ANSWER
SHEETS
Answer Sheet
Activity 1
Choose which verb tense (simple past or past continuous) fits
better.
1. I ________ - I didn't hear you come in.
a) was sleeping b) slept
2. I ________ to see her twice, but she wasn't home.
a) was coming b) came
3. What ________? I was watching TV.
a) did you do b) were you doing
4. Robin Hood was a character who ________ from the rich and gave
to the poor.
a) stole b) was stealing
5. Hey, did you talk to her? Yes, I ________ to her
a) was talking b) talked
6. I ________ home very late last night.
a) came b) was coming
7. How long ________ the flu?
a) did you have b) were you having
8. ________ a good time in Brazil? Yes, I had a blast!
a) Were you having b) Did you have
9. We ________ breakfast when she walked into the room.
a) Had b) were having
10. Last month I decided to buy a new car, and today I finally
________ it.
a) bought b) was buying
Activity 2
Sample answer
Read the story and answer the following questions
A DISASTROUS DINNER
Answer these questions about the story. Answer in complete sentences.
1. What did Mrs. Anderson plan?
She planned to have a delicious dinner
2. Why did she buy cream and apples?
. She bought them for an apple pie.
3. When did her pets watch her?
Her pets watched her while she was setting the table.
4. Where did she leave the steak?
She left the steak on the table.
5. When did the dog jump on the chair?
It jumped on the chair while she was making the pastry.
6. How did the dog look at the steak?
The dog looked at it longingly.
7. When did the dog jump off the chair?
The dog jumped off the chair as she was coming into the dining
room.
8. Where did the dog go?
. It ran into the garden.
9. What was she doing when the cat jumped on the table?
She was chasing the dog.
10. What did Mrs. Anderson do when she saw the cat?
. She shrieked when she saw the cat.
Answer Sheet
Activity 3
Complete the following sentences with the correct form (Past
Simple or Past Continuous).
1. A: What (you, do) were you doing when you heard that noise?
B: I (try)
tried
to change a light bulb that had burnt out.
2. After I (find)
went immediately
3. The doctor (say)
and that he (need)
found
the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately)
to the police and (turn) turned
it in.
said that Brian (be) was too weak to go to work
needed
to stay at home for a couple of days.
4. My best friend (arrive) arrived
at my house a little before 9:00 pm, but
I (be, not) wasn’t/ was not there. I (study) was studying at the library
for my final examination in Italian.
5. John is in the living room working on his computer. At this time yesterday,
he (work, also) was also working on his computer. That's all he ever does!
6. I (call) called
you last night after dinner, but you (be, not) were not/
weren’t there. Where were you?
B: I (work) was working
out at the gym.
7. When
talking
busily
quietly
I (walk) walked into the busy office, the secretaries (talk) were
on the phone with customers, a clerk (work, busily) was working
at his desk, and two managers (discuss, quietly) were discussing
methods to improve customer service.
8. I (watch) was watching a thriller on T.V. when the electricity went out.
Now I am never going to find out how the film ends.
9. Samantha (be)
was
in the room when Bob (tell) told
me what
happened, but she didn't hear anything because she (be, listen)
was
listening to music.
10. It's strange that you (call)
thinking about you.
called
because I (think, just)
was just
Answer Sheet
Activity 4
Find the Past Simple of the following verbs:
Work
Walk
Talk
Clean
Live
Wash
worked
walked
talked
cleaned
lived
washed
come_____came________
speak_____spoke________
see______ saw__________
do_______did___________
go_______went_________
sing______sang_________
Complete what Jenny says using the following verbs in the Past
Continuous:
Jenny is telling her teacher why she couldn't study for an exam.
watch
listen
sing
clean
cook
play
lie
It was impossible for me to concentrate! I went to my bedroom and my
mother
was cleaning
the carpet with the vacuum cleaner. Then I
went to the living room but my brother Paul was lying
on the sofa. He
was playing
his guitar. After that I decided to go to the kitchen.
There, my grandmother
was cooking
and she
was
also
watching
TV. Finally, I went out to the garden where I found
my sister. She
was listening
to her Walkman and she was singing at
the top of her voice.
Answer Sheet
Activity 5
Write the correct form of the verb, using the Past Simple or the
Past Continuous tense.
A: I saw
(see) Peter and John in the park on Sunday.
B: Where they
playing
(they/play) football?
They always play football on Sundays.
A: No, they were not/ weren’t
(not/be).
They
were talking (talk) with some girls.
B: Did you say (you/say) hello to them?
A. Although I
called
(call) their names, they
(not/hear) me.
B: Maybe they didn’t notice (not/notice) you
were
did no t hear
(be) there
Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Continuous or the Past
Simple.
1) Frank finished
2) Jason
(finish) his lunch and
was watching
3) He turned off
ringing.
rang
(ring) his friend Jason.
(watch) TV when Fran phoned (phone) him.
(turn off) the TV when he
heard
(hear) the phone
4) They
were deciding (decide) what to do when Jason
(suggest) going to the club.
5) Frank
club.
picked
Jason
up
(pick up) and
6) Two other people
arrived
(arrive).
were using
7) They
drank
they
were waiting
(drink) a soda and
(wait) to play.
8) While they
were playing
had
(have) to stop playing.
drove
suggested
(drive) to the
(use) their tennis court when they
(play), it
ate
started
(eat) a sandwich while
(start) to rain so they
Answer Sheet
Activity 6
Put the verbs into the correct form (past progressive).
1. When I phoned my friends, they (play)
2. Yesterday at six I (prepare)
3. The kids (play)
began to rain.
Monopoly.
was preparing dinner.
were playing
4. I (practice) was practicing
were playing
in the garden when it suddenly
the guitar when he came home.
5. We (not / cycle) were not cycling all day.
6. While Aaron (work)
was working
were swimming in the pool.
in his room, his friends (swim)
7. I tried to tell them the truth but they (listen / not)
8. What (you / do)
were you doing
9. Most of the time we (sit)
weren’t listening.
yesterday?
were sitting
in the park.