Bideleus, S. (2007). Grammar Expert : 1.

Estados Unidos de America: Thomson Heinie

1
Ex.

Make the sentences negative.

Kevin was working when his wife carne horneo

K~Y!r! ..~~$.~ :~ .W.9!N!!9, .VY!!~!!. t:!~ . '!!.!(~..~?~~ . 0.~!!?~ : ...... ............. ............ ... .. .

Thinkaboutit

They were waiting for Martin outside the library.

2

The Past Continuous

has three parts:

I was thinking about my friends.

The dog was looking for its bone.

We were walking for a long time.

Sophie was working on her computer at 7 o'clock.

2
Ex.

- the subject pronoun

(1, you, he, etc)
- the verb to be (was
or were)
- the main verb with an
-Ing ending

Write questions.
Those rnen were drinking orange juice and talking .

.V'!~r.f!. /f!P.'?f!..r!!.f!.~ .c?'([0.~!'!.9. . ~r?:!(!g~. I!!!C!~. ?:!(!9. ,t(;!!!<.!0.9.? .... .... ..... ........ ......................... .
He was looking for the dog in the house .

3
Ex.

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7
8

They were waiting outside the office for an hour.

You were learning Spanish last year.

Leon was talking to Lisa during the English lesson.

It was snowing yesterday.

Complete the sentences with the Past Continuous.

He .. ... .. .. '!!.?~..vy?:!tC!!!!(?g .... ..... TV at 9 o'clock last night. (watch)

The dog ..... ........ ... ..................... ... and I ....................... .. .............. to sleep. (bark, try)
The musicians .................. .. .......... .. ... ... .. for the concert all week. (practice)
She ....... .... ......... ... ...... ...... ..... in the lake yesterday afternoon. (swim)
Who ...... .. .. .. .......... .. ....... .... ..... the car: you or your father? (drive)
I ... .... ........ ..... ...... .... ....... ... very hard all evening . (work)
Jake and Lee ..... .. .................... .. ........... TV while Brian .................... .. .... .. ......... ... the dishes. (watch, wash)
The sky was dark and the wind .. .... .. ... .. .... .. ...... ... ........ .. .. . (blow)
John ...... .... ........ .... ....... .... ....... all day yesterday. (study)

Past Continuous and Simple Past

We use the Past Continuous and the Simple Past together when :
.. one action in the past interrupts another
action in the past.
I was sleeping when the phone rango
They were eating lunch when we arrived.

.. we tell a story in the past.

We were watching TV when we heard a loud noise outside.
We apened the daar and a rnan was standing there. He was
wearing a tal! black hat and a coat.

Bideleus, S. (2007). Grammar Expert : 1. Estados Unidos de America: Thomson Heinie

Paat Contin1lOWJ etc Simple Put 3

Complete the sentences with the Past Continuous or Simple Pasto

Ex.

They .... ..... w.~~~ .m?~~~.9. ......... breakfast when the doorbell ....... ... ......@'!~L ............ . (make, rang)

The sun ............ .... ...................... . and the birds .. ...................... ......... .. .. .. when I ...... ..................... .......... ..
this morning. (shine, sing, wake up)
2

What ..................................... you ..................................... when I ........ .. ........ ............ you? (do, cal!)

I ........... ........ .. ........ .......... a pizza when my grandson ....................................... home. (make, come)

When I ....................................... to town, it ........................................ (go, rain)

He .................................. ..... too fast when the accident ....... .. .. .. ...................... .. .. . (drive, happen)

While I ....................................... home, it ............ .. ......................... to rain. (walk, start)

Write questions.

Ex.

what / you watch /on 1V / at 8 o'clock last night / ?

.Wtm!..,~m. Y.R~! ..~?~~f1(Q.g . Pr!. .7Y. ~t.~..9.'.9!.c?p8.!~~U1(gN? ....................... .. .. ..... ............................................... .. ....... .
who / she talk to / on the phone / when / I arrive / ?

.V!~~..~~~. ~~~ . ~?!~~'!H..~C? . ~~ . !~~'p~~!!.~..~~f!!!. !. !~!'~~I(f!~? ..... .... ...................................... .................................... ..... ..
where / you play tennis / yesterday afternoon / ?

what / your friend listen to / while / she cook / ?

who / you dance with / at the party / last Saturday / ?

what / the dogs do / when / Brian come home / ?

what / the teacher say / when / the student arrive / ?

what / your friends wear I when I you see them / ?

Complete the sentences with the Simple Past or Past Continuous.

Ex. What .. ...'~rf:!. y.Ry.r.~.f!.CllfJ9. .... . in the library when the be" .. ... .... ...... @.'J9.. .............. ? (you read, ring)
While he .......................... ............ along the road, a dog ...... .. ..... ....... ... .. ............. in front of his caro (drive, run)
2

They ...... ............................. .. . in Colorado when Mike ................. ......... .. .......... his leg. (ski, break)

I ...... .... .................. ... .. ..... the car when my friend .. .............. .................. .... me. (wash, cal!)

While the clothes ...................................... on the line, the wind ....................................... (dry, blow)

.. .... .. ... .. ......... .. ........ ...... a shower when I .. .... .............. .................. you? (you take, cal!)

While I ........ ... .. .. ......... ... .. ......... on the computer, Dan ................................ ...... a letter. (work, write)

Bideleus, S. (2007). Grammar Expert : 1. Estados Unidos de America: Thomson Heinie

Ex.

Complete the sentences in your own words.

When I woke up this morning, ... p}.? .~.l.!.'!..~f!~.hifJ.ifJ.9.: ... .................................................. ........ ........................ ......... ..

While I was going home, ....... ..... ............................................. ................................ .................................................. .

2

When I finished my lunch, ............. .. ..... .................... ... ............ ... .... .. ........ ................................. ................................ .

The cook shouted when ......... ......... .... ... .................. .. ............. ......... ....... .. ... .......... ................ .. .............. ..... .... ... ....... .

It was raining while ............ .... ..... .. ... ....... .................. ........ ... .. .. .... ... ...... ... .......... ................. ............... ......... ............. .. .

What were you doing when ......... ... ....... ................... ... ..... ........ ....................................... ..... .... ..... .. .... ..................... ..

While Philip was ironing his shirt, ..... ........ ....... ..... .... .... .. .. ......... .. .. ... ...................... .............. ....... .. .. ................... ....... .

Jane was watching TV when ........ .. ......... .. ............... .... ................................... .... .................... ........ ................. ..... .... .

Marty was jogging in the park while ................ ....... ... .. ... ............................................. .......... ........... ... ............. .... ..... .

Ex.

Choose the correct answer.

dream}6:g>1 dreamed when the a/arm clock was waking I @

me up.

He was listening I listened to music when the CD player was breaking I broke.
2

I was sitting I sat in the yard when the rain was starting / started.

What were you doing I did you do when the storm was beginning I began?

The boys played / were playing football when Gregory had / was having his accident.

My husband cooked / was cooking in the kitchen when our son was getting / got home.

When my favorite show started / was starting on TV, I washed / was washing the dishes.

The girls were eating / ate spaghetti when Billy was taking / took their photograph.

When the lights went / were going out, we were thinking / thought it was an earthquake.

Ex.

Find the mistakes and write the sentences correctIvo

What were you doing while I saw you in the park yesterday?

'w!J.!.t. .Wf:!r.~. YRU. .c!.Q.~rJ9. .wtmfJ../..~~.'. y.9.I). . [1.1.tt!~ .p.wk.y.~$.(~(9.y.? ..... ......... ...... ....... . .
While I was picking flowers, I suddenly was hearing a loud noise.

Sally was practicing the violin while I reading the newspaper.

They were building a sandcastle when a big wave washing it away.

I sent an e-mail to my best friend when the computer crashed .

The wind was blowing hard when the trees were falling down.

Who did you play chess with when I called you?

1 Thinkaboutit

Always think about

which 01 the two actions
took a long time and
which happened quickly.
Use the Past Continuous
10r the longer action and
the Simple Past for the
short action.

Bideleus, S. (2007). Grammar Expert : 1. Estados Unidos de America: Thomson Heinie

Put Continuous & Simple Put 3

(1

Complete the text with the Simple Past or Past Continuous.

One day while I (Ex.) .... ....I('{!!.~ ..'f!!k!f.7.9 ........ (walk) along the road, I (1) .................................... (se e) an old lady.
She (2) .................................... (wear) a bright red coat and a large black hat, and she (3) ................................... .
(carry) a parrot in a cage. She (4) .... ................................ (Iook) very unusual and I (5) ....................................
(not want) to talk to her, but she (6) .................................... (smile) at me and asked me the time.
I (7) .................................... (tell) her, and she said she (8) .................................... (be) late for an important
meeting. Then she (9) ............................... (ask) me the quickest way to get to the White House! While I
was thinking what a strange person she was, she (10) .................................... (disappear) completely.
I (11) ............................... (think) it was a dream, but then I (12) .................................... (se e) a red parrot
feather on the ground by my foot!

Pairwork
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Work with a partner. Take turns. Ask and answer the foliowing questions:
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What
What
What
What
What

._-Writing

were you doing at 8 o'clock yesterday evening?

was happening in your house at 7 o'clock this morning?
was the weather like when you woke up this morning?
was your best friend doing last Saturday morning?
was everybody in your family wearing yesterday?

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...

--~-~---~--------~---

Write a paragraph describing a thunderstorm. Imagine you were outside when the storm began. Think about
the weather: what was happening around you (e.g., describe the trees, the roads, the animals, the sky, your
clothes). Think about what you did and how you felt.

........... ............................ ...... ........................................................................................ .. ........ ......................... .....

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