She planned to have dinner

2. Why did she buy cream and apples? she bouhgt cream and aples to make apple pie
3. When did her pets watch her? When she was setting the table
4. Where did she leave the steak? She went to the kichened to make the pastry for the pie
5. When did the dog jump on the chair? the dog jumped while she was making the pastry
6. How did the dog look at the steak? the dog looked longingly at the steak.
7. When did the dog jump off the chair? the dog jumped just as Mrs. Anderson was coming back into the dining room.
8. Where did the dog go? the dog ran into the garden
9. What was she doing when the cat jumped on the table? she was chasing the dog
10. What did Mrs. Anderson do when she saw the cat? Mrs. Anderson Shrieked
Activity 3

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

1. A: What (you, do) ___________________

were you doing when you heard that noise?
B: I (try) ___________________
was trying to change a light bulb that had burnt out.

2. After I (find) ___________________

found the wallet full of money, I (go,
immediately)___________________
went immediately to the police and (turn)
___________________ it in.
turned

3. The doctor (say) ___________________

said that Brian (be) _________________
was too
weak to go to work and that he (need) ___________________ to stay at home
needed
for a couple of days.

4. My best friend (arrive) ___________________

arrieved at my house a little before 9:00
pm, but I (be, not) ___________________
was not there. I (study) ___________________
was studying
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) ___________________
also worked on his computer. That's all he ever does!

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

7. When I (walk) ___________________

was walking into the busy office, the secretaries
(talk)___________________
were talking on the phone with customers, a clerk (work,
busily)___________________ at his desk, and two managers (discuss, quietly)
was busily working
___________________
were quietly discussing methods to improve customer service.

8. I (watch) ___________________
watched 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) ___________________

was in the room when Bob (tell)
___________________ me what happened, but she didn't hear anything
toled
because she (be, listen) ___________________
was listening to music.

10. It's strange that you (call) ___________________

called because I (think, just)
___________________
was just thinking about you.
Activity 4

Find the Past Simple of the following verbs:

Work ____________________
worked come __________________
came
Walk ____________________
walked speak __________________
spoke
Talk _____________________
talked see ____________________
saw
Clean ___________________
cleaned do _____________________
did
Live _____________________
lived go _____________________
went
Wash ___________________
washed sing ____________________
sang

Complete what Jenny says using the following verbs in the Past
Continuous:

Jenny is telling her teacher why she couldn't study for an exam.

watch listen sing clean cook play lie

It was impossible for me to concentrate! I went to my bedroom and my

mother _________________________
was cleaning the carpet with the vacuum cleaner.
Then I went to the living room but my brother Paul _______________________
was lying
on the sofa. He ____________
was playing his guitar. After that I decided to go to the
kitchen.
There, my grandmother _________________________
was cooking and she ___________ also
____________________ TV. Finally, I went out to the garden where I found my
was watching
sister. She __________________
was listening to her Walkman and she ___________________
was singing
at the top of her voice.
Activity 5

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

A: I __________________________
saw (see) Peter and John in the park on Sunday.
B: _________________________________
were they playing (they/play) football?
They always play football on Sundays.
A: No, they ______________________
weren't (not/be).
They _______________________
were talking (talk) with some girls.
B: ____________________________
did you say (you/say) hello to them?
A. Although I _______________________
called (call) their names, they
_______________
didn't heard (not/hear) me.
B: Maybe they _______________________
didn´t noticed (not/notice) you ________________
were
(be) there

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

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

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

3) He ____________
was turning off (turn off) the TV when he ____________
heard (hear) the phone
ringing.
were deciding
4) They _________________________ (decide) what to do when Jason
_____________________
was suggesting (suggest) going to the club.

5) Frank _______________
picked up Jason ____________ (pick up) and _________________
drove
(drive) to the club.

6) Two other people _______________________(use)

were using their tennis court when
they _________________________
arrived (arrive).

7) They ______________________
drank (drink) a soda and ____________________
ate
(eat) a sandwich while they _____________________(wait)
were waiting to play.

8) While they __________________________

were playing (play), it ________
started (start) to rain so
they ______________________
had (have) to stop playing.
Activity 6

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

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

were playing
Monopoly.

2. Yesterday at six I (prepare) ___________________________

was preparing dinner.

3. The kids (play) ____________________

were playing in the garden when it suddenly
began to rain.

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

5. We (not / cycle) weren't

____________
cycling all day.

6. While Aaron (work) was __________

working in his room, his friends
(swim)______________
were swimming in the pool.

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

8. What (you / do) _______________

were you doing yesterday?

9. Most of the time we (sit) ________________

were stting in the park.