Past Simple and Progressive Practice

Use the simple past or past progressive to complete the following sentences. 1. A: What (you, do) _________________ when you got hurt? B: I (try) __________________ to change a light bulb that was bad. 2. After I (find) __________________ the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately) __________________ to the police and (turn) __________________ it in for the official reward. were you doing was trying found went immediately turned

Use the simple past or past progressive to complete the following sentences. 3. The doctor (say) __________________ that Tom (be) __________________ too sick to go to work and that he (need) __________________ to stay at home for a couple of days. 4. I (watch) __________________ a mystery movie on T.V. when the electricity (go) __________________ out. I (never, go) __________________ to find out how the movie (end) __________________ . said was needed was watching went out was never going ended

Use the simple past or past progressive to complete the following sentences. 5. It's strange that you (call) __________________ because I (think, just) __________________ about you. called was just thinking

Past progressive verbs are used for Interrupted action in the past Parallel continuous actions Description of a situation

Until he went to sleep, Ali was thinking. 1. The past progressive expresses past continuing activity, often when another action interrupted. ring, say, be, sleep, wake, and call. Until he went to sleep, Ali was thinking. He __________________ when Tina __________________ him on his home phone. So the phone __________________ when suddenly Ali __________________ up. “Hi,” Tina _________________. “__________________ you sleeping already?” was sleeping called was ringing woke said Were you

2 The past progressive can tell past continuing activity, with parallel continuous actions. Verbs: read, study, practice, cut, make, mix. Last night, Tina __________________ English while she __________________ dinner. She __________________ a lesson and __________________ vegetables for a salad. Tina __________________ pronunciation while she __________________ up a cake. In fact, she __________________ a smart meal for her family. was studying was making was reading cutting was practicing was mixing was making

3. The past progressive can tell past continuing activity, with descriptions of action situations. Verbs: type, yell, wait, and talk. In the office, several people __________________ on their computers. Some busy workers __________________ on the telephones. As usual, the boss __________________ directions to everyone. Lots of impatient customers __________________ to be helped. were typing were talking was yelling were waiting