Past EXERCISE

was doing (past continuous) and I did (simple past)

17
Complete the conversations with the words in parentheses. Use the simple past or the UNIT
oast continuous. 14
i
1 .4: D id you go out for lunch today? (you / go out / for lunch today?)
B: No, I was in my office at lunchtime. I was waiting for an important phone call
(wait / for an important phone call).
2. .4: (you / go / out last night?)
B: No. I t . ______________________________________________________________ (rain).
W e__ (not / want / to get wet).
.4 I’m sorry I’m late. I . (miss) the bus. I t .
(leave) the bus stop when I . _ (get) there,
I _______(yell), but the driver . (not / stop).
B: That’s OK. I t . (give) me time to send some text
messages while I . (sit) here.
- .4 Were you at home at 7:00 last night? I . (call) you twice,
but no o n e ________________________ (answer).
B: I _________________________ (watch) some music videos at that time. There was
a lot of noise, so I guess I . ______________________ (not / hear) the phone.
.4; H ow . ___________________________ (Tim / hurt / himself?)
B: H e _ ________________________ (play / soccer in the park),
and he (fall).
t A: W hat. ________________________(you / do)
after the accident. _________________(happen?)
B: I _______________ c. '(call / the police) on my cell phone.
A: W hat. (you / do) when the electricity
(go out?)
B: I ___________________ (cook / dinner), but I had to stop.
A: ___________________ (you / see / John at work today?)
B: Yes, but we . __________________________(not / have / time to talk).

19
simple past or past progressive? I walked / 1 was walking

We use the simple past to talk about complete actions (long or short).
We use the past progressive for actions which were not complete at a past time.
Joe got up at 7.00 and worked from 9.00 to 4.00. At 8.00, when Joe came home, I was reading.

PAST 8.00 now

Q Simple past or past progressive?

► I lived/ was living in France for eight years.
► Sue lived/was living)in France when her uncle died.
1 At 6.15, when you phoned, I had /was having a shower.
2 We watched/were watching TV all evening.
3 Matt watched/was watching TV when Anita came in.
4 My father worked /was working hard all his life.
5 They got married while they studied/ were studying at London University.
6 Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to Edinburgh and back.
7 It was a nice evening, so she walked/was walking home from work.
8 I met Sylvie while I worked/ was working in Japan.
9 At university I studied/was studying physics.
10 When I last saw him he talked/was talking to a policeman.

Q Complete the sentences with past progressive verbs.

► When I got home (the children watch TVQ ) .. W ^ V . ! Q pt home t h t ohlldrtyy were w a t c h T V .
► (jyou cycle H ) when you broke your leg . Z / . ^ . 0.®“ .............
► When I saw Joan (she look U ) happy .. I 5P.WJ?*Y/. h?. .^P.PiY..................
1 At seven o'clock on Friday (we play cards D])

2 When I saw him he was holding the phone but (talk B)

3 When Mary got up (itsnow Q)

4 When I saw Alice, (she walk B ) very fast

5 What (you do H ) at ten o'clock yesterday evening

6 When you heard them, (they talk about me f |)

7 How fast (you drive H ) when you had the accident

8 The doorbell rang when I (expect H ) anybody

9 I don't know what I (do Q) at 10.00 on January 13th, 2005

10 I had to drive to London because the trains (run B) when I left home

52 PAST TENSES
 Note the difference when we use the past progressive and the simple past together.
Past progressive: longer action or situation.
Simple past: complete shorter action that happened while the longer action was happening.
While I was having a bath, While I was talking to my brother,

r
^ PAST NOW PAST NOW

the phone rang. Bill came in.

Put simple past and past progressive verbs in the rig h t places.
► While I ..was down the road, I Bill, [walk] see)
1 While I .........................................the newspaper, the c a t..........................................on to the table.
[read] jump)
2 Alan.............. .....Helen while h e ...........................................in Morocco, [meet; travel)
3 Sally.............. .....her leg while she......................................... [break; ski)
4 While I .......... .......... ,somebody..........................................my car. [shop; steal)
5 Ruth.............. .....me eight times yesterday while I ...........................................[phone; work)
6 The police..... ............... me whileI .........................................home, [stop; drive)
7 I .................... an interesting report on the radio while I ......................................... breakfast.
[hear, have)
8 Dad............... .... to sleep again while h e .........................................TV. [go; watch)
9 While I ........... ....... I .......................................... a glass, [wash up; break)
10 I .................... my hand while I ........................................in the kitchen, [cut; work)
11 When I .......... ........ the house I took my coat because i t .........................................
[leave; snow)
12 When I .......... the door th e y ......................................... about me. [open; talk)
13 The telephone ..........while I .......................................... lunch, [ring; cook)
14 When I last.... .....from Harry h e .......................................... in Portugal, [hear; work)

Q Correct ( / ) or not (x)?

1 This morning I listened to the news before I was going out........
2 I walked up to the policeman and asked him the way to the station.
3 When Ann arrived I was writing letters........
4 The cat was bringing in a mouse while I was having breakfast........
5 I didn't go out because when I looked out of the window it rained..
6 When I went to sleep the teacher was talking about grammar........
7 The teacher was still talking about grammar when I woke up........
8 Jenny and Takashi got married while she worked in Tokyo........

Put in words from the box, in the sim ple past or past progressive.

drive open pass pull run sh in e / sing start turn turn wait

It was a beautiful morning. The sun ►..VY£?.$h^h^0... and birds i ............................... About five thousand
people 2..............................in front of the palace. At 10.00, the guards 3..............................the Palace gates,
and the President's car 4..............................out and 5..............................left into Democracy Street.
The crowds 6..............................to sing the National Anthem. The President's car 7............................
right into Constitution Square. Then suddenly, just as it 8............................ the Ritz Hotel, a man
9..............................out in front of it and io..............................a gun from his pocket.

In some answers, both contracted forms (for example I'm, don't) and full PAST TENSES 53
forms (for example / am, do not) are possible. Normally both are correct.
past tenses: more practice
Q Simple past. Make sentences.
► the train / stop / at every station Q . .7*?. f t .e.Y.e.ry ...........
► when / my letter / arrive H . . ...................................
► the doctor / remember / my name B •
1 w hat/all those people/want H ..............................................................................
2 all your brothers / send you / birthday cards H ........................................................

3 the baby / eat / some toothpaste this morning H

4 the teacher/answer/my question B ...................................

5 I / lose / my keys again yesterday H ......................................
6 anybody / phone / while I was out H ....................................
7 The Prime Minister / tell / us that things were getting better Q

8 My friends and I / believe / the Prime Minister

9 Richard/give/me a birthday present B ..........................................

10 What tim e/you / get up/today H ..............................................................

^ Past progressive. Complete the sentences w ith past progressive verbs.

► When I walked in (the children fight Q ) . f t ! ? . w ? r * .........
► What (you do H ) in my office when I came in . .....................
► When I had the accident (/ drive B) fast ..! .......................
1 At 9.00 on Sunday (we watch T l/D ) ..............................................................
2 When I saw him he was holding a paper, but (read B) .................................
3 When you heard them, (they speak English H ) ..............................................
4 When you got home, what (the children do H ) ..............................................
5 Anna arrived when I (expect B) her ..............................................................
6 I don't know what I (do Q ) at 6.00 on February 18th ....................................
7 When I looked out of the window it (snow Q ) again ....................................
8 I had to drive to work because the trains (run B) ........................................
9 How fast (you drive f t ) when the police caught you .....................................
10 When I saw Peter, he (stand ) and looking up at my window ...................

^ Simple past and past progressive. Put in the correct verb forms.
► They .ft?!'f l... the police that they cards at 10.00. (tell; play)
1 When I ............... out of the house I took my umbrella because i t ............................... (go; rain)
2 This morning I ............................. the newspaper before I went out. (read)
3 ............. y o u ................ the football match last night? (watch)
4 When I ............... into the room th e y ..............................about clothes, (walk; talk)
5 At 8 o'clock yesterday morning I ..............................in the sea. (swim)
6 I walked up to the classroom window a n d ............................ in. The teacher............................... but
nobody............................... (look; talk; listen)
7 The telephone...............as usual, whileI ...............................a bath, (ring; have)
8 This time last Friday I ..............................on the beach, (lie)
9 W hy.............. y o u ................home early yesterday? (go)
10 When I firs t...............Johnh e ............................... round the world, (meet; travel)

54 PAST TENSES
 Grammar in a text. Complete the text with the correct forms of the verbs in brackets.
Yesterday I ►(get up)
window it 2 (rain)....................
I 3 (wash)................................
5 (give).....................................
7 I (not eat)...............................
s (go)......................................
io (not arrive)...........................
While I 12 (walk)......................
with a car. When 113 (arrive).....
15 everybody (talk)................. .
16 (come in )..............................
this is (not make)....................
desk and 20 (start)..................
........................ at 7.00. When I 1 (look).........................................out of the
................... exactly like every other day this week.
...... 4 (get dressed).........................................
. the cat his breakfast, and 6 (make).........................................coffee.
...... anything, because I'm never hungry in the morning. Then I
to the bus stop and 9 (wait).........................................for the bus. It
........... as usual, so I 11 (walk).........................................to the office.
................ I decided once again that it was time to find another job - one
................................ . nobody 14 (work)......................................... -
.................. about the weather. The boss
....... and 17 (tell)......................................... everybody to start working, but
................. much difference. I 19 (sit down).......................................... at my
.................. thinking about football.

Q GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY. Make sure you know all the words in the box. Use a dictionary if
necessary. Then try to correct the mistakes. Find the answers on the internet if necessary.

build climb compose discover make invent paint write

► Galileo wrote'Hamlet'. discovered the

► Shakespeare discovered the moons of Jupiter. ..^.^}? .e. ^ P . ? P . r .............................
1 Mozart built the Eiffel Tower. ...............................................................................................................
2 Leonardo da Vinci directed'Ivan the Terrible'. ......................................................................................

3 Shah Jehan invented dynamite. ..

4 Alfred Nobel wrote the song 'Help'.

5 Sergei Eisenstein built theTaj Mahal.......................................................

6 Gustave Eiffel wrote'Pride and Prejudice'. ...........................................
7 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay composed 'The Marriage of Figaro'.

8 Marie Curie first climbed Mount Everest.....................

9 John Lennon and Paul McCartney discovered radium.

10 The novelist Jane Austen painted the 'Mona Lisa'.

Q Internet exercise. What did these people do? Use a search engine (e.g. Google) to find out the
answers, if necessary.
1 Alexander Fleming..........................................................................................
2 Giuseppe Verdi..........................................................................................
3 Rembrandt van Rijn..........................................................................................
4 Edmund Whymper..........................................................................................
5 Mary Shelley..........................................................................................
6 Stephanie Kwolek..........................................................................................
7 Christopher W ren..........................................................................................
8 Akira Kurosawa..........................................................................................

PAST TENSES 55
• www.frenglish.ru

Check 8 Past continuous and past simple

1 Complete the conversation. Use the past
simple or past continuous of the verbs in
brackets.
A: (1) ................................ (you
river at four o'clock?
B: Yes. We (2) ................................ (sit)
under some trees, near the bridge. A lot
of people (3) ................................ (swim)
in the river.
A: (4) ................................ (Adam
with you?
B: Adam? No, he was at home. He
(5) ................................ (work) on his
History project.
A: What about Tim and Sarah?
(6) ................................ (they
home, too?
B: Yes. They (7) ................................ (revise)
for their exams.
2 Circle the correct answer.
8 We started dancing when Jack played I
was playing some good music.
9 When I saw Kate, I told /was telling her
about the accident.
did you walk I
10 Were you on the train or
were you walking home when I sent you
my text message?
11 I shouted 'Jo!' when I saw /was
her on the other side of the street.
12 My brother played /was playing tennis
when he hurt his leg.
13 Who was he talking to when we arrived I
were arriving?
14 She waited /was waiting for the bus
when I saw her.
3 Complete the conversation. Use one word in
each gap.
A: What were you doing this afternoon
I be) by the (15) .................... I phoned?
B: I (16) .................... lying on the sofa
(17) .................... my sister was telling me
about her friend's party and Becky and
Lisa (18) .................... reading magazines.
(19) .................... you and Kirsty in town?
I be)
CJ:iJ
4 Complete the extract from a story. Use the
past simple or past continuous of the verbs
in brackets.
Lucy became a model in an unusual way.
I be) at Last year, she (2o) ........................ (wait) for
a bus when a woman (21) ....................... .
(ask) her: 'Would you like to be a model?'
She (22) ........................ (give) Lucy her
business card and Lucy (23) ....................... .
Goin) her agency about a month later.
I (24) ........................ (see) Lucy last June.
She was working in London while I
(25) ........................ (do) my exams at
university.
lrotal: I 25 !
seeing
1, 4, 6, 19 Unit 40 Exercise 40
22, 23, 24 Units 41-43 Exercises
41-43
2, 3, 5, 7, 16,17, Unit45 Exercise 45
18,25
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Unit 46 Exercise 46
14, 15, 20, 21

Now do Check 8

~-- 80
 I was doing and I did Units 13-14

(past continuous and past simple)

Look at the picture. This was Rosamund Street at 10.30 yesterday morning. W h a t was
happening? Where was it happening? Write sentences. Use the past continuous.

At 10.30 yesterday morning

1 Rosa wa^... working, .w.hw.j.oow..
2 Sam
3 Sam's dogs
4 Lynn
5 Mrs Drake
6 Philip
7 Mike and Tim
8 Felix
9 Paul

W h a t about you? What were you doing yesterday at these times? Use the past continuous.

10 1 0 . 3 0 in the morning At
11 1 2 . 3 0
12 6 . 1 5 in the evening
13 8 . 3 0 in the evening
14 midnight
I was doing and I did Units 13-14

Complete the conversations. Use was/were, the past simple (did etc.) or the past continuous
(was doing etc.).

1 POLICE OFFICER: What HWZ.S9.U...4AWQ (you / do) when the accident hWmtA.
(happen)?

COLIN: I was a t the bus stop. I was. wai^.g (wait) for a bus.

POLICE OFFICER: ( y o u / see) t h e a c c i d e n t ?

COLIN: N o , because I (read) the newspaper.

2 NICOLA: I (telephone) you at 9 o'clock last night, but you

were not at home.

MARTIN: 9 o'clock? I (sit) in a c a f e ,

(drink) hot chocolate.
NICOLA: J a n e with you?
MARTIN: N o , she (work) in the library.
NICOLA: Where (you / go) after the cafe?
MARTIN: I (go) h o m e .

3 MUM: Oh no! M y beautiful cup! W h a t happened?

ANGIE: I ' m really sorry, M u m . I ( b r e a k ) it w h e n I

( w a s h ) it.
MUM: How?
ANGIE: M y hands wet and I (drop)

it on the floor.

4 SOPHIE: (you / think) yesterday's e x a m

difficult?
EDDIE: N o , not really, but I (not / write) very much.
SOPHIE: W h y not?

EDDIE: Because I (dream) about my holidays.

5 ANDREW: There a crash outside my house yesterday.

MAGGIE: What (happen)?
ANDREW: I don't know. It (rain), but the two drivers
(not / g o ) t o o fast.
MAGGIE: they hurt?
ANDREW: One man (break) his arm and the other man
(cut) his hand.

6 TRACEY: Pardon? I didn't hear you. Could you say that again, please?
DAVE: I (not / talk) to you.
TRACEY: Who (you / talk) to?
DAVE: Sarah.
TRACEY: Oh, sorry.

23
 I was doing and I did Units 13-14

At 10 o'clock yesterday morning, there was a robbery at the Midwest Bank. You are a police
officer and you are asking Tim Smith some questions about what he was doing, what other
people were doing, and what he saw. Write the questions. Use was/were, the past simple (did
you do etc.) and the past continuous (were you doing etc.).

E=a e=j 1=3 <=3 c=i

MRS JONES

'Now then, Mr Smith, I know you saw the robbery yesterday. I would like to ask you some questions.
1 W h a t / you / do / at 10 o'clock?
2 Where / J o a n Turner?
3 What/Mrs Jones/do?
4 Where / M r s Walters / go?
5 the robbers / carry / guns?
6 Where / the big car / wait?
7 driver / a man or a woman?
8 you / see / a man on the corner?
9 some men / repair / the road?
10 anyone / wait / at the bus stop?
11 you / phone / the police?
Thank you, Mr Smith. That was very helpful.'

Now use Tim Smith's answers to complete this paragraph. Look at the picture to help you.

Mr Smith told m e that at 10.00 yesterday morning he (12) o u t s ^ . j ^ e . butcher'5

J o a n Turner (13)
with her dog. Mrs Walters (15)
(16)
and the driver (18)
on the corner and the workmen (20)
(21)
the police on his mobile.
Mrs J o n e s (14)
The three robbers
guns. A big c a r (17)
A m a n (19)
the road. Two children
at the bus stop. Mr Smith (22)

24
I do 11 am doing and I did / I was doing Units 25-28

(present and past, simple and continuous)

Look at this information about Marco and Jill.

name: Marco Jill

age: 15 29
home town: Rome Dublin
job: student computer programmer
education/study: 12 subjects at school mathematics at university
likes: playing football, cinema travelling, swimming, chocolate
last holiday: 2 weeks in Greece last summer 1 month in Thailand last year with
with his family; hotel in the friends; hotel by the sea; lots of
mountains; lots of walking water sports

Write questions about Marco. Use verbs in the present or past.

1 jiow..oy,..ls.. Mcyxo P (old)

2 (live)
3 (do)
4 (study)
5 (like)
6 (go for his last holiday)
7 (stay)
(do on holiday)

Read the paragraph about Marco.

Marco is 15 and he lives in Rome. He's a student and he studies 12 subjects at school. He likes
playing football and going to the cinema. Last summer he went to Greece with his family for two
weeks. He stayed in a hotel in the mountains and he did lots of walking.

Write a similar paragraph about Jill.

Jill

Now write a paragraph for yourself.

I am

25
 I do / I am doing and I did / I was doing Units 3-14

Kate and Julia are in a cafe on Wednesday morning. Read their conversation. There are
mistakes in 13 of the underlined verbs. Correct the verbs where necessary. W r i t e 'OK' if the
verb is already correct.

JULIA: Hi there, Kate. Where (l) did you go

when I (2) saw you yesterday morning? QK
KATE: I (3) was on my way to the bank.
JULIA: I (4) a m u s u a l l y g o i n g t o t h e b a n k e v e r y
M o n d a y after the weekend.
KATE: M e too, usually. But I (5) don't have time
this week, so I went yesterday.
Julia, why (6) do you look at me?
JULIA: Because you (7) wear something different.
W h a t is it?
KATE: It's a new sweater and I (8) was buying it
on Saturday.
JULIA: It's a good colour. ... W h a t (9) does Tim do
at the moment?
KATE: O h , poor Tim! He's at the doctor's now.
He (10) was falling yesterday when he
(li) w a s r u n n i n g f o r t h e b u s .
JULIA: (12) Does he hurt himself?
KATE: H e (13) w a s w a k i n g u p this m o r n i n g a n d

said his leg was painful, but I think he's

O K really.
JULIA: I h o p e he (14) d o n ' t w a t c h t h a t p r o g r a m m e

on T V last night. It was about new ways of

mending broken legs.
KATE: N o , w e (15) a r e n ' t u s u a l l y w a t c h i n g
much TV.
JULIA: That's O K then. Let's have another cup
of coffee.
KATE: G o o d idea. Then you can tell me about
Rosie. I (16) go to her house on Friday night
a n d s h e (17) w a s s i t t i n g in t h e d a r k - n o

lights on anywhere in the house. She

(18) w a s v e r y u n h a p p y all w e e k e n d .

What's the matter? D o you know?

JULIA: Yes, but hang on, let me get the coffee first.

26
I do / I am doing and I did / I was doing Units 3-14

Complete this conversation with film actor, Nicole Casey. Put the verbs in the correct past or
present form.

INTERVIEWER: When (l) (you / start) acting?

NICOLE: When I (2) (be) 12. I (3) (go) to a drama
school, and one day I (4) (sit) in the classroom and Nigel
Stewart, the famous film director, (5) (walk) in. He
(6) (see) me, and that (7) (be) the beginning.
INTERVIEWER: W h a t (8) (be) your first film?
NICOLE: 'Holiday H o m e ' with Terry Veale, who (9) (be) now my
husband! We (10) (make) the film in Spain. We
(li) (be) very y o u n g w h e n w e m e t - 1 7 a n d 13.

INTERVIEWER: I know that Terry (12) (have) an accident in that film. H o w

(13) (it / happen)?
NICOLE: Well, one day near the end of the filming we (14) (ride) horses
and Terry's horse suddenly (15) (stop) and he
(16) (fall) off. He (17) (break) his arm.
Today, Terry and I often (18) (talk) about our first meeting.
INTERVIEWER: (19) (you / ride) n o w a d a y s ?

NICOLE: N o , I (20) (stop) when I (21) (move) to Los

Angeles.
INTERVIEWER: I k n o w y o u a r e v e r y b u s y , b u t w h a t (22) ( y o u / d o ) in y o u r f r e e

time?
NICOLE: Well, Terry (23) (like) swimming - he (24)
(swim) for two hours every day. And I (25) (love) cooking. T h e
dish I (26) (make) for lunch today is a new idea of mine.
INTERVIEWER: Great! Nicole, can I ask you
some more questions, and can
I also talk to Terry?
NICOLE: Yes, of course. H e

(27) (swim)

in our pool at the moment.

Let's go outside and enjoy the
sun. Come on.

27