Fill in the blanks with an appropriate simple past or past continuous tense form.

Hints

Use the past continuous tense for the longer background action. Use the simple past for the short action that happens in the middle of the longer action.

1. This time last year, I ………………………… in Mumbai. (work)

2. What ……………….. you ………………….. at 8 o’clock last night? (do)

3. I …………………………….. (walk) home when I ……………………. (meet) with an accident.

4. The children ……………………………… (play) in the park when it …………………….. (start) raining.

5. I …………………………… TV (watch) when Rahul …………………… (arrive)

6. Someone ……………………… (knock) at the door when we …………………………. dinner. (have)

7. When I …………………………. (see) him, he …………………………… (sit) on a bench and …………………….. (read) a book.

8. I …………………………… (hurt) my back while I …………………………… the roof. (repair)

9. I …………………………. (fall) asleep while I …………………………….. (watch) TV.

10. I …………………………. (walk) down the street when I ……………………. (see) Manu.

Answers

1. was working, 2. were doing, 3 was walking, met, 4. were playing, started, 5. was watching, arrived, 6. knocked, were having, 7. saw, was sitting, 8. hurt, was repairing, 9. fell, was watching, 10. was walking, saw

Notes

Use the simple present tense to talk about our habits, routines, likes, dislikes etc.

Use the present continuous to talk about an action or situation going on at the moment of speaking.

Use the present perfect to talk about finished events when there is no reference to past time.

Use the present perfect continuous to talk about an action that started in the past and has continued up to the present moment and may still continue in the future.

Use the simple past to say when something happened.

Use the past continuous to say that an action was in progress at a particular point of time in the past.

Use the past perfect for the earlier of two past actions.