Past Continuous: exercises
Exercise 1: Complete the sentences
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses using either Past Continuous or Simple Past.
a) I ___________ (watch) TV when I ___________ (hear) a loud noise. i) My mom ___________ (prepare) breakfast when I ___________ (wake up).
b) They ___________ (play) soccer when the rain ___________ (start).
j) The birds ___________ (sing) beautifully when suddenly a hawk
c) She ___________ (cook) dinner when her friend ___________ (arrive).
___________ (appear).
d) We ___________ (study) English when the teacher ___________ (give) us a
k) He ___________ (drive) home when he ___________ (see) an accident.
test.
l) While she ___________ (read) a book, her brother ___________ (call).
e) He ___________ (listen) to music when his phone ___________ (ring).
m) They ___________ (walk) in the park when they ___________ (find) some
f) The dog ___________ (bark) when the mailman ___________ (come).
money.
g) The children ___________ (swim) in the pool when it ___________ (begin)
n) I ___________ (clean) my room when I ___________ (discover) an old
to get dark.
photo.
h) The cat ___________ (sleep) when the doorbell ___________ (ring).
o) The students ___________ (take) notes when the fire alarm ___________
(go off).
p) She ___________ (work) on her laptop when the internet connection
___________ (drop).
Remember: Past Continuous is used for actions in progress, while Simple Past is used for completed actions.
Answer Key - Exercise 1
a) I was watching TV when I heard a loud noise. e) He was listening to music when his phone rang.
b) They were playing soccer when the rain started. f) The dog was barking when the mailman came.
c) She was cooking dinner when her friend arrived. g) The children were swimming in the pool when it began to get dark.
d) We were studying English when the teacher gave us a test. h) The cat was sleeping when the doorbell rang.
i) My mom was preparing breakfast when I woke up.
j) The birds were singing beautifully when suddenly a hawk appeared.
k) He was driving home when he saw an accident.
l) While she was reading a book, her brother called.
m) They were walking in the park when they found some money.
n) I was cleaning my room when I discovered an old photo.
o) The students were taking notes when the fire alarm went off.
p) She was working on her laptop when the internet connection
dropped.
Note how the Past Continuous describes the ongoing action, while the Simple Past indicates the action that interrupted it.
Exercise 2: using when and while
Complete the sentences using when or while and the correct verb form (Past Continuous or Simple Past).
a) ___________ I ___________ (walk) in the park, I saw a bird. e) We ___________ (play) video games ___________ our parents came
b) She ___________ (read) a book ___________ the phone rang. home.
f) ___________ she ___________ (take) a shower, she heard a noise.
c) They ___________ (eat) dinner ___________ the lights went out.
g) He ___________ (study) for the exam ___________ his friends
d) ___________ he ___________ (drive) to work, he had an accident.
called.
i) My parents ___________ (watch) TV ___________ the storm started.
h) ___________ the sun ___________ (shine), we went to the beach.
j) ___________ the baby ___________ (sleep), the phone rang loudly.
m) ___________ he ___________ (run) in the marathon, he felt a pain in
k) The students ___________ (write) an essay ___________ the bell
his leg.
rang.
n) She ___________ (listen) to the radio ___________ she was driving
l) I ___________ (cook) dinner ___________ my friend called me.
to work.
o) They ___________ (play) board games ___________ their cousins
arrived.
p) ___________ I ___________ (take) a picture, my phone battery died.
Answer Key - Exercise 2
a) While I was walking in the park, I saw a bird. e) We were playing video games when our parents came home.
b) She was reading a book when the phone rang. f) While she was taking a shower, she heard a noise.
c) They were eating dinner when the lights went out. g) He was studying for the exam when his friends called.
d) While he was driving to work, he had an accident. h) While the sun was shining, we went to the beach.
i) My parents were watching TV when the storm started.
j) While the baby was sleeping, the phone rang loudly.
k) The students were writing an essay when the bell rang.
l) I was cooking dinner when my friend called me.
m) While he was running in the marathon, he felt a pain in his leg.
n) She was listening to the radio while she was driving to work.
o) They were playing board games when their cousins arrived.
p) While I was taking a picture, my phone battery died.
Pattern with WHILE: Pattern with WHEN:
While + Past Continuous, Simple Past Past Continuous + when + Simple Past
Usado para indicar uma ação de longa duração que estava em progresso quando outra ação, geralmente de Usado quando uma ação em progresso é interrompida por outra ação mais curta e específica. "When" (quando)
curta duração, ocorreu ou a interrompeu. Ambas as ações podem ocorrer simultaneamente. "While" (enquanto) geralmente introduz a ação que interrompe. Pode ser usado tanto no meio quanto no início da frase, mas é mais
é frequentemente usado no início da frase. comum introduzir a ação mais curta.
Exemplos: Exemplos:
While I was walking in the park, I saw a bird. She was reading a book when the phone rang.
While she was taking a shower, she heard a noise. They were eating dinner when the lights went out.