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Worksheets

Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Total questions: 21

Worksheet time: 10mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

His cell phone______ (ring) when he ________(drive)

a)

was ring/ drove

b)

rang/ was drive

c)

was ringing/drove

d)

rang/was driving

2.

Neil _______ (arrive) late when his boss _______ (make) a speech.

a)

arrived/was making

b)

arrived/made

c)

was arriving/was making

d)

was arriving/made

3.

They________ (play) soccer when it ________ (start) to rain.

a)

played/was starting

b)

played/started

c)

were playing/started

d)

were playing/was starting

4.

We _______ (have) a party when I _________ (take) this photo.

a)

had/took

b)

had/ was taking

c)

were having/ was taking

d)

were having/took

5.

We ______(hear) the score when we ______ (travel) in Florida.

a)

heard/ traveled

b)

heard/were traveling

c)

were hearing/were traveling

d)

were hearing/traveled

6.

Tommy _______ (fall off) his bike when he _______(ride) home.

a)

fell off/ was riding

b)

felt off/ was riding

c)

was falling off/ rode

d)

was falling off/ was riding

7.

Mark ________ (talk) on the phone when he ________ (get) a text.

a)

talked/ was getting

b)

was talking/gotten

c)

was talking /got

d)

talked / got

8.

The children _______(play) computer games when the visitors _______(enter) the room.

a)

was playing/entered

b)

were playing/entered

c)

were playing/enterred

d)

played/were entering

9.

While we _______(have ) a barbecue, it ________ (start) to rain.

a)

had/ was starting

b)

have/ was starting

c)

were having/started

d)

was having/started

10.

When I _______(write) a report , my computer ______(crash)

a)

wrote/was crashing

b)

written/was crashing

c)

was writing/crashed

d)

was writing/ crash

11.

We use the past simple ......

a)

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

b)

for all the action in the past

c)

none of these options

d)

for an action that happened during a long time in the past

12.

We use past continuous ......

a)

for an action that happened in a concrete moment of the past

b)

for an action that was happening during a time in the past

c)

for an action that will happen in the past

d)

non of the these ones

13.

Complete the following blank spaces with the correct alternatives:

My son _________________ a coin when he ___________________ .

a)

found / finding

b)

was found / was walking

c)

found / was walking

d)

were finding / walked

14.

Complete the following blank spaces with the correct alternatives:

She __________________ her hair when the postman _______________ .

a)

was doing / came

b)

were doing / came

c)

was coming / did

d)

did / were coming

15.

Complete the following blank spaces with the correct alternatives:

When they _______________we __________________ for the bus.

a)

come / waited

b)

came / was waited

c)

were coming / waited

d)

came / were waiting

16.

Complete the following blank spaces with the correct alternatives:

The mixer ______________ down when I ___________________ dinner.

a)

break / cooked

b)

broke / was cooking

c)

was breaking / cooked

d)

were breaking / were cooking

17.

Complete the following blank spaces with the correct alternatives:

They ______________ that we ____________________ them.

a)

were noticed / was watching

b)

was noticed / watched

c)

noticed / watched

d)

noticed / were watching

18.

Complete the following blank spaces with the correct alternatives:

The teacher ____________________ angry because we ____________________ .

a)

was being / talked

b)

were / was talking

c)

was / were talking

d)

were / were talk

19.

Complete the following blank spaces with the correct alternatives:

The boys _______________ because it ____________________ .

a)

played / were raining

b)

didn't play / was raining

c)

played / were raining

d)

wasn't playing / were raining

20.

Complete the following blank spaces with the correct alternatives:

I _______________ him when he _________________ cake.

a)

saw / was eating

b)

sawing / eating

c)

was sawing / eats

d)

saw / were eating

21.

Complete the following blank spaces with the correct alternatives:

When the light ______________ out I ________________ a bath.

a)

was going / was having

b)

go / was having

c)

went / was having

d)

went / was had