Fill in the blanks with an appropriate past tense form.
1. I .................... with my son when you ....................
When we talk about two past events, the past continuous is normally used to refer to the longer background action.
2. The doorbell .................... while I ..................... a bath.
3. As I ........................ for bus, I ............................. Joe crossing the road.
When we talk about two past events, the past continuous is normally used to refer to the longer background action.
4. Yesterday, I ....................... to the movies with my wife.
The simple past tense is the normal tense for talking about finished actions and situations.
5. When I was a child, we ................ our own amusements.
The past continuous is not normally used for talking about repeating past actions.
6. When we .................... home, we discovered that water .......................... down the walls.
7. It ........................ while I .......................... in Mumbai.
8. I .................... in Rome for ten years while I ................. a child.
We use the past simple to talk about longer situations in the past.
9. I ......................... all day yesterday.
The past continuous can be used to suggest that an activity was in progress at every moment during a period of time.
10. What ................................. at 11 pm last night?
The past continuous is used to talk about actions or situations that were in progress at a particular point of time in the past.
11. Who .......................... you that watch?
12. When I ......................... into the office, everybody ...................
Answers
1. I was playing with my son when you called.
2. The doorbell rang while I was having a bath.
3. As I was waiting for bus, I saw Joe crossing the road.
4. Yesterday, I went to the movies with my wife.
5. When I was a child, we made our own amusements.
6. When we reached home, we discovered that water was running down the walls.
7. It happened while I was working in Mumbai.
8. I lived in Rome for ten years while I was a child.
9. I was sleeping all day yesterday.
10. What were you doing at 11 pm last night?
11. Who gave you that watch?
12. When I walked into the office, everybody was working.
