General questions

Was I waiting for you in the wrong place?	- Yes, you were./No, you weren't.
Were you reading when I phoned you?	- Yes, I was./No, I wasn't.
Was he staying at home yesterday?	- Yes, he was./No, he wasn't.
Was she wearing a fantastic dress at the party last night?	- Yes, she was./No, she wasn't.
Was it snowing all day?	- Yes, it was./No, it wasn't.
Were we having dinner at 7 o'clock?	- Yes, you were./No, you weren't.
Were you moving out when I phoned?	- Yes, we were./No, we weren't.
Were they flying over the Atlantic at 3 p.m.?	- Yes, they were./No, they weren't.

Exercise 26. Make these sentences into general questions. Give short answers.

Example: He was studying in the library at seven last night. Was he studying in the library at seven last night? - Yes, he was.

1. The baby-sitter was reading little Betty a fairy tale.

2. When Mrs. Robinson entered the room, her children were fighting.

3. Charles wasn't driving very fast when the accident happened.

4. We weren't talking on the telephone for too long.

5. Nobody was talking when the teacher came in.

Exercise 27. Write short answers to the following questions.

Example: Were you sitting here yesterday? - No, I wasn't. Did she see the accident? - Yes, she did.

1. Did they like your present? - Yes, __.

2. Were the children having a good time? - No, __.

3. Did you understand what he was saying? - No,__.

4. Were they leaving when you got there? - Yes, __.

5. Were you skiing in the mountains this time last winter? - No, __.

6. Did she tell you the truth? - No, __.

7. Was it a dead-end situation? - Yes,

Alternative questions

Was I reading a journal or a magazine?	- A magazine.
Were you talking to the headmaster or to one of the teachers?	- To the headmaster.
Was he/she/it growing fast or slow?	- Rather fast.
Were we/you/they watching a thriller or an action film?	- A thriller.

Exercise 28. Ask alternative questions and give short answers.

Example: He (play) the flute/the saxophone when you came in?

Was he playing the flute or the saxophone when you came in?

- The saxophone.

1. You (talk) on the telephone/(watch) TV when the doorbell rang?

2. Carol (cross) the road/(wait) for the bus when she saw the accident?

3. You (have) dinner at home/in a restaurant?

4. Her parents (live) in the centre of Moscow/on the outskirts when she was a child?

5. It (rain)/(snow) all day yesterday?

Special questions

What were you doing at 7 o'clock yesterday?	- I was eating out with some of my friends.
Where was she waiting for you at that time?	- At the bus stop.
Where were you going when I met you?	- To the theatre.
When were they living in Brazil?	- A couple of years ago.
Why were you crying when I saw you?	- My broken leg was hurting rather badly.
Which book were you reading when the doorbell ring?	- 'Death on the Nile' by Agatha Christie.
How fast was he doing an hour?	- I don't know, but he wasn't driving too fast.
How much were you earning for that job?	- Not very much.

Object question

Who	were	you	waiting for when I saw you? - (For) my mother.
Whose lecture	were	they	listening to when the principal came in? - I don't know.
What	was	she	looking through when the lesson started? - Some documents.

Subject question

Who	were	—	laying the table when the guests arrived? - My daughters (were).
What	was	—	going on when I came in? - Sally and another girl were arguing.

Exercise 29. Ask questions about the information in italics.

Example: We were taking the exam in the lecture hall.

Where were you taking the exam?

1. I was looking for some photos when you rang.

2. They were doing 70 miles an hour because they didn't want to be late for the train.

3. My grandfather was serving in the army when the war broke out.

4. They were selling tickets at six pounds each.

5. Joan's husband was fixing the car when he saw a car crash.

6. They were driving home from the theatre when the police stopped them.