PAST CONTINUOUS

We use past continuous to talk about something that started before a certain

time in the past and was still in progress at that time.

At 8.30 I was walking along La Raza Avenue.

We often use it to describe a situation, to give the background to a scene

that happened in the past.

What were they wearing? – They were wearing red t-shirts.

We don`t use the past continuous with verbs not normally used in the

continuous form: believe, belong, contain, exist, forget, hate, hear,

know, like, love, mean, need, own, prefer, realize, remember, seen,

suppose, understand, want.

We don´t normally use it to talk about a repeated action in the past. We’d

rather use used to+ infinitive:

When I was a child, I used to cry a lot.

FORMS

Was/ were + verb ending –ing

I was working I wasn´t

working

Was I

working?

PAST CONTINUOUS PAST SIMPLE

Past action in progress Completed action

The action in the past simple is short and usually unexpected. It interrupts

the “longer” action in the past continuous.

a) Past continuous + past simple

What were you doing when it happened? – I was cleaning my car.

b) Past simple + past simple

What did you do when it happened? – I ran away.

PRACTICE

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1. Complete the sentences with the verbs in brackets. Use the correct

form of used to ( used to+ infinitive / didn’ use to + infinitive).

1. My dad was very athletic. He ……………………… (ride) his bike to work.

2. Tom ……………………… (not eat) vegetables when he was young.

3. Before e-mail, more people ……………………… (send) letters in the post.

4. Many years ago, women ……………………… (not wear) trousers.

2. Look at Sally’s family photo album. Write questions with the words

below and used to. Then answer the questions according to the

pictures

1. Sally’s dad / run / in races

2. Sally / have / short hair

3. Sally’s family / have / a cat

4. Sally / have / her own bedroom

3. Complete the sentences with the verbs in brackets. Use the Past Simple

or Past Continuous.

1. While I ……………………… (use) the computer, the electricity

……………………… (go) off.

2. Tom ……………………… (run) in the race as the photographer

……………………… (take) photos.

3. The people ……………………… (clap) while the singer ………………………

(sing).

4. When we ……………………… (leave) the party, many people

……………………… (dance).

5. We ……………………… (go) to the concert when we ……………………… (see)

the accident.

used to ride

1 2 3 4

Dad the runnerDad the runner Sally at five years oldSally at five years old Spot’s first day with familySpot’s first day with family Sally’s bedroomSally’s bedroom

Did Sally’s dad use to run in races? Yes, she did

was using

4. Complete the dialogue with the verbs in brackets. Use the Past Simple

or Past Continuous.

Reporter: Mr Smith, 1. ………………… you ………………… (watch) TV when they 2. ……………………… (announce) the winner?

Mr Smith: No, I wasn’t. I 3. ……………………… (sleep). My wife 4. ……………………… (listen)

to the radio when she 5. ……………………… (hear) the lottery

results. She 6. ……………………… (scream) and 7. ………………………

(wake) me.

Reporter: Well, what 8. ………………… you ………………… (do)?

Mr Smith: I 9. ……………………… (get up) to see what was wrong. My wife 10. ……………………… (laugh) and 11. ……………………… (cry) at the

same time. She 12. ………………… also ………………… (wave) the

lottery ticket!

Reporter: What 13. ……………………… (happen) then?

Mr Smith: I 14. ……………………… (start) thinking about a holiday in Hawaii.

5. Write questions about the underlined words.

1. Danny was the stuntperson in the film.

...............................................................................................

2. I saw a comedy show yesterday.

...............................................................................................

3. They are meeting Sandy.

...............................................................................................

4. David lives in England.

...............................................................................................

5. The film was boring.

...............................................................................................

6. Write the verbs in the PAST SIMPLE/ PAST CONTINOUS

a) When I ……………………. (do) the washing up, I …………………… (break) a

plate.

b) While Tom …………………… (play) the piano, his mother ………………….. (do)

the washing-up

c) He ………………………… (drink) some juice and then he …………………… (eat)

a few chips.

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were watching

Who was the stuntperson in the film?

d) I ………………………….. (have) dinner when I suddenly ……………………….

(hear) a loud bang.

e) When my father ……………………… (work) in the garden, an old friend

……………….. (pass) by to say hello.

f) She ………………………… (go) to school, ………………….. (take) out her

textbook and ………..(begin) to learn.

g) When it …………………… (start) to rain, our dog ………………….. (want) to

come inside.

h) When Jane ………………………. (do) a language course in Ireland, she

…………………….(visit) Blarney Castle.

i) When I …………………….. (be) on my way home, I …………………….(see) an

accident.

j) I ……………………………….. (not/understand) what they ……………….. (talk)

about.

k) When he ………………………. (hurt) his back, he ………………………. (go) to

see the doctor.

l) When she ………………………..(hear) the news she ……………………….(begin)

to cry.

m) We …………………………… (listen) to the radio when Fred ……………………..

(come) home.

n) I ………………………….. (hear) a strange noise and the dog …………………….

(begin) to bark.

o) Everyone ……………………….. (talk) and suddenly the lights ……………………

(go) out.

p) I ……………………………. (have) a nice hot shower when I …………………….

(get) home.

q) The children ………………………….. (play) happily when mother

………………….. (arrive) home.

r) I …………………………… (meet) Peter while I ……………………. (shop) this

morning.

s) I …………………………… (stay) in Oxford, so I …………………. (go) to see Tim.

t) Ken ………………………………. (do) his homework last night and he

………………….. (forget) to telephone home.

7. Put the verbs in brackets into the PAST SIMPLE/ PAST CONTINUOUS

1. A: What (you, do) ______________when the accident occurred?

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 Tom (be) ___________too sick to go to work and

that he (need) ______to stay at home for a couple of days.

4. Sebastian (arrive) _____________at Susan's house a little before 9:00 pm, but she

(be, not) _____________there. She (study, at the library) _______________for her final

examination in French.

5. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she

(watch, also) ___________television. That's all she ever does!

6. A: I (call) ______you last night after dinner, but you (be, not) ___________there.

Where were you?

B: I (work) ____________out at the fitness center.

7. When I (walk) _______________into the busy office, the secretary (talk)

______________on the phone with a customer, several clerks (work, busily)

_______________at their desks, and two managers (discuss, quietly)

________________methods to improve customer service.

8. I (watch) ________________a mystery movie on T.V. when the electricity went out.

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

9. Sharon (be) ________________________in the room when John told me what

happened, but she didn't hear anything because she (listen, not)________________.

10. It's strange that you (call) ___________________because I (think, just)

_____________about you.

11. The Titanic (cross) _____________the Atlantic when it (strike) ___________an

iceberg.

12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants (bargain, busily)

_________________and (try) _____________to sell their goods to naive tourists who

(hunt) ___________for souvenirs. Some young boys (lead) ______________their donkeys

through the narrow streets on their way home. A couple of men (argue)

___________over the price of a leather belt. I (walk) __________over to a man who

(sell) _____________fruit and (buy) ___________a banana.

13. The firemen (rescue) ____________the old woman who (be) _____________trapped

on the third floor of the burning building.

14. She was so annoying! She (leave, always) _________________her dirty dishes in

the sink. I think she (expect, actually) __________________me to do them for her.

15. Samantha (live) _________in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she

(live)______________there when the Berlin wall came down.

8. a) Choose the correct tense for each verb

Dyson (a) was entering / entered the office quietly and (b) was

shutting/shut the door. First, he (c) was pulling/pulled the blind. Next, he (d)

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was switching/switched on his torch. Then he (e) was taking/took some papers

out of the desk. While he (f) was reading/read them, he (g) was hearing/heard a

car door outside the building.

The police? No, not yet. Kelly –it must be Kelly!

Quickly, Dyson (h) was switching/switched off his torch and (i) was

listening/listened. What (j) was happening/happened ? Kelly (k) was

looking/looked in other rooms. She (l) was walking/ walked along the corridor.

Dyson was ready. He (m) was standing/stood behind the door with his gun in his

hand when Kelly (n) was coming/came into the room.

b) Put the verbs in the past simple or the past continuous

Kelly (a) ............... (hit) Dyson’s arm and (b) .................... (try) to take the

gun. A bullet (c) ............................. (hit) Dyson’s foot and he (d) ...................... (fall)

to the floor. Kelly (e) .......................... (try) to decide what to do when she

(f) ..................... (hear) the police car. She (g) ........................... (run) out of the

building, (h) .................... (jump) into her car and (i) ............ (drive) away.

Dyson (j) ...................... (still/lie) on the floor of the office when the police

(k) .............. (arrive).

9. SIMPLE PRESENT / PRESENT CONTINUOUS / PAST SIMPLE / PAST CONTINUOUS.

Put the verbs in the right tense

1. She .............................. (always/borrow) from me and ............................

(never/remember) to pay me back.

2. Detective: I’m afraid I must ask you both. What ............................... (you/do) at

10.20 yesterday?

Mr X.: I ................................ (play) chess with my wife.

Mr. Y: I .............................. (listen) to a speech on the radio.

3. ...................................... (you/need) another blanket or ...................... (you/feel)

warm enough? No, I .........................

4. Tom ........................................... (usually/ feed) the hens but I ................... (do) it

today as he ............................... (not/feel) well.

5. The boys ..................................... (play) cards when they ............................ (hear)

their father’s step. They immediately .................................. (hide) the cards

and .......................(take) out their lesson books.

6. a: Have you read his last book? B: Yes, I have. A: What ..........................................

(you/think) of it? B: I ............................... (like) it very much.

7. a: .......................................................(you/dream) at night? Yes, I ...............

I ................................ (always/dream) and if I ........................... (eat) too much

supper, I ............................... (have) nightmares.

8. a: ............................................. (you/do) anything at the moment? B: Yes, I ..........

I .......................... (pack). I ................................. (catch) a plane to NYC in three

hours’ time.

A: Lucky girl! How long ......................................... (you/stay) in New York?

9. a: The house next to yours ..................................... (be) full of policemen and

police dogs yesterday. B: What .............................................. (they/do)? A:

I ..............................(hear) that they ............................................ (look) for drugs.

B: ............................................ (they/find) any? Yes, I believe one of the

dogs ............................. (discover) some cannabis.

10. a: What ............................................. (you/do) when the

doorbell ...............................(ring)? B: I ................................. (do) my homework.

A: and what .......................................... (you/do) when you ..................... (hear) the

bell? B: I .......................... (go) to answer it of course. But when I .............................

(open) the door there ........................... (be) nobody there.

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