Past continuous and Past Simple

Past continuous

Past Continuous Structure

Examples

1. Three years ago, we were living in my home town.
2. What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was studying.

1. What were you doing this time last year?
2. I tried to give him some advice, but he wasn't listening.
3. When I woke up this morning, it was snowing.
4. When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner.
5. As I was deciding what to do the bus arrived.

Time words

• while - when - as
• all (the whole) day (morning / evening / night) yesterday
• yesterday at 6 (7, 8, ...) o'clock / a.m. / p.m.
• this time yesterday / this time last year (week / month)

What were you doing at these times? Write sentences as in the examples. The past continuous is not always necessary. 1 (at 8 o’clock yesterday evening) ……………………. 2 (at 5 o’clock last Monday) ……………………. 3 (at 10.15 yesterday morning) ……………………. 4 (at 4.30 this morning) ……………………. 5 (at 7.45 yesterday evening) ……………………. 6 (half an hour ago) …………………….

Make sentences about Larry´s day.

Example: In the evening Larry was cycling home when he had an accident.

Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.1 Jenny ……………………. (wait) for me when I ……………………. (arrive). 2 ‘What ……………………. (you / do) at this time yesterday?’ ‘I was asleep.’ 3 ‘ ……………………. (you / go) out last night?’ ‘No, I was too tired.’ 4 How fast ……………………. (you / drive) when the accident ……………………. (happen)? 5 Sam ……………………. (take) a picture of me while I ……………………. (not / look). 6 We were in a very difficult position. We ……………………. (not / know) what to do. 7 I haven’t seen Alan for ages. When I last ……………………. (see) him, he……………………. (try) to find a job. 8 I ……………………. (walk) along the street when suddenly I ……………………. (hear) footsteps behind me. Somebody ……………………. (follow) me. I was scared and I ……………………. (start) to run. 9 When I was young, I ……………………. (want) to be a pilot. 10 Last night I ……………………. (drop) a plate when I ……………………. (do) the washing-up. Fortunately it ……………………. (not / break).

Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.1 Jenny was waiting for me when I arrived. 2 ‘What were you doing at this time yesterday?’ ‘I was asleep.’ 3 ‘ Did you go out last night?’ ‘No, I was too tired.’ 4 How fast were you driving when the accident happened? 5 Sam took a picture of me while I was not looking. 6 We were in a very difficult position. We did not know what to do. 7 I haven’t seen Alan for ages. When I last saw him, he was trying to find a job. 8 I was walking along the street when suddenly I heard footsteps behind me. Somebody was following me. I was scared and I started to run. 9 When I was young, I wanted to be a pilot. 10 Last night I dropped a plate when I was doing the washing-up. Fortunately it didn´t break it.

Describe these photographs using the information on page 200

Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple. 1 I ……………………. (see) Sue in town yesterday, but she ……………………. (not I see) me. She ……………………. (look) the other way. 2 I ……………………. (meet) Tom and jane at the airport a few weeks ago. They ……………………. (go) to Paris and I ……………………. (go) to Rome. We ……………………. (have) a chat while we ……………………. (wait) for our flights. 3 I ……………………. (cycle) home yesterday when a man ……………………. (step) out into the road in front of me. I ……………………. (go) quite fast, but luckily I ……………………. (manage) to stop in time and ……………………. (not / hit) him.