Past Simple &

Past Continuous
Exercises
The following document is a brief description
and a series of exercises for practicing the
past simple and the past continuous in order to
improve your knowledge of those grammar
points.
Marbla Nava Silva
19/05/2011
Past Simple and Past Continuous
The past simple is used:
For an action that started and ended in the past.

*I saw a ghost last Friday.

For a repeated action in the past.

*When I was young, I watched lots of television every day after school.*
*I always gave my mother flowers on her birthday.
*(We could also say, I used to watch lots of television.)

For stative verbs, which are verbs that do not express an action, but a state of mind
or being, e.g. have (own), be, think (believe), know, dislike, need, owe,
understand, wish.
*He had a small cottage in the woods.
*He wasn't afraid of ghosts.

Regular past simple tense verbs end in -ed.

*I talked to my uncle yesterday.
*I phoned my girlfriend this morning.

Irregular past simple tense verbs do not end in -ed.

*You need to learn irregular past tense verbs.
*I felt sick yesterday morning so I went to the doctor.

The past continuous tense is used:

When talking about TWO actions in the past; one continues for a period, and
the other starts and ends (past simple).
*While I was talking on the phone, someone stole my car.
*I was making breakfast when the cat knocked over the milk carton, so I
burnt the toast.
These sentences usually use while or when.

To talk about TWO actions in the past, both happening over a period.
*I was working on my computer and my children were watching television.

To talk about a TEMPORARY activity taking place over a limited time. The past
continuous tense is was / were + the present participle.
*I was living in Indooroopilly when it happened.
*I was staying at my friend's house while my parents were touring Italy.

(The present participle is the base of a verb + ing i.e. walk walking).
 EXERCISES
PAST SIMPLE
&
PAST CONTINUOUS
Activity 1

Choose which verb tense (simple past or past continuous) fits better.

1. I - I didn't hear you come in. a)

was sleeping b) slept

2. I to see her twice, but she wasn't home. a) was

coming b) came

3. What ? I was watching TV. a)

did you do b) were you doing

4. Robin Hood was a character who from the rich and gave to the poor.
a) stole b) was stealing

5. Hey, did you talk to her? Yes, I to her a) was

talking b) talked

6. I home very late last night. a)

came b) was coming

7. How long the flu?

a) did you have b) were you having

8. a good time in Brazil? Yes, I had a blast!

a) Were you having b) Did you have

9. We breakfast when she walked into the room. a) had b)

were having

10. Last month I decided to buy a new car, and today I finally
it.
a) bought b) was buying
Activity 2

Read the story and answer the following questions.

A DISASTROUS
DINNER

Last Friday, Mrs. Anderson planned to have a delicious dinner. She bought a T-bone steak
and some cream and apples for an apple pie. When she came home from the shops
she put her shopping on the table. While she was setting the table, her two pets sat
underneath it and watched her. Then she went to the kitchen to make the pastry for the pie.
She was a little forgetful so she didn’t realize the steak, cream and apples were still on the
table. While she was making the pastry, the dog jumped on a chair and looked longingly at
the steak. At last it took the steak in its mouth and jumped off the chair, just as Mrs.
Anderson was coming back into the dining room. Mrs. Anderson screamed, but the dog ran
into the garden. She ran after the dog. While she was chasing the dog, the cat jumped on
the table and started drinking the cream. Mrs. Anderson didn’t manage to catch the dog,
and she came back into the dining room. When she saw the cat, she shrieked, and the cat
got such a fright that it jumped a meter into the air, and leapt out the window. Mrs.
Anderson threw her broom at the cat, but she missed, and broke the window. At the
same time she overbalanced and put her hand in the cream, spilling it all over the
tablecloth. Poor Mrs. Anderson - she had no dinner, only a dirty tablecloth and a broken
window.

Answer these questions about the story. Answer in complete sentences.

1. What did Mrs. Anderson plan?

- Mrs. Anderson planned to have a
delicious dinner
2. Why did she buy cream and apples?
- buy cream and apples for an apple pie
3. When did her pets watch her?
-his two pet sat under it and looked

4. Where did she leave the steak?

-leave the steak on the table
 5. When did the dog jump on
the chair?
-jump over the chair to take the
steak
6. How did the dog look at the
steak?
-the dog looks longingly steak
7. When did the dog jump off
the chair?
-steak takes and runs the garden
8. Where did
the dog
go?
-in the garden
9. What was she doing when the cat jumped on the
table?
While she was chasing the dog, the cat jumped on the
table and began to drink the cream
10. What did Mrs. Anderson do when she saw the cat?
-Mrs. Anderson threw his broom and broke the window
Activity 3

Complete the following sentences with the correct form (Past Simple or Past
Continuous).

1. A: What (you, do) did you do when you heard that noise? B: I (try)
was trying to change a light bulb that had burnt out.

2. After I (find) found in.the wallet full of money, I (go, to

immediately) went the police and (turn)
it
didn¨t

3. The doctor (say) that Brian (be) say too

weak to go to work and that he (need) _need to stay at home for a
couple of days.

4. My best friend (arrive) arrived at my house a little before 9:00 there.

pm, but I (be, not) not I (study) studier
at the library for my final examination in Italian.

5. John is in the living room working on his computer. At this time yesterday, he (work,
also) on his computer. That's all he ever does!

6. I (call) you last night after dinner, but you (be,

not) there. Where were you?
B: I (work) out at the gym.

7. When I (walk) into the busy office, the secretaries

(talk) on the phone with customers, a clerk (work, at his
busily) desk, and two managers (discuss, quietly)
methods to improve customer service.

8. I (watch) a thriller on T.V. when the electricity went

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

9. Samantha (be) in the room when Bob (tell)

me what happened, but she didn't hear anything
because she (be, listen) to music.

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

about you.
Activity 4

Find the Past Simple of the following verbs:

Work Worked Wash Washed

Walk Walked Come Came
Talk Talked Speak Spoke
Clean Cleaned See Saw
live Lived Do Dig
go Went Sing went

Complete what Jenny says using the following verbs in the Past
Continuous:

Jenny is telling her teacher why she couldn't study for an exam.

watch listen sing clean cook play lie

It was impossible for me to concentrate! I went to my bedroom and my

mother the carpet with the vacuum cleaner.
Then I went to the living room but my brother Paul
on the sofa. He his guitar. After that I decided to go to the
kitchen.
There, my grandmother and she also
TV. Finally, I went out to the garden where I found my
sister. She to her Walkman and she
at the top of her voice.
 Activity 5

Write the correct form of the verb, using the Past Simple or the
Past Continuous tense.

A: I saw (see) Peter and John in the park on Sunday.

B: player (they/play) football?
They always play football on Sundays.
A: No, they not (not/be).
They (talked with some girls.
B: (you/say) hello to them?
A. Although I called (call) their names, they
hear (not/hear) me.
B: Maybe they (not/notice) you
(be) there

Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Continuous or the Past
Simple.

1) Frank (finish) his lunch and (ring) his friend

Jason.

2) Jason _ (watch) TV when Fran (phone) him.

3) He (turn off) the TV when he (hear) the phone ringing.

4) They (decide) what to do when Jason

(suggest) going to the club.

5) Frank Jason (pick up) and

(drive) to the club.

6) Two other people (use) their tennis court when

they (arrive).

7) They (drink) a soda and

(eat) a sandwich while they (wait) to play.

8) While they (play), it (start) to rain so

they (have) to stop playing.
Activity 6

Put the verbs into the correct form (past progressive).

1. When I phoned my friends, they (play) playing

Monopoly.

2. Yesterday at six I (prepare) preparing dinner.

3. The kids (play) playing in the garden when it

began to rain. suddenly

4. I (practice) practicing the guitar when he came home.

5. We (not / cycle) cycling all day.

6. While Aaron (work) working in his room, his friends

(swim)swimming in the pool.
 7. I tried to tell them the truth but they (listen / not)
listening

8. What (you / do)doing yesterday?

9. Most of the time we (sit) sitting i