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.
1. I ……………………………….. TV at eight o’clock yesterday evening.
a) was watching b) watched c) am watching
2. I ……………………………… all day yesterday.
a) painted b) was painting c) had painted
3. They …………………………………… the whole time they were together.
a) quarreled b) were quarreling c) are quarreling
4. As I ……………………………….. down the road, I saw Philip.
a) were walking b) was walking c) walked
5. The phone rang while I ……………………………………. dinner.
a) was having b) had c) am having
6. It happened while I ………………………………….. in Southampton last year.
a) lived b) was living c) had been living
7. When I entered her room, she …………………………………. the piano.
a) was playing b) played c) were playing
8. When I got up this morning, the sun …………………………………….
a) shone b) was shining c) were shining
9. At the time when it happened, I ………………………………… to the opera a lot.
a) was going b) went c) am going
Answers
1. I was watching TV at eight o’clock yesterday evening.
2. I was painting all day yesterday.
3. They were quarreling the whole time they were together.
4. As I was walking down the road, I saw Philip.
5. The phone rang while I was having dinner.
6. It happened while I was living in Southampton last year.
7. When I entered her room, she was playing the piano.
8. When I got up this morning, the sun was shining.
9. At the time when it happened, I was going to the opera a lot.
