The past continuous (progressive) tense

BE (WAS, WERE) + V + ING

Exercise 1. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Continuous Tense.

1. What you (do) yesterday at 10.20 p.m.? - I (write) my course paper. 2. When I first met him he (study) computing. 3. Who you (talk) to on the telephone as I came in? - I (talk) to Mr. Smith. 4. The traffic made so much noise that I couldn’t hear what he (say). 5. John got off the train while it (go). 6. He (walk) home when the rain began. 6. The car hit a tree while it (travel) at 60 miles an hour.

Exercise 2. Add tag questions to the following sentences.

1. The Winkles were not living in Philodelphia at that time. 2. Mr. Jones was talking to the Dean at that moment. 3. They were not discussing this question when we came in. 4. Joan was hurrying to the station when we met her. 5. At this time last year George was not learning to drive a car. 6. I was not shopping in the morning yesterday. 7. When he came into the office, the secretary was talking to a visitor. 8. We saw an accident while we were driving to the airport.

Exercise 3. Ask questions to the following statements. Begin with a given interrogative word.

Model: I was visiting my friend from 5 till 6 yesterday. (who)

Who were you visiting from 5 till 6 yesterday?

1. At 5 sharp Helen was talking to the Dean.(when) 2. The foreigner was speaking slowly because he wanted us to understand him. (why). 3. They were playing computer games when the phone rang.(what) 4. The customs official was inspecting Bill’s luggage when he heard an explosion. (what). 5. Mr. Rock was giving a lecture on at 9 o’clock yesterday morning.(what lecture). 6. From six to ten yesterday morning the top manager was interviewing the new people.(who) 7. While I was talking on the telephone Mary was looking through the magazines. (when) 8. Linda was waiting for the bus when she saw an old friend of her.

Exercise 4. Make sentences with ‘when’ for these situations saying that one action was interrupted by another action.

Model: I watched television. I fell asleep.

I fell sleep when I was watching television.

1. Mason went out. I came in. 2. We had a lecture on mathematics yesterday. The rector of the university came in in the middle of it. 3. The doorbell rang. Jack left the house. 4. We waited for the bus. We saw an accident. 5. He bought a ticket. The train left. 6. Robert drove to London yesterday. Halfway there the car broke down. 7. The Browns were at the dinner table. The telegram arrived. 8. Robert went to the bus stop and waited. At that time it began to rain. 10. The shop lost money. It sold poor-quality products.

Exercise 5. Make sentences with ‘while’ for these situations saying that two actions were going at the same time.

Model: I shaved. The children had breakfast.