Exercise 1

Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1.

While Tom (read)

2.

Marvin (come)
and (check)

3.

, Amely (watch)
home, (switch)

4.

Nobody (listen)

5.

While we (do)

6.

He (wake)

on the computer

his emails.

The thief (sneak)

and (leave)

a documentary on TV.

into the house, (steal)

the jewels

without a trace.
while the teacher (explain)

the tenses.

a sight-seeing tour, our friends (lie)

up and (look)

on the beach.

at his watch.

Exercise 2
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1.

The receptionist (welcome)

the guests and (ask)

them to fill in the

form.
2.

The car (break)

down and we (have)

3.

The boys (swim)

while the girls (sunbathe)

4.

My father (come)

in, (look)

tidy up my room.
5.
As long as one group (prepare)
their campfire.
6.
While the parents (have)

to walk home.
.

around and (tell)

dinner, the others (collect)

breakfast, their children (run)

me to

wood for

about.

7.

Martha (turn)

off the lights and (go)

to bed.

Exercise 3
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1.

We (wait)

2.

I (cycle)

3.

He (pass)

4.

I (fall)

5.

When Mike and Jane (paint)

6.

for Jane, when suddenly Louis (come)

through the park, when I (hear)

a strange noise.

her a message when the teacher (look / not)

asleep while I (watch)

paint pot.
Tom (break)

7.

around the corner.

TV last night.
the walls, their dog (knock)

his leg when he (play)

The phone (ring)

when I (sit)

over the

frisbee.
on the toilet.

Exercise 4
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1.

I (jog)

in the park, when two squirrels (cross)

2.

Robert (fall)

3.

Archimedes (discover)

off the ladder when he (pick)

my way.
cherries.

the theory of buoyancy while he (take)

bath.
4.

When we (travel)

5.

While she (speak)

6.

When I (leave)

around Ireland, we (meet)

on the phone, the milk (boil)
the house this morning, the sun (shine)

some very nice people.

over.
.

7.

Caroline (burn)

her hand when she (iron)

her clothes.

Exercise 5
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1.

Two days ago, a murder (happen)

2.

Yesterday, Sherlock Holmes (arrive)

3.

He (ask)

4.

What (do / you)

5.

I (watch)

6.

(be)

7.

Yes, I (be)

8.

(hear / you)

9.

Yes, about seven o'clock, two people (argue)

match (be)
not)

in Market Street at about seven pm.

at the crime scene to investigate.

one of the tenants in the house.

yesterday at seven?
a football match on TV.
you alone?
.
anything suspicious?
in the hallway. But the football

so interesting. So I just (turn)

anything anymore.

Exercise 6
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1.

A: What (do / you)

2.

B: I (sit)

yesterday at 8 pm?
in the pub with Sam. Why?

up the telly and then (hear /

3.

A: I (drive)
we (be)

to the sports centre at that time to play squash with a few friends. As
only three players, I (try)

as well. But I (reach / not)

you at home.

4.

B: Why (ring / not / you)

5.

A: I actually (want)

my mobile?
to ring your mobile, but by accident I (dial)

William's number. He (do / not)

really (like)

to ring you to ask if you would like to come

anything special at that moment and

the idea of playing squash with us.

Exercise 7
Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or past progressive).
1.

When I (do)

the washing-up, I (break)

w as doing

2.

While Tom (play)

3.

He (drink)

4.

I (have)

5.

When my father (work)

a plate.
broke

the piano, his mother (do)

some juice and then he (eat)
dinner when I suddenly (hear)

the washing-up.
a few chips.
a loud bang.

in the garden, an old friend (pass)

by to see

him.
6.

She (go)
and (begin)

7.

When it (start)

8.

When Jane (do)

Castle.

to school, (take)

out her textbook

to learn.
to rain, our dog (want)

to come inside.

a language course in Ireland, she (visit)

Blarney

9.

When I (be)

on my way home, I (see)

10.

I (not / understand)

an accident.

what they (talk)

about.

Exercise 8
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1.

When I (get)

2.

It (is)

3.

So I (decide)

4.

I (go)

5.

While I (cycle)

up yesterday, the sun (shine)

a beautiful morning.
to cycle around a little.
to the shed and (take)

out my bike.

past some villages, I (see)

gardens.
6.
One man (mow)
7.

some people in their

the grass while his wife (pick)

strawberries.

After one hour of cycling in sunshine, a big fat raincloud suddenly (appear)
it (start)

and

to rain.

8.

Luckily, a farmer (notice)

me and (tell)

9.

While it (rain)

10.

After a while, the sun (come)

11.

I (thank)

outside, I (sit)

me to come in.
in the farmer's house.

out again.

the farmer for his hospitality and (move)

on.