Fill in the blanks.
1The boy ............... when he injured his leg.
Wrong!
Use "was skating" for the longer action in progress when another past action happened.
2I ............... my plants when it started raining.
Wrong!
Use "was watering" for the action in progress when the rain started.
3I was cooking dinner when the lights ............... out.
Wrong!
Use "went" for the shorter completed past action that interrupted the cooking.
4He was waiting for the bus when a speeding car ............... over him.
Wrong!
Use "ran" for the sudden completed past action after the background action.
5Don’t disturb him. He ............... for his exam.
Wrong!
Use "is preparing" for an action happening around now.
6I ............... him later this afternoon.
Wrong!
Use "am meeting" for a fixed future arrangement; "later this afternoon" shows that the meeting is still to come.
7They ............... tomorrow.
Wrong!
Use "are leaving" for a planned future arrangement.
8He ............... a bath when the doorbell rang.
Wrong!
Use "was having" for the longer past action interrupted by the doorbell.
9I ............... up when I heard a loud noise.
Wrong!
Use "woke" for a completed past action.
10These days, he ............... at the same school.
Wrong!
Use "is still teaching" for a situation that continues at the present time.
11The prizes ............... away by the chief guest at yesterday’s ceremony.
Wrong!
Use "were given" because the prizes received the action in a past passive sentence.
12We reached home to find water ............... down the walls.
Wrong!
Use "dripping" after "find water" to describe what the water was doing.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- The boy was skating when he injured his leg.
- I was watering my plants when it started raining.
- I was cooking dinner when the lights went out.
- He was waiting for the bus when a speeding car ran over him.
- Don’t disturb him. He is preparing for his exam.
- I am meeting him later this afternoon.
- They are leaving tomorrow.
- He was having a bath when the doorbell rang.
- I woke up when I heard a loud noise.
- These days, he is still teaching at the same school.
- The prizes were given away by the chief guest at yesterday’s ceremony.
- We reached home to find water dripping down the walls.