Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Past Continuous

• to describe a longer background scene in a story, during which other main events (described in the Past Simple) took place:

  At 7 p.m. Doug was working on his computer. He was sitting at his desk and downloading some photos when the lights went out.

Past Continuous

• to talk about an action that was in progress when another action took place (for the shorter action, which happened while the longer one was in progress, we use the Past Simple):

  While Meg was texting a message to her friend, she dropped her phone.

Past Continuous

• to talk about actions in progress at the same time:

While Terry was doing some experiments, Ann was taking some measurements.

Multiple Choice

1. I lay / was lying on the beach when suddenly it started / was starting raining.

• lay/started

• was lying/was starting

• was laying/started

• was lying/was starting

Multiple Choice

1.  I read / was reading a book when you called me / were calling me at 4 o’clock yesterday.

• read/called

• was reading/called

• was reading/was calling

• read/was calling

Multiple Choice

1. The first time I was seeing / saw my boyfriend, he danced / was dancing at a party.

• saw/was dancing

• was seeing/was dancing

• saw/danced

• was seeing/danced

Multiple Choice

1. We were having / had lunch when the door opened.

• were having

• had

Multiple Choice

1. It was a sunny day. I left / was leaving home. Suddenly

   the postman was knocking / knocked on the door.

• left/knocked

• was leaving/knocked

• left/was knocking

• was leaving/was knocking

Multiple Choice

1. When my mum drove / was driving to work yesterday,

   she saw / was seeing her old friend from school.

• drove/saw

• was driving/saw

• was driving/was seeing

• drop/was seeing

Multiple Choice

1. Molly was breaking / broke her leg when she climbed /

   was climbing a tree.

• was breaking/climbed

• broke/climbed

• was breaking/was climbing

• broke/was climbing

Multiple Choice

1. Was Ben studying / Did Ben study yesterday at 8 p.m.?

• was Ben studying

• Did Ben study