Simple Past & Past Continuous Quiz

SUBJECT : Simple Past and Past Continuous

A) Fill in the blanks with a correct form of PAST CONTINUOUS:

1. It was very cold. The sun ………. was not shining. …………………. (not / shine)
2. It wasn’t a stormy night. The wind ……………………………………. (not / blow)
3. He wasn’t sleeping. He …………………………………….. (look) at the ceiling.
4. They were having a rest. They …………………………………….. (not / work).
5. They were very happy. They …………………………………. (enjoy) the party.
6. He was at home. He ………………………………. (watch) a movie on TV.
7. He was getting worse. He …………………………………… (not / recover).
8. We …………………………………. (travel) in the north of Turkey when we were on
holiday.
9. She …………………………………. (drive) so fast when the accident happened.
10. I …………………………………(not / sleep) when you came in.

B) Complete the sentences with the words in parentheses using the SIMPLE PAST or the PAST PROGRESSIVE:

1. While they ……………………………… (travel) to China, Marco …………………….
(keep) a diary.
2. Mrs. White …………………………………. (drive) past a house in Main Street when she
……………………… (see) the ground floor on fire.
3. While he ………………………………. (fly) off the Miami Coast, the pilot ……………..
(see) sharks approaching the swimmers.
4. The fireman ……………………………… (fight) the fire on a balcony below when he
………………………… (hear) someone’s shouts.
5. She …………………… (die) while she ………………………….. (run) after a bus.
6. We ……………………………….. (have) dinner when the electricity ……………………
(go) off.
7. She ………………………………… (think) of something else while you ………………..
(talk) to her.
8. I ……………………….. (see) her while I …………………………………. (look) out of
the window.
9. While the teacher ………………………………….. (talk), the students …………………..
(look) at an insect on the ceiling.

C) Complete the sentences with the words in parentheses using the SIMPLE PAST or the PAST PROGRESSIVE:

1. Sally …………………………… (eat) dinner last night when someone …………………..
(knock) on the door.
2. I began to study at seven last night. Fred …………………………… (come) at seventhirty.
I ……………………………… (study) when Fred ……………………….. (come).
3. While I ………………………………. (study) last night, Fred ……………………………
(drop by) to visit me.
4. My roommate’s parents …………………………………. (call) him last night while we
…………………………………….. (watch) TV.
5. My mother called me around five. My husband came home a little after five. When he
……………………………….. (come) home, I ………………………………….. (talk) to
my mother on the phone.
6. Yesterday Tom and Janice ……………………… (go) to the zoo around one. They
………………………… (see) many kinds of animals. They stayed at the zoo for two
hours. While they …………………………… (walk) home, it …………….…….. (begin)
to rain, so they …………………………….. (stop) at a small café and ……………………
(have) a cup of coffee.
7. Yesterday afternoon I ………………………… (go) to visit the Parker family. When I
…………………….. (get) there around two o’clock, Mrs. Parker ………………….. (be)
in the yard. She ………………………………… (plant) flowers in her garden. Mr. Parker
……………………….. (be) in the garage. He ……………………………….. (work) on
their car. He …………………………….. (change) the oil.

D) How did it happen?

1. How did Alice hurt herself? (play soccer)
………………. She hurt herself while she was playing soccer. ………………………….
2. How did Martin burn himself? (iron his clothes)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. How did Helen cut herself? (slice onions)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. How did Jennifer meet her husband? (fix a flat tire)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. How did Marvin break his arm? (skate)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. How did you lose your wallet? (ride my bicycle)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. How did Jeff meet his wife? (swim at the beach)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. How did Bob get a black eye? (fight with his brother)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. How did your children burn themselves? (make breakfast)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
10. How did Martha fall? (dance)
………………………………………………………………………………………………