SIMPLE PAST/ PAST CONTINUOUS

Simple Past / Past Continuous

1) A. What (you, do) ____________ when the accident occurred?

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

2) A. 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 9:00PM, 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?

A. I (work) _______________ out at the fitness centre.

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 TV 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 naïve 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.

ANSWERS

1. A: were you doing
B: was trying
2. found immediately went turned
3. said was needed
4. arrived wasn't was studying
5. was also watching
6. A: called weren't
B: was working
7. walked was talking were busily working were quietly discussing
8. was watching
9. was wasn't listening.
10. called was just thinking
11. was crossing struck
12. were busily bargaining trying were hunting were leading were arguing walked was selling bought
13. rescued was
14. was always leaving actually expected
15. lived was living