PAST SIMPLE VS PAST CONTINUOUS

Hello Anna, what _______ (you / do) when I called you last night?

• do you do

• did you do

• didn't do

• were you doing

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'were you doing' because it uses the past continuous tense, indicating an action in progress at the time of the call. The other options do not fit the context of an ongoing action during that specific moment.

While they were watching TV, their kids ________(sleep)

• sleeped

• slept

• was sleeping

• were sleeping

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'were sleeping' because it matches the past continuous tense needed for the context. The kids were in the process of sleeping while the action of watching TV was happening.

I was listening to the radio when you ________(call) me.

• called

• calt

• were calling

• was calling

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'called' because it fits the past tense context of the sentence. The action of calling happened while the speaker was listening to the radio, indicating a completed action.

When he opened the window, it __________ (snow).

• was snowed

• was snowing

• were snowing

• snowed

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'was snowing' because it indicates an ongoing action in the past when he opened the window. 'Snowed' suggests a completed action, while 'was snowed' and 'were snowing' are grammatically incorrect.

(she / go) ________out to dinner when you saw her?

• did she gone

• did she went

• were she going

• was she going

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'was she going' because it uses the past continuous tense, which is appropriate for describing an action that was ongoing at a specific time in the past.

We use past continuos

• For an action that happened in a concrete moment of the past

• For an action that was happening during a time in the past

• For an action that will happen in the past

• non of the these ones.

Answer explanation

The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing during a specific time in the past, making 'For an action that was happening during a time in the past' the correct choice.

We use the past simple for....

• For an action that started and ended in a concrete moment of the past

• For all the action in the past

• none of these options

• For an action that happened during a long time in the past

Answer explanation

The past simple is used for actions that started and ended at a specific time in the past, making the first option correct. It indicates a clear timeframe, unlike the other choices which are too vague.

Her plane didn't landed yet when we________ (arrive) at the airport.

• were arrived

• arrived

• was arriving

• arrivent

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'arrived' because it is the simple past tense, which fits the context of the sentence. The sentence indicates that her plane had not landed by the time we arrived at the airport.

How many people ___________(stand) in front of the company when she arrived?

• were standing

• was standing

• standed

• stantsted

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'were standing' because it matches the past continuous tense needed for the context. 'Standed' and 'stantsted' are incorrect forms, while 'was standing' does not agree with the plural subject 'people'.

She missed the bus because she __________ (argue) with one of her friends.

• were arguing

• was arguing

• argued

• arguered

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'was arguing' because it indicates an ongoing action in the past that caused her to miss the bus. 'Were arguing' is incorrect due to subject-verb agreement, while 'argued' and 'arguered' are not suitable for this context.