Past Simple & Continuous Antonia
Past Simple & Continuous Antonia
Past Simple & Continuous Antonia
Form
irregular verbs: see 2nd column of irregular verbs past form of 'be' + ing form of verb
I spoke I was speaking
regular verbs: verb + ed you were speaking
he / she / it was speaking
I worked
we were speaking
they were speaking
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 'ed' : Exceptions when adding 'ing' :
when the final letter is e, only add d. silent e is dropped (but: does not apply for -ee)
Example: love - loved Example: come - coming
after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant but: agree - agreeing
is doubled after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant
Example: admit - admitted is doubled
final l is always doubled in British English (not in Example: sit - sitting
American English) final l is always doubled in British English (not in
Example: travel - travelled American English)
after a consonant, final y becomes i. (but: not Example: travel - travelling
after a vowel) final ie becomes y.
Example: worry - he worried Example: lie - lying
but: play - he played
Exercise 1 Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1. While Tom (read)………………………., Amely (watch) …………………………. a documentary on TV.
2. Marvin (come) …………………….home, (switch) ………………………on the computer and (check)
…………………………………..his emails.
3. The thief (sneak) ………………………….into the house, (steal) ……………………….the jewels and
(leave) ……………………………….without a trace.
4. Nobody (listen) ……………………………while the teacher (explain)
……………………………………….the tenses.
5. While we (do) ………………………………a sight-seeing tour, our friends (lie)
……………………………………..on the beach.
6. He (wake) ……………………………..up and (look) ………………………………. at his watch.
Exercise 2 Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1. The receptionist (welcome) ……………………………..the guests and (ask)
………………………………….them to fill in the form.
2. The car (break) ………………………………. down and we (have) ……………………………………to
walk home.
3. The boys (swim) …………………………….while the girls (sunbathe) ……………...
4. My father (come) ………………………………..in, (look) ………………….. around and (tell)
………………………………….me to tidy up my room.
5. As long as one group (prepare) ……………………………dinner, the others (collect)
…………………………………….wood for their campfire.
6. While the parents (have) …………………………..breakfast, their children (run)
……………………………..about.
7. Martha (turn) ……………………………off the lights and (go) ………………to bed.
Exercise 3. Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1. We (wait) ……………………………. for Jane, when suddenly Louis (come)
……………………………………..around the corner.
2. I (cycle) ………………………….. through the park when I (hear) …………………………. a strange noise.
3. He (pass) ………………………….her a message when the teacher (look / not)
…………………………………………...
4. I (fall) …………………………asleep while I (watch) …………………TV last night.
5. While Mike and Jane (paint) ……………………………. the walls, their dog (knock)
………………………………………..over the paint pot.
6. Tom (break) ………………….his leg when he (play) …………………………. frisbee.
7. The phone (ring) ……………………..when I (sit) …………………on the toilet.
Exercise 4
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
Exercise 5
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1. Two days ago, a murder (happen) ……….……..in Market Street at about seven pm.
2. Yesterday, Sherlock Holmes (arrive) ……………..at the crime scene to investigate.
3. He (ask) ……………………………………………one of the tenants in the house.
4. ‘What (do / you) …………………………….……………yesterday at seven?«’
5. ‘I (watch) ………………………………….……………..a football match on TV.’
6. ‘ (be) …………………………………………………………………you alone?’
7. ‘Yes, I (be)………………………………………………..……………………..’
8. ‘ (hear / you) ……………………….……………………anything suspicious?’
9. ‘Yes, about seven o'clock, two people (argue) ………………………………….in the hallway. But the
football match (be) ……………………………so interesting. So, I just (turn) …………………………… up
the telly and then (hear / not) ………………………. anything anymore.’
Exercise 6
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
Exercise 7
ex07 0
Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or past progressive).
2. While Tom (play) the piano, his mother (do) the washing-up.
5. When my father (work) in the garden, an old friend (pass) by to see him.
6. She (go) to school, (take) out her textbook and (begin) to learn.
8. When Jane (do) a language course in Ireland, she (visit) Blarney Castle.
Exercise 8
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).