25371 past simple or continuous

P AST SIM P LE

P AST C ONTINUOUS

Form: verb + ED or irregular verbs.
Use: a completed action in the past. (a fact, a
habit or a duration.)
I lived in England for 30 years.
I saw Bob yesterday.
We use “Did” to make questions and “didn’t” for
negatives. The verb stays in the base form.
Did you see Bob? She didn’t see Bob.

Form: was/were + verb + ing
Use: interrupted action in the past, specific
time, parallel actions, atmosphere
I was having a shower when the phone rang.
At 4 p.m. yesterday I was playing tennis.
Were you listening while he was talking?
When I woke up this morning, the sun was
shining and the birds were singing.

She ................... (make) a cake when I .................... (come) home from work.
When I ....................... (open) the door they ....................... (stop) talking.
We ............………………..... (have) dinner when they ......................... (arrive).
She ................................................

(live) in Hastings at that time.

They ...................................................

(come) home very late last night.

As he .............……….. (be) ill I .............................. (stay) to look after him.
...................................... (you/know) the answers to their questions ?
He ................ (stand) up,.................... (take) his case and .............(leave).
When you .................... (arrive) ............................. (Janet /make) dinner ?
We ................. (arrive) just in time, she .....………............. (get) on the train !
It ............................... (not take) me as long as I thought to get to Paris.
When I .............. (be) on holiday I ......................... (have) a lie-in every day.
They ...............……... (have) breakfast when the postman .................. (arrive).
Everybody ....................... (start) clapping when the clown ..............(arrive).
I didn’t want to disturb him because he ............................ (read) the newspaper.
Just as I ...................... (open) the door my neighbour .................. (call) me.
As they ....................... (make) an terrible noise, we could hear what the man said.
That day she ................................ (wear) a beautiful red dress.
When the waiter .............. (bring) the steak he said he ...............(not eat) meat.
What .................................... (you/do) at that time ?


KEY
1. She WAS MAKING a cake when I CAME home from work.
2. When I OPENED the door they STOPPED talking.
3. We WERE HAVING dinner when they ARRIVED.
4. She WAS LIVING in Hastings at that time.
5. They CAME home very late last night.
6. As he WAS ill I STAYED to look after him.
7. DID YOU KNOW the answers to their questions?
8. He STOOD up, TOOK his case and LEFT.
9. When you ARRIVED WAS JANET MAKING dinner?
10. We ARRIVED just in time, she WAS GETTING on the train!

11. It DIDN’T TAKE me as long as I thought to get to Paris.
12. When I WAS on holiday I HAD a lie-in every day.
13. They WERE HAVING breakfast when the postman ARRIVED.
14.Everybody STARTED clapping when the clown ARRIVED.
15. I didn’t want to disturb him because he WAS READING the newspaper.
16. Just as I WAS OPENING the door my neighbour CALLED me.
17. As they WERE MAKING an terrible noise, we could hear what the man said.
18. That day she WAS WEARING a beautiful red dress.
19. When the waiter BROUGHT the steak he said he DIDN’T EAT meat.
20. What WERE YOU DOING at that time ?