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CLASS 5: PAST SIMPLE vs PAST CONTINUOUS

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th

November 2010

A. Explain the use of the Past Continuous in the following sentences.

1. The front door of the house stood open. The maid was polishing the windows.
2. After a while he informed me that John was doing a translation of some poems from Spanish.
3. I knew Harry was coming sometime on Monday.
4. You remember how he was always writing verses.
5. He glanced in my way to see if I was listening.
6. By the time the month was up, Eric realized he was fighting a losing battle.
7. Roma said: “Hello, everybody. We were passing by and saw the light in the studio. We guessed you

were having a party.’

8. She stopped beside Tommy who was in a particularly scornful mood. He was leaving in the morning.
9. Well, I was taught not to interrupt when older people were talking.
10. She said it very calmly but her face had gone the curious colour which meant that she wasn’t liking it

very much.

11. He looked across the street to see if they were still waiting.
12. ‘What were you doing in NY, Mr Brown?’ ‘I was trying to find someone to buy my hotel’.
13. It was raining when I left.
14. ‘This is his breakfast.’, Adeline said, indicating the tray with a bandaged finger. She was always suffering

from a cut or a burn.

B. Explain the use of the Past Continuous and the Past simple in the following sentences which contain

actions taking place at a given past moment.

1. We had some difficulty with Jerry, who was enjoying himself and did not want to come away.
2. He laughed and said how nice the country looked. Branches and little dark delicate twigs formed a

fretwork of black lace against a cold, silvery sky.

3. It was getting dark now and the general drove more slowly than ever.
4. I was driving along the country road when I spotted a telephone box.
5. I looked at my watch – it read five to eleven.
6. I looked at my husband. He was reading a letter.
7. Philip made no hast to move from where he sat.
8. Lunch was over. Theo was smoking a cigarette. Barbara was sitting on the window seat with a book in

her hands.

9. I rang the bell and the door was opened by a small man in overalls who was carrying a pot of white paint.
10. In the dim light it was difficult for the passengers to read the papers that they carried.
11. I offered to call him up but they told me that the telephone didn’t work.
12. I looked into my father’s study. He was no longer working.
13. John, turning from the door, noticed that he was standing upon a letter which lay on the floor.

C. Complete the sentences with one of these verbs: be, enjoy, have, live. Use the same verb for each

sentence in the pair. In one, you can use only the Past simple; in the other you can use either the
Past Simple or Past Continuous.

1.
a. It was getting late, and my eyes ___________________ trouble focusing on the birds in the disappearing
light.
b. I ________________ trouble with the cat the whole of the time I owned it.

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2.
a. As a historian I’m interested in how people __________________ in the past.
b. During the hard winter, people ________________ by selling what few remaining possessions they had.
3.
a. She _________________ very good at talking to children in a way that kept them entertained.
b. Before the party, the children got very excited and _________________ naughty.
4.
a. He _________________ learning Japanese until the class had a new teacher.
b. Even when he was young, Jonathan _______________ learning languages.

D. Correct the sentences if necessary.

1. Whenever I called in on Sam, he talked on the phone.
2. When I lived in Paris, I was spending three hours a day travelling to and from work.
3. Peterson was winning the tournament four times before he retired.
4. We were having to play the netball twice a week when I went to school.
5. The weather was so good last summer that we went to the beach most weekends.

E. Use either the Past Continuous or the Past Simple to complete the following sentences.

1. I (to have) _________________ an uncomfortable feeling that he (to laugh)_________________ at me.
2. They (to move) ______________into the shelter. The rain (to come) _____________down swiftly.
3. The general (to wait) _______________on the platform when I (to arrive)________________ at

Camberley.

4. She (to be) _______________ on her guard because he always (to tease) _______________ her.
5. I only (to want) _______________to know if you (to come) _________________ on Saturday.
6. He (to see) _______________ to it that their publishing house (to become) ________________ a

flourishing firm again.

7. He (to have) _________________a bath when the sirens (to start) _______________.
8. He (to walk) __________________ in the frosty fields when he (not to work) ___________________.
9. Jack (to look) _________________ at her trying to guess what (to come) _______________.
10. The road under the limes (to lead) ____________________ straight to the village.
11. He (to find) ________________ that he (to speak) _________________ in a low voice.
12. He (to be) ________________ surprised to find how much her hands (to shake) __________________.
13. It (to be)_________________ suddenly clear to me that she (to act) ________________ a part and (to

amuse) ________________herself at our expense.

14. Mother said you (to join) _______________ the Bombardier Guards.
15. I (to know) __________________ they (to go)_ ________________ out that night.
16. He (to have) _____________ interests everywhere. He always (to ask) ________________ for a special

leave.

17. Then he (to notice) _________________ Jack. He (to stand) ________________ in front of the fire and

(to talk) _________________ to an Italian man in glasses.

18. When I (to come) ________________ up to her she (to search) _________________ through a velvet bag

which she always (to carry) _________________ for spectacles which she always (to lose)
__________________.

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F. Use either the Past Continuous or the Past Simple to complete the following sentences, containing

‘while-clauses’.

1. While she (to stand) _________________ irresolute, the door (to open) __________________ and her

brother (to come) ___________________ in.

2. He (to listen) ___________________ gravely while I (to complain) ________________ about my

reading.

3. While she (to wait) __________________ for the kettle to boil she (to sit) ________________ by the

table.

4. He (not to say) ___________________ a word while we (to eat) __________________.
5. We (to look) ____________________ at the stamps while we (to wait) __________________for Hudson

to turn up.

6. She (to tear) ___________________ her dress while she (to change) ___________________.

G. Use either the Past Continuous or the Past Simple to complete the following sentences, containing

‘as-clauses’.

1. They (to talk) __________________ little as they (to drive) _________________ home.
2. As they (to drink) _________________ coffee, Ted (to say) ___________________: ‘Now tell me about

yourself’.

3. She (to sing) __________________ softly as she (to beat) __________________ the eggs.
4. As the sun (to disappear) ________________, a fresh breeze (to stir) ___________________ the curtains

of the window.

5. I (to hear) ___________________ a telephone ringing as I (to come up) __________________ in the lift.
6. He (to come) __________________ forward as he (to climb) ____________________ out of the car and

(to hold) __________________ his hand to my father.

7. Bernard (to call) ____________________ up as I (to prepare) _________________ to leave the office.
8. He (to give) ___________________ his father an anxious look as he entered.
9. She (to watch) ___________________ him as he (to walk) _________________ to the chair across the

room.

10. He (to look) ________________ up as Eric (to come) _________________ in.
11. Her husband (to stop) _________________ her as she (to get) __________________into the car.

H. Complete the sentences using these pairs of verbs. Use the Past Simple in one space and the Past

Continuous in the other.

arrive/get

go/get

meet/work

look/slip

wait/order

ski/break

1. Just as I ____________________ into the bath the fire alarm ___________________ off.
2. Helen _____________________ her leg while she ___________________ in Switzerland.
3. We _____________________ when I ___________________ in a music shop.
4. When his mother ___________________ in the other direction Steve __________________ away quitetly.
5. I __________________a drink when I ____________________ for Pam to arrive.
6. Our guests were early. They ____________________ as I _____________________ in.

Look at the Past continuous verbs you wrote in 1-6. Which of these could also be in the Past Simple?
What difference in meaning, if any, would there be?