Past simple / past continuous

Complete the sentences with the correct Past simple form of be.

1 Who ___________ the best characters in the drama series?

2 The participant ___________ very good.

3 There ___________ a lot of people in the audience.

4 The viewers ___________ interested in the new show.

5 She ___________ really excited when she got her new flat-screen TV.

Complete the dialogue with the correct Past simple form of be or there was/there
were.

James Were there many TVs in the 1950s, Grandma?

Grandma No, 1__________ many.

James What 2__________ your favourite programmes at that time?

Grandma Music shows. But they 3__________ like music shows today. 4__________
famous singers, but also other variety acts. My favourite show 5__________ American and
my favourite singer 6__________ Dean Martin.

Write sentences or questions in the Past simple.

You watch the reality show

> () _________________________________

1 () _________________________________

2 (?) _________________________________

He sees the film.

3 () _________________________________

4 () _________________________________

5 (?) _________________________________

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Complete the sentences and questions with the correct Past simple form of the
verbs.

1 _____________ (you/enjoy) the film?

2 Dan _____________ (not know) the answer.

3 What _____________ (he/have) for dinner?

4 They _____________ (go) to Egypt last summer.

5 Jenny _____________ (meet) a friend yesterday.

6 We _____________ (not win) any prizes.

Write questions for these answers using the Past simple.

1 _____________________________________?

We had fish and chips for dinner.

2 _____________________________________?

They went to Cyprus for their holiday.

3 _____________________________________?

I was angry because we didnt win the prize.

4 _____________________________________?

He met Sally last night.

Write sentences or questions in the Past continuous.

1 you/watch/TV ?

_____________________________________

2 the students/speak/French

_____________________________________

3 the cat/sleep

_____________________________________

4 who/you/talk to ?

_____________________________________

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A police ocer is interviewing Jack about his friend Tony, who disappeared last
night. Read Jacks statement. Then write the questions and answers using the Past
continuous.

I left home at 6.45 p.m. and walked to the caf. Iarrived at 7.15 p.m. My friend, Tony, sat
with me and we had a drink together. Then my other friends arrived and they went to play
video games. When I left the caf at 10.30 p.m., Tony started speaking to the waitress.

Q What were you doing at 7 p.m.?

1 I ________________________________.

2 why/you and Tony/sit/together

Q ________________________________?

We ________________________________.

3 what/your/other friends/do

Q ________________________________?

They ________________________________.

4 what/Tony/do/at 10.30 p.m.

Q ________________________________?

He ________________________________.

Complete the mini-dialogues with the correct past simple form of suitable verbs.

they / get up Suzy / go not go be (x2) not see you / do stay not buy chat

1 A What time (1) ___________ this morning?

B At about 6.30.

2 A I (2) ___________ Mel at the party last night.

B Oh, she (3) ___________. She was ill.

3 A What (4) ___________ last night?

B Nothing much. I just (5) ___________ at home and (6) ___________ to my

parents.

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4 A (7) ___________ shopping at the weekend?

B Yes, but she (8) ___________ anything.

5 A (9) ___________ Joe in class today?

B No. There (10) ______

Correct the mistakes. One sentence is correct.

1 What were your sister doing in the park?

____________________________________

2 Jamie slept when the postman was coming.

____________________________________

3 While I did my homework, my brother was arriving home.

____________________________________

4 This time last week, I swam in the sea.

___________________________________

5 Why were you staring at that man?

____________________________________

6 I wasnt going to school yesterday because I were ill.

____________________________________

7 Were you seeing the sports programme last night?

____________________________________

Complete the text with verbs in the past simple or the past continuous. Sometimes
more than one answer is possible.

leave go realize say visit notice drop run wear pick

Last month I was visiting a museum in Glasgow with my class. While we (1) ___________
around on the guided tour, I (2) ___________ an attractive woman. She (3) ___________
sunglasses, so I couldnt see her face very well. As she (4) ___________ the room, she (5)
___________ her scarf so I (6) ___________ it up and (7) ___________ after her. When she(8)
___________ thank you, I (9) ___________ who she was my favourite actress!

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Complete the sentences with the correct form of used to and the verbs.

1 My aunt ____________________ (wear) platform boots in the 1970s.

2 Children ____________________ (not play) with electronic toys.

3 My dad ____________________ (have) a black and white TV.

4 I ____________________ (not speak) to my friends on a mobile phone.

5 __________ you __________ (like) vegetables when you were younger?

Complete the text with the correct form of used to and the verbs from the box.

not be have play not contact watchwrite talk

Things were very dierent in the 1980s. People used to drive TVs, and the lucky ones
1________________ videos on them. People 2________________ very simple games on
their computers, but the games 3________________ colourful or look very exciting very
dierent from today! My dad 4________________ to people on his mobile phone, but the
phone was really big and looked very silly. The Internet didnt exist in the 1980s, so
teenagers 5________________ each other through social networking sites. Instead, they
6________________ letters to their friends in the holidays. It seems hard to believe now!

Tick () the correct questions. Then correct the wrong questions.

1 ___ Who did write a letter to you?

2 ___ What your parents did yesterday?

3 ___ Why did they go to the library?

4 ___ How many people came to the barbecue?

5 ___ What they bought for her birthday?

Read the text and complete the questions about the missing information. Then
match the questions (15) to their answers (af).

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Sarah got home from school. She went into the kitchen and found her there. They
looked excited. They sang 1 to Sarah. Her mum laughed 2 . It was strange because
her dad usually came home 3 . There was a box 4 . Dad said, Open it! Suddenly, 5
jumped out of the box and licked Sarahs face!

1 ___ What _____________________ to Sarah?

2 ___ Why _____________________?

3 ___ What time _____________________?

4 ___ Where _____________________ the box?

5 ___ What _____________________ out of the box?

a a little dog

b on the table

c her parents

d because Sarah looked surprised

e Happy Birthday

f at six oclock

Tick () the correct sentences. Then correct the wrong sentences.

1 ___ I was reading my book and I was eating.

2 ___ Mozart died while he was writing an important piece of

music.

3 ___ We moved to Madrid when my dad was getting a new

job.

4 ___ Paul won the lottery while he studied at university.

5 ___ Helen turned o the TV and went to bed.

Complete the sentences and questions with the correct Past simple or Past
continuous form of the verbs.

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1 They _____________ (live) in London when the new millennium _____________
(begin).

2 What _____________ (you/do) when Barack Obama _____________ (win) the

election?

3 I _____________ (wait) for the bus and I _____________ (listen) to my MP3 player.

4 I _____________ (go) upstairs and I _____________ (close) the door.

5 My mum _____________ (meet) my dad while she _____________ (work) in a bank.

Complete each question with the Past simple and Past continuous forms of the
verbs. Then match the questions (14) to their answers (ae).

1 ___ Where ________________ (Amelia Earhart/fly) when

________________ (her plane/disappear)?

2 ___ What ________________ (fall) on Sir Isaac Newtons

head while ________________ (he/sit) under a tree?

3 ___ When ________________ (Antoni Gaud/die), what

________________ (he/build)?

4 ___ Who ________________ (start) painting while

________________ (she/get better) after an accident?

a an apple

b Frida Kahlo

c the Sagrada Famlia in Barcelona

d Requiem, a piece of church music

e over the Pacific Ocean

Correct the mistake in each question.

1 Who did finish the cola in the fridge?

____________________________________

2 What time they got home yesterday?

____________________________________

3 Who did buy that present for Rachel?

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 ____________________________________

4 Why you argued with Lisa yesterday?

____________________________________

5 Who did eat all the cake?

____________________________________

Write sentences using the past continuous and the past simple.
1 while / Pete / help / his dad / he / fall over

____________________________________

2 she / not meet / him / while / they / work / in a bar

____________________________________

3 we / watch / a film / when / my mobile / ring

____________________________________

4 they / have the idea / while / they / camp / ?

____________________________________

5 I / lose / my passport / when / I / stay / in a hostel

____________________________________

8 Complete the sentences and questions with the correct form of used to and the
verbs from the box.

like be not have go work

1. Life ____________ much simpler.

2. We ____________ any gadgets.

3. I ____________ going dancing on Saturday nights.

4. His granddad ____________ as a postman.

5. ____________ you ____________ on holiday abroad when you were young?