PAST CONTINUOUS

Write the correct form of the verb in the spaces below. 

1) We _____ ________ (to go) to the mall last night. 
2) She _____ ________ (to talk) to the police officer last week. 
3) I _____ ________ (to buy) a new bicycle when you called me. 4) John _____ ________ (to listen) to a CD an hour ago. 5) Margo, Juan, and Anika _____ not ________ (to ride) on the bus to work. 6) We _____ ________ (to try) to get five gold medals in the last Olympics. 7) My brother _____ ________ (to be) mean last night. 8) The four of us _____ ________ (to swim) in the lake yesterday. 9) My mom _____ ________ (to rock) the baby to sleep last night. 10 ) I _____ ________ (to sing) in my car this morning




Past Tense – Simple or Progressive: Fill in the correct form. 

1. George ________________ off the ladder while he ________________ the ceiling. (fall, paint) 
2. Last night I ________________ in bed when I suddenly ________________ a scream. (read, hear) 3. ________________ TV when I ________________ you? (you watch, phone) 
4. Ann ________________ for me when I ________________ . (wait, arrive) 
5. Maisie ________________ up the kitchen when John ________________ her to marry him. (clean, ask) 
6. The house ________________ £ 150,000 in 2003. (cost) 
7. The fire _______________________ at six in the morning. (still burn) 
8. My brother ________________ a new job a week ago (get). 
9. Columbus ________________ America over 500 years ago (discover) 
10. She ________________ not interested in the book because she ________________ it (be ,not understand) 
11. ________________ at school yesterday? (you be) 
12. We ________________ in a house near the sea last summer (live) 
13. She ________________ the piano very well when she ________________ young (can play, be) 14. She ________________ the office very early last night (leave). 
15. I ________________ a friend while I ________________ the shopping (meet, do) 
16. I ________________ for my things when I ________________ someone call my name (pay, hear) 
17. I ________________ around and ________________ Judy. (turn, see) 
18. She ________________ a bright yellow dress when I ________________ her last (wear, see) 
19. We ________________ to have a cup of tea. (decide) 
20. While the waiter ________________ up the pieces of glass he ________________ his finger (pick, cut) 
21. Then we ________________ the cafe and ________________ good bye (leave, say) 
22. I ________________ the fire at six and it ________________ brightly when Tom came in at seven. (light, still burn) 
23. My dog ________________ along quietly when Mary’s Pekinese ________________ him. (walk, attack) 
24. When I ________________ she ________________ lunch. She said she always ________________ lunch at 
12:30. (arrive, have, have) 
25. What ________________ of his last book? –I ________________ it a lot (you think, like) 
26. He suddenly ________________ that he ________________ in the wrong direction. (realize, travel) 
27. He ________________ guitar when someone ________________ the window and ________________ out a bucket of water. (play, open, throw) 
28. He ________________ us to go out in the boat yesterday because a strong wind ________________ (not allow, blow) 
29. The next day, as they ________________ that the police ________________ for them, they ________________ the coats in the woods and ________________ off in different directions. (know, look, hide, go) 
30. When I ________________ home they ________________ around a fire. Jack ________________ a crossword puzzle, Judy ________________ and the others ________________ . Mother ________________ at me and said : “ Come and sit down” (come, sit, do, knit, read, smile)


COMPLETE THE TEXT USING THE PAST SIMPLE OR THE PAST CONTINUOUS

A

It (rain)  very hard when the bus (leave) the school. When we (get) home, my Aunt Carol and Uncle Arthur (wait) for us. They (tell) us to run into their basement. When I (look) up the road, I (see) that a tornado (come) towards our house. We all (run) towards the shelter. But it was too late. The tornado (pass) over us while we (try) to get down the stairs. We (close) the door when the wind suddenly (pull) it off. The noise was as loud as a train, and it was very dark. My uncle (hold)  me down when suddenly the tornado (lift) him and threw him against a wall. Everybody (scream) for help while the tornado (throw) things on top of us. Suddenly the wind (stop) . It (become) very quiet. My uncle and sister were hurt, but we all (survive). 

B

Last night, while I was doing my homework, Angela (call) . She said she (call) me on her cell phone from her biology classroom at UCLA. I asked her if she (wait) for class, but she said that the professor was at the front of the hall lecturing while she (talk) to me. I couldn't believe she (make) a phone call during the lecture. I asked what was going on. 
She said her biology professor was so boring that several of the students (sleep, actually) in class. Some of the students (talk) about their plans for the weekend and the student next to her (draw) a picture of a horse. When Angela (tell)  me she was not satisfied with the class, I (mention) that my biology professor was quite good and (suggest) that she switch to my class. 
While we were talking, I (hear) her professor yell, "Miss, are you making a phone call?" Suddenly, the line went dead. I (hang) up the phone and went to the kitchen to make dinner. As I (cut) vegetables for a salad, the phone rang once again. It (be)  Angela, but this time she wasn't sitting in class.