The past continuous tense is used to talk about actions or events that were in progress around a particular past time. Test your knowledge of past continuous tense with this grammar exercise.
Fill in the blanks with appropriate past continuous form of the verb given in the brackets.
1I ............... TV at eight o'clock yesterday evening.
Wrong!
Use "was watching" for an action in progress at a specific time in the past.
2I ............... all day yesterday.
Wrong!
Use "was painting" to describe an action continuing for a period of time in the past.
3They ............... the whole time they were together.
Wrong!
Use "were quarreling" for an action continuing throughout a past period.
4As I ............... down the road, I saw Philip.
Wrong!
Use "was walking" for the longer background action interrupted by another past action.
5The phone rang while I ............... dinner.
Wrong!
Use "was having" for the action in progress when the phone rang.
6It happened while I ............... in Southampton last year.
Wrong!
Use "was living" for a temporary situation in progress around a past event.
7When I entered her room, she ............... the piano.
Wrong!
Use "was playing" for the action in progress when I entered the room.
8When I got up this morning, the sun ...............
Wrong!
Use "was shining" for the background situation at that past moment.
9At the time when it happened, I ............... to the opera a lot.
Wrong!
Use "was going" for a repeated temporary activity around a time in the past.
Answers
- I was watching TV at eight o’clock yesterday evening.
- I was painting all day yesterday.
- They were quarreling the whole time they were together.
- As I was walking down the road, I saw Philip.
- The phone rang while I was having dinner.
- It happened while I was living in Southampton last year.
- When I entered her room, she was playing the piano.
- When I got up this morning, the sun was shining.
- At the time when it happened, I was going to the opera a lot.
