Exercise 27 Put in the correct tenses (Past Simple or Past Continuous)
1. At seven o'clock this morning I __________________ (have) a wonderful dream, but then the alarm _________________________ (go) off.
2. This time last month I __________________ (fly) to Hollywood .
3. When I came into the sitting room they _____________ (all discuss) a new musical.
4. I saw James when I _________________ (go) to the film studio this morning.
He ____________________ (sit) in his car and (talk) to a young girl.
5. She _____________________ (meet) her husband while she ____________________
(travel) in Italy.
6. While I __________________ (have) lunch somebody _________________ (walk) into
my office and _______________ (take) all the contracts from my desk.
7. When Kate _____________________ (come) in everybody _____________________
(stop) talking.
8. Phil __________________ (look) out of the window and __________________ (see)
that he ____________________________ (fly) over the mountains.
9. I ___________________ (wake) up to find that water ________________ (pour) through
the bedroom ceiling.
10. He ____________________ (break) his camera while he ______________
(travel) in Scotland.
11. Fred ___________________ (go) to see how she _____________ (be) and found
she ____________________ (cry).
12. He ___________________ (tell) me he ____________________ (have) a bad time
with his friends in Egypt.
Exercise 28 Put the verb in correct form (Past Simple or Past Continuous).
1. When I __________________ (to look) for my passport I _______________ (to find)
this old photograph.
2. You looked very busy when I ________________ (to see) you last night. What
____________________ (you to do)?
3. He __________________ (not to allow) us to go out in the boat yesterday as a strong
wind ________________ (to blow).
4. When I entered the room he ___________ (to speak) to the producer on the telephone.
5. How ______________ ( you to damage) your car so badly? - I __________ (to run)
into a lamp-post yesterday. - I suppose you _______________________ (to drive)
too quickly or were not looking where you _________________________ (to go).
6. He asked me not to enter the room because Jim _____________________ (to develop)
a film there.
7. The director didn't allow the actors to travel by air while they ___________ (to work)
on the film.
8. When I came back home Tom __________________ (to sit) in a corner with a book.
I told him that he ____________________________ (to read) in very bad light.
9. While we ________________________ (to shoot) someone came into the office and
left this note.
10. While she _____________________ (to learn) to drive she had twenty-five accidents.
Exercise 29 Complete the dialogues. Put the verb in the Past Continuous or Past Simple.
1. A: What _______________ (you/do) when your master _____________ (come)?
B: We _____________________________ (rehearse) .
2. A: Was Mary busy when you went to see her?
B: Yes, she ________________________ (write) a script.
3. A: What time ______________________ (your cousin / arrive) this afternoon?
B: He ______________ (come) while we _____________ (have) lunch.
4. A: Was Charlie at the University today?
B: No, he _________________________ (not/go) there. He was at the film studio.
5. A: How fast ________________ (you/drive) when the police _________(stop) you?
B: I don't know exactly but I __________________________ (not/drive) very fast.
6. A: ___________________________ (you / shoot) location scenes yesterday?
B: No, the weather was very bad, so we ________________________ (not/ do).
7. A: How ________________________________ (you/break) the tripod?
B: It _________________ (happen) when we _____________________ (rehearse).
8. A: ___________________________________ (you/see) Tracy at the Cinema House
last Sunday?
B: Yes, she ________________________ (wear) a very nice evening dress.
9. A: What _______________________________ (you/do) at 8 o'clock in the evening
yesterday?
B: I was (do) the storyboard with the art director.
10. A: I __________________________ (lose) my sketches last night.
Exercise 30. Complete the conversations. Use Past Simple or Past Continuous of
The verb in brackets.
1. Nina: I ______________________ (phone) you at 8 o'clock last night but you
were not at home.
Mark: 8 o'clock? I ___________________ (study) in the library.
Nina: _______________________ (be) Mary with you?
Mark: No, she __________________ (visit) her relatives in the country.
Nina: Where _______________________ (you / go) after the library?
Mark: I ____________________ (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 ________________________(destroy) it when I
___________________________ (paint).
Sue: How?
Jenny: The producer _____________ (telephone) me but my hands ___________ ( be)
dirty and I ________________ (wipe) them on your blouse by mistake.
3. Nancy: Yesterday’s exam ____________ (be) difficult?
Jim: No, not really, but I ______________________ (not / write) very much.
Nancy: Why not?
Jim: Because I ___________________________ (dream) about my first audition.
4. Philip: There ___________________ (be) a crash outside my house yesterday.
Julia: What _______________________ (happen)?
Philip: I don't know. It ____________________________ (snow) but the drivers
______________________________ (not / go) fast.
Julia: Were they hurt?
Philip: One man ____________________ (break) his leg and the other man
_______________________ (cut) his head.
5. Polly: Pardon? I didn't hear you. Could you repeat that, please?
Sonia: I ________________________ (not / talk) to you.
Polly: Who ________________________(you / talk) to?
Sonia: Jane.
Polly: Oh, sorry.
Exercise 31 Read the story and put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense: Past
Simple or Past Continuous.
John and Mary ______________ (decide) to redecorate their room in the hostel. They ______________ (choose) cream paint for the walls. When Tim ________________ (look)
in to see how they __________________ (get) on, Mary ______________________ (mix)
the paint, and John _________________ (wash) down the walls. They _____________
(be) glad to see Tim and ______________ (ask) if he ___________________ (do) anything special that day. He hastily ___________ (reply) he ____________________ (go) to the theatre and ______________ (go) away at once, because he _______________ (know)
they ___________________ (look) for someone to help them.
They ________________ (begin) painting, but _______________ (find) the walls ________________ (be) too wet. While they __________________ (wait) for the walls
to dry, Mary ____________________ (remember) she _______________(have) a phone
call to make. John ___________ (start) painting while she ______________(telephone),
and _________________(do) a whole wall before Mary ______________ (come) back.
He _______________(grumble) that she always _____________________ (telephone).
Mary _______________ (retort) that John always ___________________ (complain).
They _______________(work) in silence for some time. Just as they __________(start)
the third wall, the doorbell _____________ (ring). It ______________ (be) a friend of
John's who ________________ (want) to know if John __________________ (play)
tennis the following weekend. He _______________ (stay) talking to John in the hall
while Ann _______________ (go) on painting. At last he __________________(leave).
John ________________(return), expecting Mary to say something about friends who _________________ (come) and _________________ (waste) valuable time talking
about tennis. But Mary nobly ________________ (say) nothing.
Then John ____________ (think) he would do the ceiling. He just ___________ (climb)
the step ladder when the doorbell ______________ (ring) again. Mary _________ (say)
she _______________ (get) tired of interruptions but ________________ (go) and _________________ (open) the door. It _____________ (be) the postman with a letter
from her brother Jack, saying he ____________________ (come) to spend the weekend
with them and _________________ (arrive) the next morning at 4.30.