English Exercises > past simple exercises

Past Simple and Past Continuous




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Smile Past Simple and Past Continuous Smile

���� Past Simple

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������ Past Continuous

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�������� Contrast
������ Use the Past Simple to talk about an event which happened at some point in time in the past.
������ Use the Past Continuous to talk about activities or situations which were not completed in the past or to set the scene (background) in a story.
������ The past continuous also indicates that a longer action in the past was interrupted.
������ The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past.
������ Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

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������� Exercise 1��Choose the correct past simple.
���������� 1.���It��________ (rain) yesterday afternoon.����������rainned����rained�������
�������� 2.���Mary _______(practise) the violin last night�����practised��practises��
�������� 3.���Last summer Mandy _____ (study) Spanish� �� studyed��� studied�
�������� 4.�� The audience _____ (clap) at the end.������������� clapped��� claped
�������� 5.���We ______ (go) to Paris last year.����������������� �went��������goed���
�������Exercise 2 Complete the sentences with the past simple tense.
������ 1.� We
(take) a lot of photos in London.
������ 2.� He's very rich. (win) the lottery?
������ 3.� My boyfriend
(send) me twenty emails yesterday.
������ 4.� They
(not have) a good time at the disco.
������ 5.�
(visit) your grandparents at the weekend?
������ 6.� My brother
(not do) his homework last night.



��Exercise�3� Choose the correct form of the past continuous.
�� 1. Max �a computer game at 6 o'clock.
������� 2. I �dressed when you arrived.
������� 3.�We �dinner at 8.30.
������� 4. Pete and Mary �a magazine.
������� 5.�Your�mother �a pizza.�����
������������������������������������������
��Exercise�4 Complete the sentences with the past continuous tense.
��� 1.� I� (watch) TV when he came.
� � � � 2.� While we� (have) the picnic, we saw a bear.
� � � � 3.� The children (listen) to the teacher.
� � � � 4.� I didn't hear the phone because I (listen) to my i-Pod.
� � � � 5.� What (do) when I called?
� � � � 6.� Sam (wait) for us at the bus stop.� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ��



������� Exercise�5� Choose the correct tense: past simple or past continuous.
������
�������� As I �home yesterday, I �Mark's friend, Sue. She �in a shop window when I �her. We �for a cup of coffee and we �a chat. Then we �to the bus station. Sue's bus �shortly after we �, so Sue �goodbye quickly and �to the bus. As she �on, I �it was the wrong bus. I �after it, but it �too fast.
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��Exercise�6 Write the verb in the correct form (past simple or past continuous).
��������� 1. It� (rain) as I left the house.
������� 2. The baby � (sleep) peacefully when I took this photo.
������� 3. I (paint) this picture when I was at primarry school.
������� 4. The sun (shine) when I (get up) today.
������� 5. My brother (break) his leg, while we (ski).
������� 6. I left the party when he (arrive).
������� 7. While I (shop), I (meet) my friend.
������� 8. They� (win) the match when I phoned my girlfriend.

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