I. Complete the sentences with the appropriate form of the verb to be in the past (WAS/WERE).
Watch out
if the sentence is affirmative (+), negative (-) or a question. Use contractions when possible.
a) Last year my best friend ________ (+) 22 years old. Now she’s 23.
b) The weather ________ very cold when we ________ in Berlin last year. (+)
c) Why ________ you so angry yesterday? What happened?
d) At this time last year Sandra ________ (+) in Paris. She told me show loved the city.
e) Tim ________ (+) asleep at ten o’clock yesterday. He needed to wake up early the next day.
f) Our hotel last year ________ (+) small, but it ________ (+) very clean.
g) I phoned you at the weekend, but you ________ (-) at home.
h) My dad ________ (-) at work the whole week because he ________ (+) ill.
i) The shops ________ (+) open yesterday, but we didn’t go there.
j) My friends ________ at the shopping mall two days ago. They bought many things!
k) Claire and I ________ (-) at school last Monday. They canceled all of the classes.
l) ________ Liam at home when you came back from work?
m) They didn’t tell where they ________ (+) on May 2nd.
n) Autumn ________ (+) really warm and dry this year.
o) When Tom ________ (+) a child, he ________ afraid of dogs.
p) There ________ (-) a good movie on TV at prime time.
q) She ________ (-) at home when they broke into her house, that’s why they stole a lot of stuff.
r) What ________ you biggest success as professional?
II. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets the Past Continuous / Past
Progressive tense (was / were + verb + -ing). Follow the model.
Model: I was playing football in the park yesterday at eight o’clock. (play)
a) My mom _____________________ a book last Saturday morning. (read)
b) John and Mike _____________________ the trumpet last Friday. (play)
c) Mark _____________________ a letter to his neighbor at sick o’clock. (write)
d) My boyfriend and I _____________________ a film on the TV yesterday. (watch)
e) I _____________________ in the lake at eleven o’clock. (swim)
f) You _____________________ to music on your cellphone. (listen)
g) The plane _____________________ to Barcelona three times a week. (fly)
h) The children _____________________ in the playground earlier. (shout)
i) The teacher _____________________ science at twelve o’clock. (teach)
III. Rewrite the sentences from the exercise above. Change their meanings from the affirmative to the
negative form using WASN’T or WEREN’T. Follow the model.
Model: I was playing football in the park yesterday at eight o’clock.
I wasn’t playing football in the park yesterday at eight o’clock.
a) _________________________________________________________________________________________________
b) _________________________________________________________________________________________________
c) _________________________________________________________________________________________________
d) _________________________________________________________________________________________________
e) _________________________________________________________________________________________________
f) _________________________________________________________________________________________________
g) _________________________________________________________________________________________________
h) _________________________________________________________________________________________________
i) _________________________________________________________________________________________________
IV. Answer the following questions. Use your imagination and give complete answers.
a) What were you doing yesterday at 8 p.m.?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
b) Were you travelling last week?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
c) Who was with you last night?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
d) When was the last time you bought something on the internet?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
e) Was it raining when you left the house this morning?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
f) How old were you when you got your first job?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
V. SIMPLE PAST or PAST CONTINUOUS? Choose the best option to complete the following sentences.
1) She _____________________ on a chair and watching TV.
a) Sat
b) Was sitting
2) When I was young I _____________________ to be a pilot.
a) Wanted
b) Was wanting
3) She _____________________ her new jacket when I saw her.
a) Was wearing
b) Wore
4) I _____________________ you walking in the park this morning.
a) Was seeing
b) Saw
5) I got up at seven and then I _____________________ a big breakfast.
a) Had
b) Was having
6) _____________________ to the restaurant yesterday?
a) Was you going
b) Did you go
7) I left the cinema before the film ended. I _____________________ it.
a) Enjoyed
b) Wasn’t enjoying
8) When _____________________ learning English?
a) Did she start
b) Was she starting
9) Mr. Brown _____________________ a shower when I knocked his door.
a) Had
b) Was having
10) I turned the radio off. Nobody _____________________ to it.
a) Was listening
b) Listened
11) Jake looked at the weather outside: it was grey, but it _____________________.
a) Didn’t rain
b) Wasn’t raining
12) You didn’t answer when I phoned you this morning. What _____________________?
a) Did you do
b) Were you doing
13) Lucy switched off her computer, _____________________ her coat and _____________________ the office.
a) Put on / left
b) Put on / was leaving
c) Was putting on / was leaving
d) Was putting on / left
14) She closed the window because some children _____________________ a lot of noise outside.
a) Made
b) Were making
15) When I told my friends about the robbery, they _____________________ me.
a) Didn’t believe
b) Weren’t believing
16) She didn’t hear the doorbell because she _____________________ a shower.
a) Had
b) Was having
VI. Complete the text with the Past Simple or Past Continuous form of the verbs in brackets.
In January 2014, a doctor from New Zealand _____________ (have) a frightening experience with a shark –
but his calm reaction _____________ (make) him the star of news reports around the world. James Grant
_____________ (fish) with friends one Saturday when a shark attacked him. He _____________ (no see)
anything, but he _____________ (feel) a sudden pain in his
leg. At first, he thought that his friends _____________
(play) a prank on him. He _____________ (turn) around –
but nobody _____________ (be) behind him. Then he
_____________ (realize) what _____________ (happen).
Luckily, James _____________ (carry) a knife so
_____________ (use) it to fight off the shark. Then he
_____________ (get) out of the water and _____________ (look) at his leg. The bites were 5 cm long and they
_____________ (bleed) a lot. James _____________ (clean) his leg. Then he and his friends _____________ (go)
to a nearby café! While they _____________ (enjoy) a drink, somebody _____________ (give) James a bandage
because his leg _____________ (bleed). He _____________ (go) to hospital for some treatment, but on Monday
he was back at work.
VII. Review the rules for the use of WHEN and WHILE with the Simple Past and Past Continuous tenses and
complete the following sentences. Check the examples.
When + short action (verb in the simple past tense)
While + long action (verb in the past continuous tense)
Examples: I was doing my homework when my friend called. OR
When my friend called, I was doing my homework. OR
My friend called while I was doing my homework. OR
While I was doing my homework, my friend called.
a) I first met my boyfriend _____________ I was staying in Washington.
b) _____________ I was talking to my uncle on phone, my came home.
c) We were playing computer games _____________ the electricity went off.
d) _____________ Jenny was working, she did not listen to music.
e) _____________ I was in the countryside, power cuts were very frequent.
f) They texted him _____________ we was sleeping.
g) Rose was very upset _____________ things were not going well yesterday.
h) We were having lunch _____________ my sister was sleeping.
i) He was watching TV _____________ I was making noodles.
j) We often visited out grandfather _____________ we were little.
VIII. Fill in the blanks with the correct tense: Simple Past or Past Continuous.
a) While she _____________ (wash) the clothes, I _____________ (have) dinner.
b) I _____________ (read) a book when the accident _____________ (happen).
c) When the thief _____________ (enter) the building, The Browns _____________ (drink) champagne and
_____________ (celebrate) their 25th anniversary.
d) I _____________ (break) the vase while I _____________ (run) after my little son.
e) My mother _____________ (see) Melinda while she _____________ (walk) down the street.
f) When John _____________ (come) to house, we _____________ (talk) on the phone with grandma.
g) My father and my brother _____________ (repair) the car in the garage when the earthquake _____________
(happen).
IX. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one.
Model: I hurt my finger while I was playing the guitar.
I was playing the guitar when I hurt my finger.
a) I was walking home when it started to rain.
While I was _______________________________________________________.
b) She broke her leg while she was learning to ski.
She was learning _______________________________________________________.
c) He was making lunch when he suddenly felt ill.
While he _______________________________________________________.
d) She was telling me about her party when she started to laugh loudly.
She started _______________________________________________________.
e) I lost my wallet while I was shopping.
While I _______________________________________________________.
f) While the band were playing their first song, all the lights went out.
The band were playing _______________________________________________________.
X. Complete the sentences with your own ideas. Use the Simple Past or Past Continuous.
a) While I was getting off the bus _______________________________________________________.
b) We were trying to find our hotel when _______________________________________________________.
c) An amazing thing happened while _______________________________________________________.