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 ............... already.
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 ............... 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.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Both are possible: the simple past "worked" states the past situation, and the past continuous "was working" presents it as temporary and in progress at that time.
6He ............... at 110 miles per hour when the accident ...............
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 ............... 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 ...............
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".
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- When I woke up in the morning, it was raining already.
- I was having 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 worked / was working as a receptionist in Mumbai.
- He was driving 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 his leg while he was playing football yesterday.
- He died at a young age.
- She didn’t answer the call because she was driving.