Exercise 1 : Choose the best answer to complete the sentences
1. John ………… down the street when he fell.
a. walked b. was walking c. has walked
2. Mike ………… football when he broke his arm.
a. play b. played c. was playing
3. There is ………… in the cupboards. We have to go to the supermarket.
a. nothing b. everything c. anything
4. I was watching TV last night when I ………… a strange noise.
a. hear b. heard c. was hearing
5. As I ………… towards the window, the curtains started to move.
a. walk b. walked c. was walking
6. Helen was writing a letter when her pen …………
a. breaks b. broke c. was breaking
7. He ………… over when he was crossing the road.
a. fall b. fell c. was falling
8. David ………… to the radio when the batteries ………… out.
a. was listening – ran b. listened – were running c. listened - ran
9. Something happened to me when I ………… my aunt yesterday.
a. was visiting b. visited c. visit
10. They were having a party when the doorbell …………
a. rings b. rang c. was ringing
11. Mai was reading books at the library ………… 3 p.m yesterday.
a. in b. on c. at
12. He ………… the bedroom when suddenly he fell off the ladder.
a. was painting b. paint c. painted
Exercise 2 : Put in the verb in brackets into the past continuous tense
Example: Eddie __________ a comic. (to read). => Eddie was reading a comic.
1. She ……………. hockey. (to play)
2. They ……………. in the pool. (to swim)
3. It ……………. (to rain)
4. We ……………. to music. (to listen)

2. Cindy …………… (break) her leg while she …………… (snowboard)
3. He …………… (cut) himself to the radio while he …………… (prepare) breakfast.
4. My father …………… (drive) at 70 km/h when a policeman ………… (stop) him.
5. The girl …………… (laugh) that the boy …………… (watch) her.
6. My dad …………… (fall off) the ladder while he …………… (paint) the carport.
7. While we …………… (do) crossword puzzles, our teacher …………… (come)
8. Nick …………… (become) sick while he …………… (travel) in Texas.
9. What …………… (you / do) when you …………… (hear) about that bad news?
10. I …………… (read) novels when the house …………… (catch) fire.
Exercise 5 : Give the correct form of the verbs in brackets
1. A: What …………… … (you, do) when the accident occurred?
B: I ………………… (try) to change a light bulb that had burnt out.
2. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she
……………….…… (watch, also) television. That's all she ever does!
3. A: I ………… … (call) you last night after dinner, but you ……………… (be, not)
there. Where were you?
B: I …………………… (work) out at the fitness center.
4. When I …………… … (walk) into the busy office, the secretary ………… …… (talk)
on the phone with a customer, several clerks ………………… …… (work, busily) at their
desks, and two managers ………………………… (discuss, quietly) methods to improve
customer service.
5. I ………….…….… (watch) a mystery movie on TV when the electricity went out. Now
I am never going to find out how the movie ends.
6. The Titanic ……… ……… (cross) the Atlantic when it …….……… (strike) an iceberg.
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