Past indefinite or continuous?

6. Choose the correct verb form from those in brackets.

1. When I (brought / was bringing) in the papers he (spoke / was speaking) on the phone.

2. When I (entered / was entering) they (discussed / were discussing) something.

3. He (felt / was feeling) that somebody (watched / was watching) him.

4. I (met / was meeting) him while I (made / was making) a tour of France.

5. I (paid/was paying) my check when I (heard/was hearing) someone call my name.

6. I (turned / was turning) round and (saw / was seeing) Jenny.

7. Pardon, I (didn’t hear / wasn’t hearing) what you (said / was saying).

8. I (finished / was finishing) shopping and (went / was going) home.

9. I (asked / was asking) her if she (knew / was knowing) any good Spanish restaurant there.

10. When I (came / was coming) back home I (took/ was taking) an aspirin and (went/ was going) to bed.

11. When Ruth (looked out / was looking out) of the window she (saw / was seeing) that it (still snowed / was still snowing).

1. Mike (fell / was falling) down and (hurt / was hurting) his knees.

2. Last summer, when climbing a mountain in the Caucasus we (lost / were losing) our way.

3. The rescue team (found / was finding) us on the fourth day.

4. We (left /were leaving) the camp and (went / were going) towards the mountain.

5. When I (entered / was entering) the room Justin (showed / was showing) photographs to the guests.

6. Police (stopped / were stopping) him while he (drove / was driving) at a high speed.

7. While I (spoke / was speaking) to Jill, I (learned / was learning) that her husband was in hospital.

8. I (looked / was looking) after my niece while my sister (made / was making) a tour of Italy.

9. She first (met / was meeting) her husband when she (attended / was attending) a conference in Stockholm.

10. While I (listened / was listening) to him I suddenly (remembered / was remembering) our first meeting.

7. Choose the correct verb form.

1. After the meeting I ….. a terrible headache.

   A) had

   B) was having

2. We ….. tennis from 2 till 5 o’clock in the afternoon.

   A) played

   B) were playing

3. When I saw her that day she ….. a stylish yellow hat.

   A) wore

   B) was wearing

4. Where ….. you ….. for your holiday last year?

   A) did … go

   B) were … going

5. Yesterday Nick ….. his eighteenth birthday.

   A) celebrated

   B) was celebrating

6. One hot, sunny day in July, at about 5 p.m. we ….. on the terrace drinking tea.

   A) sat

   B) were sitting

7. A terrible wind ….. our mountain-tent to pieces.

   A) tore

   B) was tearing

8. We ….. with us any survival equipment.

   A) didn’t take

   B) were not taking

9. They …. the hotel early in the morning.

   A) left

   B) were leaving

10. How long ….. you ….. there?

    A) did … stay

    B) were … staying

11. During the performance the lights on the stage suddenly ….. .

A) went off

B) were going off

1. We ….. a new market in South Asia last year.

   A) opened

   B) were opening

2. It was a warm autumn day. We ….. along the country road.

   A) walk

   B) were walking

3. All week long a severe wind ….. from the sea.

   A) blew

   B) was blowing

4. I ..... to Spain for my weekend last month.

   A) went

   B) was going

5. During my holiday I ..... swimming every day.

   A) went

   B) was going

6. What ..... you ..... at the weekend?

   A) did … do

   B) were .. doing

7. Now, Mr Briggs, what ..... you ..... yesterday at 8 o’clock?

   A) did … do

   B) were .. doing

8. A few minutes later we ..... on the London road in the direction of Overton.

   A) rode

   B) were riding

9. At about 4 o’clock in the morning I ..... some distant noise.

   A) heard

   B) was hearing

10. He ..... me about his departure during the lunch.

    A) told

    B) was telling

11. Looking through old newspapers I ..... the article about my grandfather.

    A) came across

    B) was coming across

12. I could hear that somebody ..... in the adjoining room.

    A) whispered

    B) was whispering

13. We ..... to go for a swim, but the weather was awful.

    A) wanted

    B) were wanting

14. We ..... in Madrid for three days and then went to Paris.

    A) stayed

    B) were staying

15. The helicopter ..... the children to hospital.

    A) took

    B) was taking

16. I ..... in the garden all day yesterday.

    A) dug

    B) was digging

17. At University I ..... economics and finance.

    A) studied

    B) was studying

18. Telling me his story he ..... nearly at each word. In the end I lost my patience.

    A) stumbled

    B) was stumbling

19. Listening to him I couldn’t but feel that all he ..... us was a lie.

    A) told

    B) was telling

20. Jack ..... to see them the following day.

    A) hoped

    B) was hoping

21. It ..... heavily from Monday till Wednesday.

A) rained

B) was raining