Activity 1
Choose which verb tense (simple past or past continuous) fits
better.
1. I
__A____ - I didn't hear you come in.
a) was sleeping b) slept
2. I
___b___ to see her twice, but she wasn't home.
a) was coming b) came
3. What
___b___? I was watching TV.
a) did you do b) were you doing
4. Robin Hood was a character who
__a____ from the rich and gave
to the poor.
a) stole b) was stealing
5. Hey, did you talk to her? Yes, I
__b____ to her
a) was talking b) talked
6. I
__a____ home very late last night.
a) came b) was coming
7. How long
___a___ the flu?
a) did you have b) were you having
8.
__b____ a good time in Brazil? Yes, I had a blast!
a) Were you having b) Did you have
9. We
__b____ 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
__a____ 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.
Glossary: set the table - put knives and forks, plates, salt etc. on the table., underneath -
under it., longingly - e.g. the dog wanted it but knew it couldn’t have it., shriek - louder
than scream., get a fright - suddenly (not the same as be frightened)., overbalance - to
lose your balance and fall.
Answer these questions about the story. Answer in complete sentences.
1. What did Mrs. Anderson plan? She was planning to have delicious dinner.
2. Why did she buy cream and apples? She wanted to make an apple pie.
3. When did her pets watch her? When she was setting the table.
4. Where did she leave the steak? When she went in the kitchen.
5. When did the dog jump on the chair? While she was making the pastry.
6. How did the dog look at the steak? The dog looked longingly at the streak.
7. When did the dog jump off the chair? When it took the steak into it’s mouth.
8. Where did the dog go? The dog went into the garden.
9. What was she doing when the cat jumped on the table? She threw her broom at the cat
10. What did Mrs. Anderson do when she saw the cat? When she saw the cat she shrieked.
Activity 3
Complete the following sentences with the correct form (Past Simple or Past
Continuous).
1. A: What (you, do)
were you doing___ when you heard that noise?
B: I (try)
____tried_______ to change a light bulb that had burnt out.
2. After I (find)
_____found____________ the wallet full of money, I (go,
immediately)_
__went immediately_____ to the police and (turn)
____turned_____________ it in.
3. The doctor (say)
___said_______________ that Brian (be) _______was_________ too
weak to go to work and that he (need)
_____needed____________ to stay at home
for a couple of days.
4. My best friend (arrive)
______arrived___________ at my house a little before 9:00
pm, but I (be, not)
_____wasn’t_____________ there. I (study) _____was studying_____________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)
_was also working ________________ on his computer. That's all he ever does!
6. I (call)
___called______________ you last night after dinner, but you (be,
not)_
weren’t there________________ there. Where were you?
B: I (work)
___worked______________ out at the gym.
7. When I (walk)
___walked______________ into the busy office, the secretaries

_
____were talking____________ on the phone with customers, a clerk (work,
busily)_
was working busily________________ at his desk, and two managers (discuss, quietly)
were discussing quietly
_________________ methods to improve customer service.
8. I (watch)
_____was watching____________ 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)
__was_______________ in the room when Bob (tell)
____told_____________ me what happened, but she didn't hear anything
because she (be, listen)
___was listening______________ to music.
10. It's strange that you (call)
______called___________ because I (think, just)
was just thinking_________________ about you.
Activity 4
Find the Past Simple of the following verbs:
Work
_worked__________________ come ________came_________Walk
______walked_____________ speak ___spoke______________Talk
_______talked_____________ see _______saw____________Clean
______cleaned____________ do _________did___________Live
_______lived_____________ go ________went____________Wash
___washed_______________ sing _________sang__________Complete what Jenny says using the following verbs in the Past
Continuous:
watch listen sing clean cook play lie
Jenny is telling her teacher why she couldn't study for an exam.
It was impossible for me to concentrate! I went to my bedroom and my
mother
____was cleaning ___________________ the carpet with the vacuum cleaner.
Then I went to the living room but my brother Paul
_____was ling________________on the sofa. He
_was__playing_______ his guitar. After that I decided to go to the
kitchen.
There, my grandmother
__was cooking______________________ and she ___was_______ also
__watching________________ TV. Finally, I went out to the garden where I found my
sister. She
_was listening________________ to her Walkman and she ___was singing_____________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:
___Were they playing football ____________________________ (they/play) football?
They always play football on Sundays.
A: No, they
___weren’t_________________ (not/be).
They
__were talking___________________
with some girls.
B:
___Did you say_______________________ (you/say) hello to them?
A. Although I
_was called____________________ (call) their names, they
_didn’t hear____________ (not/hear) me.
B: Maybe they
__didn’t notice____________________ (not/notice) you ____were___________(be) there
Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Continuous or the Past
Simple.
1) Frank
__finished____________ (finish) his lunch and __rang_________ (ring) his friend
Jason.
2) Jason
_was watching__________ (watch) TV when Fran___phoned__________
him.
3) He
_turned off__________ (turn off) the TV when he ___heard________ (hear) the phone
ringing.
4) They
__was deciding______________ (decide) what to do when Jason
suggested
____________ (suggest) going to the club.
5) Frank
___was___________ Jason ___picking up_________ (pick up) and _____drove___________(drive) to the club.
6) Two other people
__were using___________________(use) their tennis court when
they
______arrived_________________ (arrive).
7) They
______drank_______________ (drink) a soda and ______ate_____________(eat) a sandwich while they
____was waiting_______________
to play.
8) While they
__were playing_______________________ (play), it ___started____ (start) to rain so
they
__had__________________ (have) to stop playing.