Continuous and Past Simple

Example: What was he doing when the news started? – He was reading a book.

What did he do when the news started? – He stopped reading and

turned up the TV.

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2.

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LANGUAGE USE AND

COMMUNICATION

Exercise 41. a) Complete the dialogues. Put the verb in Past Continuous or Past Simple.

B) After checking task a) learn 3 of them by heart and act them out.

1. A: What (1) _______________ (you/do) when your master (2)_____________ (come)?

B: We (3) _____________________________ (rehearse).

2. A: Was Mary busy when you went to see her?

B: Yes, she (4) ________________________ (write) a treatment.

3. A: What time (5) ______________________ (your cousin / arrive) this afternoon?

B: He (6) ______________ (come) while we (7) _____________ (have) lunch.

4. A: Was Charlie at the University today?

B: No, he (8) _________________________ (not/go) there. He was at the film studio.

5. A: How fast (9)________________ (you/drive) when the police (10)_________(stop) you?

B: I don’t know exactly but I (11)__________________________ (not/drive) very fast.

6. A: (12)___________________________ (you / shoot) location scenes yesterday?

B: No, the weather was very bad, so we (13)________________________ (not/ do) it.

7. A: How (14) ________________________________ (you/break) the tripod?

B: It (15) _________________ (happen) when we (16) _____________________ (shoot).

8. A: (17) ___________________________________ (you/see) Tracy at the Cinema House

last Sunday?

B: Yes, she (18) ________________________ (wear) a very nice evening dress.

9. A: What (19)_______________________________ (you/do) at 8 o’clock in the evening

yesterday?

B: I (20) ___________________________ (do) the storyboard with the art director.

10. A: I (21) __________________________ (lose) my sketches last night.

B: Oh, no! How (22) ________________________ (it/happen)?

Exercise 42. a) Complete the conversations. Use Past Simple or Past Continuous of

The verb in brackets.

B) After checking task a) learn 2 of them by heart and act them out.

1. Nina: I (1)______________________ (phone) you at 8 o’clock last night but you

were not available.

Mark: 8 o’clock? I (2) ___________________ (study) in the library.

Nina: (3)_______________________ (be) Mary with you?

Mark: No, she (4)__________________ (visit) her relatives in the country.

Nina: Where (5) _______________________ (you / go) after the library?

Mark: I (6) ____________________ (go) to the hostel to see my friends.

2. Sue: Oh no! My beautiful new blouse. It’s ruined! What happened?

Jenny: I’m really sorry, Sue. I (7)________________________(destroy) it when I

(8) ___________________________ (paint).

Sue: How?

Jenny: The producer (9) _____________ (telephone) me but my hands (10) _______(be)

dirty and I (11) ________________ (wipe) them on your blouse by mistake.

3. Nancy: That maths test (12) ____________ (be) difficult, (13) _____________ it?

Jim: No, not really, but I (14)______________________ (not / do) very much.

Nancy: Why not?

Jim: Because I (15) ___________________________ (dream) about my first audition.

4. Philip: There (16)___________________ (be) an accident at this junction yesterday morning.

Julia: What (17)_______________________ (happen)?

Philip: No idea. It (18)____________________________ (snow) but the drivers

(19) ______________________________ (not / go) fast.

Julia: Was anyone hurt?

Philip: One woman (20)____________________ (break) her leg and another woman

(21) _______________________ (cut) her hands.

5. Polly: Sorry? I didn’t hear you. Can you say that again, please?

Sonia: Actually, I (22) ________________________ (not / talk) to you.

Polly: Who (23)________________________(you / talk) to, then?

Sonia: Jane.

Polly: I thought she (24) _____________________ (sleep).

Exercise 43. a) Read the story and put the verbs in brackets in Past Simple or Past

Continuous.

John and Mary (1) ______________ (decide) to redecorate their room in the hostel. They (2)______________ (choose) cream paint for the walls. When Tim (3)________________ (look)

in to see how they (4) __________________ (get) on, Mary (5)______________________ (mix) the paint, and John (6)____________(wash) down the walls. They (7) ___________

(be) glad to see Tim and (8) ______________ (ask) if he (9) ___________________ (do) anything special that day. He hastily (10) ___________ (reply) he (11) ________________ (go) to the theatre and (12)______________ (go) away at once, because he (13) _______________ (know) they (14) ___________________ (look) for someone to help them.

They (15) ________________ (begin) painting, but (16) _______________ (find) the walls (17) ________________ (be) too wet. While they (18) __________________ (wait) for the walls to dry, Mary (19) ____________________ (remember) she (20) _______________(have) a phone call to make. John (21)___________ (start) painting while she (22) ______________(telephone), and (23) _________________(do) a whole wall before Mary (24) ______________ (come) back. He (25) _______________(grumble) that she always (26) _____________________ (telephone). Mary (27) _______________ (retort) that John always (28) ___________________ (complain). They (29) ____________ (work) in silence for some time.

Just as they (30) __________(start) the third wall, the doorbell (31) _____________ (ring). It (32) ______________ (be) a friend of John’s who (33) ________________ (want) to know if John (34) __________________ (play) tennis the following weekend. He (35) _______________ (stay) talking to John in the hall while Ann (36) _______________ (go) on painting. At last he (37) __________________(leave).

John (38) ________________(return), expecting Mary to say something about friends who (39) _________________ (come) and (40) _________________ (waste) valuable time talking about tennis. But Mary nobly (41) ________________ (say) nothing. Then John (42) ____________ (think) he would do the ceiling. He just (43)___________ (climb)

the step ladder when the doorbell (44) ______________ (ring) again. Mary (45) _________ (say) she (46) _______________ (get) tired of interruptions but (47) ________________ (go) and (48) _________________ (open) the door. It (49) _____________ (be) the postman with a letter from her brother Jack, saying he (50) ____________________ (come) to spend the weekend with them and (51)_________________ (arrive) the next morning at 4.30.