Past continuous
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Past continuous exercises + PDF worksheets
Compare: Past simple vs. past continuous
PDF exercises to download for free:
Past continuous PDF exercise 1
- Look at Jane's diary. What was she doing at these times?
(Monday 4.30 - 5.30 p.m: have an appointment)
At 5 p.m. she ___ an appointment at the dentist's.
Past continuous PDF exercise 2
- The Thompson family. What were they doing at 7 o'clock?
Mr. Thompson ___ (cook) dinner in the kitchen.
Mrs. Thompson ___ (clean) their car in front of their house.
Past continuous PDF exercise 3 (questions)
- Julie saw Tim and Matt at the swimming pool. Complete Sue's questions.
Sue: ___ when you saw them? (what | Tim and Matt | do)
Past continuous PDF exercise 4 (questions)
- Make questions. What were Simon and his girlfriend doing at a restaurant?
Where ___ they ___ ?
At a table by the window.
Past continuous PDF exercise 5 (negative)
- Complete short dialogues with negative forms.
A: Were you talking to Bob during dinner?
B: I ___ to anybody. I was alone.
Past continuous PDF exercise 6 (negative + questions)
- Make negative sentences and questions.
I ___ a shower at 6 o'clock. (not have)
___ computer games when I came back home? (you | not play)
Online exercises with answers:
Past continuous exercise 1 Use the verbs in brackets to complete sentences.
Past continuous exercise 2 What was Jane doing at these times?
Past continuous exercise 3 Complete the dialogue 'Romance at the Swimming Pool'.
Past continuous Exercise 4 Make positive and negative questions.
Past continuous Exercise 5 Practise negative forms.
Grammar rules PDF:
Past simple and continuous PDF rules Grammar rules with examples.
English grammar PDF All PDF grammar rules on this website.
Past continuous tense
Form
We make the past continuous tense with the past tense of the verb to be (was, were) and the present participle (-ing form).
Positive statement: I was sleeping. You were sleeping.
Negative statement: I was not listening (I wasn't listening), You were not listening (You weren't listening.)
Question: Were you crying? Was he crying?
Negative question: Were you not running? (Weren't you running?) Was he not running? (Wasn't he running?)
Use
We use this tense for activities or situations that were not completed at a point in the past.
Completed (past simple):
I repaired my bike yesterday. (I finished my work.)
Incomplete (past continuous):
I was repairing my bike yesterday. (I did not finish my work.)
Completed (past simple):
When I heard the doorbell, I switched off the TV. (First I heard the doorbell and then I switched off the TV.)
Incomplete (past continuous):
When I heard the door bell, I was switching off the TV. (The doorbell started to ring when I was switching off the TV.)
Completed (past simple):
We had dinner at seven o'clock. (We began to eat at seven o'clock.)
Incomplete (past continuous):
We were having dinner at seven o'clock. (We started before and finished after seven o'clock.)
Compare:
Past continuous vs. past simple Compare the typical use of the simple and continuous forms.
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- All PDF exercises and grammar rules from this website.