UNIT 19 The Simple Past and Past Continuous Tense TOPICAL GRAMMAR PRACTICE

 

TOPICAL GRAMMAR PRACTICE

UNIT 19

The Simple Past and Past Continuous Tense

 

EXERCISE A Choose the correct verb form and write its number in the brackets.   1 They _______________ carefully when the accident _______________. (1) were driving / happened (2) were driving / was happening (3) drove / was happening (4) drove / happened 2 He _______________ his leg while he _______________ football. (1) broke / played (2) was breaking / played (3) broke / was playing (4) was breaking / was playing 3 Lily and Sandy _______________ when I _______________ them. (1) weren't working / was seeing (2) worked / was seeing (3) worked / saw (4) weren't working / saw 4 The electricity _______________ off while he _______________ dinner. (1) was going / was cooking (2) went / was cooking (3) went / cooked (4) was going / cooked 5 Ann _______________ still _______________ when the test_______________. (1) was ...writing / finished (2) was ...writing / was finishing (3) were ...writing / finished (4) were ...writing / was finishing 6 They _______________ hard when suddenly the fire bell _______________. (1) were working / was sounding (2) worked / was sounding (3) worked / sounded (4) were working / sounded 7 What _______________ you _______________ when I _______________ last night. (1) did ...do / was phoning (2) were ...doing / was phoning (3) were ...doing / phoned (4) did ...do / phoned 8 She _______________ her teeth when the water suddenly_______________. (1) was brushing / stopped (2) brushed / stopped (3) was brushing / was stopping (4) brushed / was stopping 9 I _______________ a strange noise while I _______________ in bed last night. (1) was hearing / was reading (2) heard / was reading (3) heard / read (4) was hearing / read 10 My dad _______________ his back while he _______________ furniture in the office. (1) was hurting / moved (2) was hurting / was moving (3) hurt / was moving (4) hurt / moved 11 What _______________ that you _______________? (1) was / were saying (2) was being / were saying (3) was being / was saying (4) was being / said 12 Sorry, _______________ you _______________ when I _______________ last night? (1) were ... sleeping / was ringing (2) did ... sleep / rang (3) did ... sleep / was ringing (4) were ... sleeping / rang   EXERCISE B Fill in the gaps with the correct simple past or past continuous form of the verb in brackets. Trouble on the mountain (1) Last year Roy and his family (1) __________ (have) a holiday when something terrible (2) __________ (happen). They (3) __________ (stay) in a chalet high up in the mountains. Each day they carefully (4) __________ (plan) a trek in the mountains. They prepared carefully because Roy's parents knew that mountains could be dangerous. So they always (5) __________ (take) four things with them: water, food, a good map and a mobile phone. One day, they (6) __________ (get) everything ready and (7) __________ (set) out on their walk. It was a beautiful day and the sun (8) __________ (shine) brightly. But as they (9) __________ (walk), it (10) __________ (begin) to get darker and darker. Clouds (11) __________ (fill) the sky and then a fog suddenly (12) __________ (fall). The fog got thicker and thicker and in the end they couldn't see the path in front of them.   EXERCISE C Fill in the gaps with correct simple past or past continuous form of the verb in brackets. Trouble on the mountain (2) Roy's father (1) _______ (think) what to do when Roy (2) _______ (walk) past him. His father said, "Stop! We must turn around and go to safer ground." As they (3) _______ (turn) round, Ray (4) ______ (slip) and (5) ______ (fall). "Help!" he cried. His father and mother rushed towards his cry but they couldn't see him. Ray's father (6) _____ (tell) the rest of the family not to move and then he lay flat on the ground and moved towards Ray's voice. As he (7) ______ (move) slowly, he (8) _______ (hear) Ray cry out, "Dad, I'm slipping!" He quickly reached over the edge and said, "Ray, reach up your hand to mine!" Ray stretched his hand up and (9) ____ (find) his father's hand. Slowly, his father pulled him up until he (10) _____ (be) safely next to him. Then the fog lifted, as quickly as it had gone down, and suddenly the sun (11) _______ (shine) brightly again. The whole family (12) _____ (look) with horror over the edge. There was a small rock where Ray was, and below that a drop of 300 metres to the valley. What a lucky escape!

ANSWER KEY