Pre-intermediate 2A 2B Past Simple and Past Continuous Exercises
1. Past Simple and Past Continuous
Pre-intermediate
Meryem Ozyel
M.O
2. Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. I lived/was living in France for eight years.
2. Sue lived/was living in France when her uncle died.
3. At 6:15, when you phoned, I had/was having a
shower.
4. We watched/were watching TV all evening.
5. Bill watched/was watching TV when Ann came in.
6. My father worked/was working hard all his life.
7. They got married while they studied/were studying at
London University.
8. Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to
Edinburgh and back.
9. It was nice evening, so she walked/ was walking
home from work.
M.O
3. Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. I lived/was living in France for eight years.
2. Sue lived/was living in France when her uncle died.
3. At 6:15, when you phoned, I had/was having a
shower.
4. We watched/were watching TV all evening.
5. Bill watched/was watching TV when Ann came in.
6. My father worked/was working hard all his life.
7. They got married while they studied/were studying at
London University.
8. Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to
Edinburgh and back.
9. It was nice evening, so she walked/ was walking
home from work.
M.O
4. Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. I lived/was living in France for eight years.
2. Sue lived/was living in France when her uncle died.
3. At 6:15, when you phoned, I had/was having a
shower.
4. We watched/were watching TV all evening.
5. Bill watched/was watching TV when Ann came in.
6. My father worked/was working hard all his life.
7. They got married while they studied/were studying at
London University.
8. Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to
Edinburgh and back.
9. It was nice evening, so she walked/ was walking
home from work.
M.O
5. Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. I lived/was living in France for eight years.
2. Sue lived/was living in France when her uncle died.
3. At 6:15, when you phoned, I had/was having a
shower.
4. We watched/were watching TV all evening.
5. Bill watched/was watching TV when Ann came in.
6. My father worked/was working hard all his life.
7. They got married while they studied/were studying at
London University.
8. Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to
Edinburgh and back.
9. It was nice evening, so she walked/ was walking
home from work.
M.O
6. Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. I lived/was living in France for eight years.
2. Sue lived/was living in France when her uncle died.
3. At 6:15, when you phoned, I had/was having a
shower.
4. We watched/were watching TV all evening.
5. Bill watched/was watching TV when Ann came in.
6. My father worked/was working hard all his life.
7. They got married while they studied/were studying at
London University.
8. Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to
Edinburgh and back.
9. It was nice evening, so she walked/ was walking
home from work.
M.O
7. Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. I lived/was living in France for eight years.
2. Sue lived/was living in France when her uncle died.
3. At 6:15, when you phoned, I had/was having a
shower.
4. We watched/were watching TV all evening.
5. Bill watched/was watching TV when Ann came in.
6. My father worked/was working hard all his life.
7. They got married while they studied/were studying at
London University.
8. Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to
Edinburgh and back.
9. It was nice evening, so she walked/ was walking
home from work.
M.O
8. Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. I lived/was living in France for eight years.
2. Sue lived/was living in France when her uncle died.
3. At 6:15, when you phoned, I had/was having a
shower.
4. We watched/were watching TV all evening.
5. Bill watched/was watching TV when Ann came in.
6. My father worked/was working hard all his life.
7. They got married while they studied/were studying at
London University.
8. Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to
Edinburgh and back.
9. It was nice evening, so she walked/ was walking
home from work.
M.O
9. Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. I lived/was living in France for eight years.
2. Sue lived/was living in France when her uncle died.
3. At 6:15, when you phoned, I had/was having a
shower.
4. We watched/were watching TV all evening.
5. Bill watched/was watching TV when Ann came in.
6. My father worked/was working hard all his life.
7. They got married while they studied/were studying at
London University.
8. Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to
Edinburgh and back.
9. It was nice evening, so she walked/ was walking
home from work.
M.O
10. Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. I lived/was living in France for eight years.
2. Sue lived/was living in France when her uncle died.
3. At 6:15, when you phoned, I had/was having a
shower.
4. We watched/were watching TV all evening.
5. Bill watched/was watching TV when Ann came in.
6. My father worked/was working hard all his life.
7. They got married while they studied/were studying at
London University.
8. Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to
Edinburgh and back.
9. It was nice evening, so she walked/ was walking
home from work.
M.O
11. Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. I lived/was living in France for eight years.
2. Sue lived/was living in France when her uncle died.
3. At 6:15, when you phoned, I had/was having a
shower.
4. We watched/were watching TV all evening.
5. Bill watched/was watching TV when Ann came in.
6. My father worked/was working hard all his life.
7. They got married while they studied/were studying at
London University.
8. Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to
Edinburgh and back.
9. It was nice evening, so she walked/ was walking
home from work.
M.O
12. Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. I lived/was living in France for eight years.
2. Sue lived/was living in France when her uncle died.
3. At 6:15, when you phoned, I had/was having a
shower.
4. We watched/were watching TV all evening.
5. Bill watched/was watching TV when Ann came in.
6. My father worked/was working hard all his life.
7. They got married while they studied/were studying at
London University.
8. Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to
Edinburgh and back.
9. It was nice evening, so she walked/ was walking
home from work.
M.O
13. Put in the past simple or the past continuous
1. While I _____________ down the road, I ______
Bill. (walk/see)
2. While I _____________ the newspaper, the cat
_______ on to the table. (read/ jump)
3. Alan _____________ Helen while he ________ in
Morocco. (meet/ travel)
4. Sally ___________ her leg while she __________
(break/ ski)
5. While I was _____________, somebody ________
my car (shop/ steal)
M.O
14. Put in the past simple or the past continuous
1. While I was walking down the road, I saw Bill.
(walk/see)
2. While I _____________ the newspaper, the cat
_____________ on to the table. (read/ jump)
3. Alan _____________ Helen while he
_____________ in Morocco. (meet/ travel)
4. Sally _____________ her leg while she
_____________(break/ ski)
5. While I was _____________, somebody
_____________ my car (shop/ steal)
M.O
15. Put in the past simple or the past continuous
1. While I was walking down the road, I saw Bill.
(walk/see)
2. While I was reading the newspaper, the cat
jumped on to the table. (read/ jump)
3. Alan __________ Helen while he ___________ in
Morocco. (meet/ travel)
4. Sally __________ her leg while she ______(break/
ski)
5. While I was _____________, somebody ________
my car (shop/ steal)
M.O
16. Put in the past simple or the past continuous
1. While I was walking down the road, I saw Bill.
(walk/see)
2. While I was reading the newspaper, the cat
jumped on to the table. (read/ jump)
3. Alan met Helen while he was travelling in
Morocco. (meet/ travel)
4. Sally _________ her leg while she _____(break/
ski)
5. While I was __________, somebody ___________
my car (shop/ steal)
M.O
17. Put in the past simple or the past continuous
1. While I was walking down the road, I saw Bill.
(walk/see)
2. While I was reading the newspaper, the cat
jumped on to the table. (read/ jump)
3. Alan met Helen while he was travelling in
Morocco. (meet/ travel)
4. Sally broke her leg while she was skiing (break/
ski)
5. While I was _____________, somebody
_____________ my car (shop/ steal)
M.O
18. Put in the past simple or the past continuous
1. While I was walking down the road, I saw Bill.
(walk/see)
2. While I was reading the newspaper, the cat
jumped on to the table. (read/ jump)
3. Alan met Helen while he was travelling in
Morocco. (meet/ travel)
4. Sally broke her leg while she was skiing (break/
ski)
5. While I was was shopping, somebody stole my car
(shop/ steal)
M.O
19. Put in the correct tense (Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. When I went out, it ___________. (rain)
2. When Mary got home, she ___________ tea.
(make)
3. When I saw Jon and Tom, they ___________ .
(shop)
4. When John saw us, we ___________. (shop)
5. When we saked, they ___________ ‘No’. (say)
6. When I walked in, they __________. (talk)
7. When I dropped the glass, it ___________. (break)
8. What ___________ when I phoned him? (he/do)
M.O
20. Put in the correct tense (Past Simple or Past Continuous
1. When I went out, it was raining. (rain)
2. When Mary got home, she was making tea.
(make)
3. When I saw Jon and Tom, they were shopping .
(shop)
4. When John saw us, we were shopping. (shop)
5. When we saked, they said ‘No’. (say)
6. When I walked in, they were talking.(talk)
7. When I dropped the glass, it broke. (break)
8. What was he doing when I phoned him? (he/do)
M.O