Past continuous

Past Continuous
Tense Time expressions Examples of Formation Usage Examples
Past Simple
• Yesterday
• Yesterday
morning/evening
• Last
night/week/year/
Monday
• In 1989
• 5 years ago
• Etc.
• I was at work yesterday
They were at work…
• I wasn’t at work…
• Were you at work ?
• I worked very hard yesterday.
I met my friend last week.
• I didn’t work very hard…
• Did you work very hard ?
Where did you meet your friend?
Completed action in the past:
single events or regular
I went to work at 8 a.m.
yesterday.
Past states
I didn’t like the film last
week.
past actions which happened
one after the other
(To tell the story)

She came home, turned on
the light, sat down on the
bed and started reading
book.
Past Continuous
• when, while, as long
as
Was/ Were + Ving
• I was watching TV
They were watching TV
• I was not (wasn’t) watching TV
• Were you watching TV?
• action in progress at a fixed
past time
• I was watching TV at
5p.m. yesterday
• two actions happening at the
same time (parallel)
• I was watching TV while
my mother was cooking
dinner.
• Interrupted action in the Past
• When I
was having

breakfast, the phone
suddenly rang.
• emphasis on a continuous
action in the past
• It was raining all day

long .
• temporary things in the past
• I was living with my
sister last week
• background action
• The sun was shining,
the birds were singing,
while I was having my
lunch
Exercise 1. Re-order the words to make meaningful sentences:
1. 6 I years there for lived  ………………………………………………………………………………………
2. but I anything asked she know her didn't  ……………………………………………………………
3. it evening was about Everybody talking all  ……………………………………………………………
4. other about I day thinking you was the  …………………………………………………………………
Exercise 2. Put the verbs into the correct tense.
I (come) ………………………………… home, (switch) ………………………………… on my computer and (check)
………………………………… my emails.
While my brother (sleep) ………………………………… last night, someone (steal) ………………………………… his car.
Nobody (listen) ………………………………… while the teacher (explain) ………………………………… the lesson.
I (have) ………………………………… dinner when I suddenly (hear) ………………………………… a loud bang.
The boys (swim) ………………………………… while the girls (sunbathe) …………………………………
While Kevin (read) ………………………………… , Kate (watch) ………………………………… a documentary on TV.
When the phone rang, I (get up) ………………………………… to answer it.
Exercise 3. Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
Two days ago, a murder (happen) ………………………………… in Main Street at about nine p.m. Yesterday,
Sherlock Holmes (arrive) ………………………………… at the crime scene to investigate.
He (ask) ………………………………… the owner of the house “What (do / you) …………………………………
yesterday at nine?”
“I (watch) ………………………………… the news on TV.”
“ (be) ………………………………… you alone?”

“No, I (be / not) ………………………………… , my wife (read) ………………………………… in the bedroom.”
“(hear / you) ………………………………… anything suspicious?”
“Yes, about nine o'clock, I (hear) ………………………………… some people arguing in the street. I (think)
………………………………… they (fight) ………………………………… but it suddenly (stop)
………………………………… and I (forget) about it.
Exercise 4. Write questions in the simple past or in the past continuous.
An accident happened on the motorway, the police is investigating:
1. Where / you / be when the accident happened?…………………………………………………………….
2. What / you / do? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. What time / it / be?……………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. You / drive fast?………………………………………………………………….………………………… …………
5. Why / you / not stop in time? …………………………………………………………………………………
6. Who / call the police? ………………………………………………………………….………………………
Exercise 5. Put the verbs in brackets into Past Continuous or Past Simple.
1. I …………………………… (see) Mary in town yesterday but she (not/see) …………………………… me. She ………………………… (look) the
other way.
2. I …………………………… (cycle) home yesterday when suddenly a man…………………………… (step) out into the road in front of me,
I…………………………… (go) quite fast but luckily I …………………………… (manage) to stop in time and ………………………… (not/hit)
him.
3. I………………………… (walk) home when I ………………………… (meet) Dan.
4. Tom ………………………… (burn) his hand when he …………………… (cook) the dinner.
5. The telephone …………………………… (ring) while I ………… ………… (have) a bath.
6. Beethoven ………… ………… (write) nine symphonies. He …………………………… (write) another symphony when he died.
7. Last Saturday Tom wanted to make two salads. He (make) the first one in five minutes.
He (make) the second one when his guests (arrive) and they
(help) him to finish it.
8. The artist Gaudi (design) several houses in Barcelona, Spain. Later he (start) work on
a church. He (work) on the church when he (die).
9. Last month a bank robber (escape) while the police (take) him to prison. Later
they (catch) him again, and this time they (lock) him up without any problem.

10. Philip’s football team were lucky last Saturday. After 20 minutes they (lose), but in the end
they (win) the game by 4 goals to 2.
11. John Lennon (sing) and (play) on many records with The Beatles.
He (prepare) a new record when Mark Chapman (shoot) him.
12. Yesterday afternoon I (study) at home after school when I (hear) a
loud noise. I (run) outside. It (rain) and it (be) cold.
I (see) that smoke (come) slowly out of the next house. My father
suddenly (arrive) and we (phone) the fire-brigade because we could
hear that some people (call) for help. While we (wait) for the fire-engine to
come, I (decide) to investigate.
Exercise 6. Put the verbs into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.
1. She (BURST) into tears when she (SEE) his father.
2. I (CUT) up vegetables in the kitchen when I (HEAR) the terrible news on the
radio.
3. What a terrible accident!. Steve (DRIVE) his car when a bird (FLY) into his
windscreen.
4. First she (READ) the advertisement and then she (CALL) the company.
5. The sun (SHINE) brightly when the old man (SET) off from his cottage.
6. At eight o’clock yesterday evening the plane (FLY) from Tahiti to Los Angeles.
7. I (WAIT) for him for quite a long time but he (NOT COME).
8. Last weekend while Julie (TIDY) her bedroom, she (FIND) some of the toys
she (HAVE) when she (BE) a child.
9. While my mother (COOK) dinner, we (PLAY) in the garden.
10. We all (SLEEP) when some terrible noise (WAKE) us up.
11. Poor Cinderella (HAVE) to work hard while her step-sisters (HAVE) fun at
the ball.
12. The children (TAKE) the cake when nobody (LOOK)
and (EAT) it silently.
13. As she (CROSS) the street, she (SLIP) and (FALL).
14. Yesterday when I (WALK) in the park, I (LOSE) my watch.

15. The fishing boat (APPROACH) the seashore when the tornado (BEGIN).
16. I (CAN) not hear the bell because the radio (PLAY) really loudly.
17. The aeroplane (CATCH) fire just when it (TAKE) off.
18. The lights (GO) out when we (DISCUSS) the plans for the following
morning.
19. Professor Ward (GIVE) the lecture when the students’ riots (BEGIN).
20. One of my worst memories from last winter holidays was when I (RUN) out of petrol while
I (DRIVE) through a snowy forest in the evening.
21. Last night Sally (WATCH) TV in her bedroom when suddenly she (HEAR) a
scream outside.