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WorksheetsPast Simple and Past Continuous
Total questions: 25
Worksheet time: 13mins
George ________________ off the ladder while he ________________ the ceiling. (fall, paint)
fell, was painting
was falling, painted
falls, paints
had fallen, paints
Last night I ________________ in bed when I suddenly ________________ a scream. (read, hear)
was reading, heard
read, was hearing
reads, hears
had read, heard
______________ TV when I ________________ you? (you watch, phone)
Were you watching, phoned
Did you watch, was phoning
Are you watching, phone
Have you watched, phoned
Ann ________________ for me when I ________________. (wait, arrive)
was waiting, arrived
waited, was arriving
waits, arrives
had waited, arrived
Maisie ________________ up the kitchen when John ________________ her to marry him. (clean, ask)
was cleaning, asked
cleaned, was asking
cleans, asks
had cleaned, asked
The house ________________ £150,000 in 2003. (cost)
cost
was costing
costs
had cost
The fire ________________ at six in the morning. (still burn)
was still burning
still burned
is still burning
had still burned
My brother ________________ a new job a week ago. (get)
got
was getting
gets
had got
She ________________ not interested in the book because she ________________ it. (be, not understand)
was, did not understand
is, does not understand
were, was not understanding
had been, did not understand
______________ at school yesterday? (you be)
Were you
Was you
Are you
Have you been
We ________________ in a house near the sea last summer. (live)
lived
were living
live
had lived
She ________________ the piano very well when she ________________ young. (can play, be)
could play, was
can play, is
played, was
could play, is
She ________________ the office very early last night. (leave)
left
was leaving
leaves
had left
I ________________ a friend while I ________________ the shopping. (meet, do)
met, was doing
was meeting, did
meet, do
had met, was doing
I ________________ for my things when I ________________ someone call my name. (pay, hear)
was paying, heard
paid, was hearing
pay, hear
had paid, heard
I ________________ around and ________________ Judy. (turn, see)
turned, saw
was turning, saw
turn, see
had turned, saw
She ________________ a bright yellow dress when I ________________ her last. (wear, see)
was wearing, saw
wore, was seeing
wears, see
had worn, saw
We ________________ to have a cup of tea. (decide)
decided
were deciding
decide
had decided
While the waiter ________________ up the pieces of glass he ________________ his finger. (pick, cut)
was picking, cut
picked, was cutting
picks, cuts
had picked, cut
Which is the correct past progressive form to complete the sentence: "George fell off the ladder while he ___ the ceiling."?
painted
was painting
paints
had painted
Choose the correct simple past form to complete the sentence: "My brother ___ a new job a week ago."
gets
was getting
got
had got
Which sentence correctly uses the past progressive tense?
She left the office very early last night.
She was leaving the office very early last night.
She leaves the office very early last night.
She had left the office very early last night.
Choose the correct verbs: "When I ___ home they ___ all ___ around a fire."
come, are, sitting
came, were, sitting
come, were, sit
came, are, sit
Which of the following best explains the difference between the past simple and past progressive tenses?
Past simple describes completed actions; past progressive describes ongoing actions in the past.
Past simple describes future actions; past progressive describes present actions.
Past simple and past progressive are used interchangeably.
Past simple describes habitual actions; past progressive describes repeated actions.
In the sentence "He suddenly realized that he was travelling in the wrong direction," what does the use of "was travelling" indicate?
A completed action in the past
An ongoing action in the past
A future action
A habitual action
