Can you use past simple and past continuous correctly? Test what you know with this interactive exercise.
Fill in the blanks.
1When I ............... in the morning, it was already raining.
Wrong!
Use the simple past for the completed action and the past continuous for the background situation, so the correct answer is "woke up, was raining".
2I ............... dinner when you phoned me.
Wrong!
Use the past continuous for the longer action and the simple past for the interrupting action, so the correct answer is "was having, phoned".
3What ............... at 7 o'clock yesterday evening?
Wrong!
Use the past continuous for an action in progress at a specific past time, so the correct answer is "were you doing".
4I ............... up at 6 a.m.
Wrong!
Use the simple past for a completed action at a specific time, so the correct answer is "got".
5At that time, she ............... as a receptionist in Mumbai.
Wrong!
Use the past continuous for a situation in progress at that time, so the correct answer is "was working".
6He ............... at 110 miles per hour when the accident occurred.
Wrong!
Use the past continuous for the longer action and the simple past for the event that happened, so the correct answer is "was driving, occurred".
7That ............... a long time ago.
Wrong!
Use the simple past for a completed event in the past, so the correct answer is "happened".
8This time last week, he ............... in the Bahamas.
Wrong!
Use the past continuous for an action in progress at this time last week, so the correct answer is "was holidaying".
9She ............... chemistry at university.
Wrong!
Use the simple past for a finished period of study, so the correct answer is "studied".
10He ............... his leg while he was playing football yesterday.
Wrong!
Use the simple past for the injury and the past continuous for the activity in progress, so the correct answer is "injured, was playing".
11He ............... at a young age.
Wrong!
Use the simple past for a completed life event, so the correct answer is "died".
12She ............... the call because she was driving.
Wrong!
Use the simple past for the decision not to answer and the past continuous for the reason in progress, so the correct answer is "didn't answer, was driving".
Done.
Score: 0/12
Answers
- When I woke up, was raining in the morning, it was already raining.
- I was having, phoned dinner when you phoned me.
- What were you doing at 7 o’clock yesterday evening?
- I got up at 6 a.m.
- At that time, she was working as a receptionist in Mumbai.
- He was driving, occurred at 110 miles per hour when the accident occurred.
- That happened a long time ago.
- This time last week, he was holidaying in the Bahamas.
- She studied chemistry at university.
- He injured, was playing his leg while he was playing football yesterday.
- He died at a young age.
- She didn’t answer, was driving the call because she was driving.
