The Past Continuous Tense

1. Write a story about Christine’s day.

9:00 have breakfast At nine o’clock Christina was having her breakfast.	14:00 to play computer games _____________________________________
9:30 to read a book _____________________________________	15:00 to meet friends in the park _____________________________________
10 to clean the flat _____________________________________	17:00 to ride the bicycle _____________________________________
11:00 to help mother in the garden _____________________________________	19:00 to have dinner _____________________________________
12:00 to watch TV _____________________________________	20:00 to watch a film on TV _____________________________________
13:00 to have lunch _____________________________________	21:00 to read a newspaper _____________________________________

 

2. Some people stayed at the hotel. Once in the evening they heard a fire-alarm. Use words in brackets to make a story about what each one was doing at that moment.

 

1. (Chris/have/his/dinner) – Chris was having his dinner.

2. (Jack/talk/his friend/telephone). _________________________________________________

3. (Jacob/send/the e-mail/his girlfriend). _____________________________________________

4. (Ann/watch/TV). _____________________________________________________________

5. (Robert/listen/to the radio). _____________________________________________________

6. (Kate/have/a bath). ____________________________________________________________

7. (Angel/do/gymnastics). ________________________________________________________

8. (Grace/play/cards/with Angela). _________________________________________________

9. (Peter and Hugh/drink/whisky). __________________________________________________

 

3. Make up sentences with the words in brackets. Use Past Simple or Past Continuous.

1. (I/fall asleep/when/listen/to the music) –

I fell asleep when I was listening to the music yesterday evening.

 

2. (Mother/come/home/when/I/do/my homework).

_____________________________________________________________________________

3. (When/he/clean/his flat/the phone/ring).

_____________________________________________________________________________

4. (It/begin/to snow/when/Ann/walk home).

_____________________________________________________________________________

5. (Peter/play/computer game/when/his father/call).

_____________________________________________________________________________

6. (Grace and Page/watch/an interesting movie/when/their friends/arrive).

_____________________________________________________________________________

7. (When/Bella/return/her daughter/play/with her dolls).

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

 

4. Open the brackets.

1. Jack … (fall) off the bicycle while he … (ride) it in the fields. – Jack fell off the bicycle while he was riding it in the fields.

2. While Chris __________ (cook) the dinner, the cell phone __________ (ring).

3. Last morning I __________ (read) a newspaper in the kitchen when suddenly I __________ (hear) a scream of my neighbor in the yard.

4. When he __________ (call) you, you __________ (watch) your favorite cartoon.

5. Jack __________ (wait) for Christina when she __________  (arrive).

6. When the accident __________ (happen), Peter __________ (not/drive) very fast.

7. Kate __________ (break) a cup last evening. She __________ (do) the washing up.

8. Brandon __________ (take) a photo of Christen when she __________ (not/look).

9. Keith and Rachel __________ (not/go out) because it __________ (snow) heavily outside.

10. What __________ (do) your mother yesterday morning in this time?

11. Mike __________ (see) Elena at the party. She __________ (wear) a very beautiful dress, it was hard not to see her.

 

5. Use the Past Continuous Tense and make the following sentences negative.

1. They _weren’t assembling___ (to assemble) the furniture at 5 yesterday.

2. She ___________ (to make) calculations at 7 yesterday.

3. It ___________ (to rain) heavily at 8 yesterday.

4. Our representative ___________ (to make) a report at 5 yesterday.

5. I ___________ (to contact) the company at 9 yesterday.

 

6. Make up questions to the following sentences.

1. She was calculating the balance of goods when I came in.

Was _she calculating the balance of goods when I came in__?

What __was she calculating/ was she doing when I came in__?

When __was she calculating the balance of goods_?

 

2. They were discussing an important matter when I arrived.

Were _________________________________________________?

What _________________________________________________?

When _________________________________________________?

 

3. He was speaking to our regular customer when the cell rang.

Was __________________________________________________?

Who _______________________________________________with?

When _________________________________________________?

 

4. They were talking over the Letter of Credit at 5 p.m. yesterday.

Were _________________________________________________?

What _________________________________________________?

When_________________________________________________?

 

5. I was visiting the Purchasing Department when I met my friends.

Was _________________________________________________?

What _________________________________________________?

When _________________________________________________?

 

6. She was placing an order with our company when we heard a fire-alarm.

Was _________________________________________________?