Choose the best past simple or past continuous form to complete each sentence.
1I ............... dinner when the phone suddenly rang.
Wrong!
"was cooking" describes an action already in progress when the phone rang.
2The children were playing in the garden when it suddenly ............... to rain.
Wrong!
"started" describes the sudden event that interrupted the children's activity.
3At 8 o'clock last night, we ............... at the station; the train arrived at 8:30.
Wrong!
"were waiting" describes an action in progress at the stated time of 8 o'clock.
4Maya ............... her keys on the bus, so she could not open her front door.
Wrong!
"lost" describes a completed event with a clear result: Maya could not open the door.
5I looked out of the window and saw that it ...............
Wrong!
"was snowing" describes the scene in progress when the speaker looked outside.
6When the teacher came in, the students ............... quietly about the game.
Wrong!
"were talking" describes an activity already in progress when the teacher entered.
7We ............... home when we saw an accident at the corner.
Wrong!
"were walking" describes the longer action in progress when the accident was seen.
8After lunch, Dad ............... the broken window and then went to work.
Wrong!
"fixed" is used for the completed action before the next action, going to work.
9The lights suddenly went out while I ............... a shower.
Wrong!
"was having" describes the activity in progress when the lights suddenly went out.
10Sarah suddenly ............... her ankle while she was running and had to stop.
Wrong!
"hurt" describes the sudden completed event that made Sarah stop running.
11It ............... heavily when we left the café, so we opened our umbrellas.
Wrong!
"was raining" describes the weather in progress at the moment they left the café.
12I ............... my homework, put my books away, and went to bed.
Wrong!
"finished" begins a sequence of completed actions: finishing, putting the books away, and going to bed.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- I was cooking dinner when the phone suddenly rang.
- The children were playing in the garden when it suddenly started to rain.
- At 8 o’clock last night, we were waiting at the station; the train arrived at 8:30.
- Maya lost her keys on the bus, so she could not open her front door.
- I looked out of the window and saw that it was snowing .
- When the teacher came in, the students were talking quietly about the game.
- We were walking home when we saw an accident at the corner.
- After lunch, Dad fixed the broken window and then went to work.
- The lights suddenly went out while I was having a shower.
- Sarah suddenly hurt her ankle while she was running and had to stop.
- It was raining heavily when we left the café, so we opened our umbrellas.
- I finished my homework, put my books away, and went to bed.