Practice and Improve Your Grammar part 2

Mark:	Oh, a musical. I forget the name. (5) ….. (I / not / like) it.
Claire:	Oh, dear. And (6) ….. (Sarah / enjoy) it?
Mark:	No, not really. But we enjoyed the weekend. Sarah did some

shopping, too, but (7) ….. (I / not / want) to go shopping.

	Past Continuous
	affirmative			negative		interrogative
Formation:	sentences			sentences		sentences
						was/were +
I was reading	was/were +			was/were + not +
You were reading	participle I			participle I		subject +
He was reading	(I was reading a			(I was not reading		participle I?
She was reading	book.)			a book.)		(Was I reading a
It was reading						book?)
We were reading
You were reading
They were reading
		Use

The Past Continuous is used for:

•actions in progress at a specific time in the past:

I was watching TV at 10.30 last night.

•actions in progress interrupted by events:

We were playing with the baby when the phone rang.

• two continuing events happening at the same time:

I was writing a report while my sisters were sleeping.

• background description in narrative:

I entered the room and looked around. Most children were talking and laughing, but Mary was staring out of the window and pretending to read something at the same time.

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•making (a request more polite (usually with the verbs wonder, hope, etc.):

I was wondering when I could talk to you. We were hoping you might have free time.

•changing states:

The weather was getting worse.

•criticism (usually with the following adverbs: constantly, continually, forever, always):

When Mark was at school, he was always losing things.

•events intended to take place, but which did not happen:

I was going to visit you, but I forgot.

EXERCISE 16. Conjugate the following verbs in the Present Continuous and read them.

1. cry	4. work	7. sing	10. watch	13. chat	16. study
2. sleep	5. read	8. play	11. eat	14. prepare	17. phone
3. fight	6. run	9. write	12. talk	15. learn

EXERCISE 17. Complete the conversation. Put in the past continuous forms.

Jessica:	…I was looking… (I / look) for you, Vicky. I'm afraid I've broken
	this dish.
Vicky:	Oh no! What (1) ….. (you / do)?
Jessica:	(2) ….. (I / take) it into the kitchen.
I bumped into Emma. (3) ….. (she / come) out just as (4) ….. (I /go) in.
Vicky:	I expect it was your fault. (5) ….. (you / not / look) where (6) …..
	(you / go).
Jessica:	Sorry. I'll buy you another one as soon as I have some money.
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EXERCISE 18. What can you say in these situations? Add a sentence with the past continuous to say that an action lasted a long time.

Example: You had to work yesterday. The work went on all day.

I was working all day.

1.You had to make phone calls. The calls went on all evening.

2.You had to wait in the rain. The wait lasted for half an hour.

3.You had to make sandwiches. This went on all afternoon.

4.You had to sit in a traffic jam. You were there for two hours.

5.Your neighbour played loud music. This went on all night.

EXERCISE 19. Write a story using the Past Simple and the Past Continuous.

EXERCISE 20. Make up a dialogue “My hobbies”. Tell your interlocutor what you liked in the past and what you are fond of now.

Past Simple – Past Continuous

•We use the Past Simple for a completed activity in the past and the Past Continuous for an incomplete activity in the past.

I watched a film during the flight. (=the whole film)

I was watching a film during the flight. (=I didn’t finish it.)

•Note the difference between the sentences:

When Kate came home, we were watching TV. (=We were watching TV before Kate came home.)

When Kate came home, we watched TV. (=We watched TV after Kate came home.)

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EXERCISE 21. Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

1.While I waited/was waiting for my meal to arrive, I saw/was seeing Mary.

2.When I heard/was hearing the noise, I knew/was knowing that someone tried/was trying to break into my house.

3.What did you do/were you doing in Kate’s house at that time of night?

4.While Ann painted/was painting the ceiling, she fell off/was falling off the ladder but luckily she didn’t break/wasn’t breaking her bones.

5.Jane could see that the Chinese boy had/was having difficulty speaking English, but she decided/was deciding not to help him. She didn’t like/was not liking him.

6.Last night my neighbours would shout/were shouting and I couldn’t get to sleep.

7.When you lived in Moscow, did you use to travel/were you travelling by bus?

8.Everyone had/was having a good time, although not many people danced/were dancing.

9.I tried/was trying to get in touch with you all day yesterday. Where were/were being you?

EXERCISE 22. Put each verb in brackets into the Past Simple or Past Continuous.

1.I … (wonder) about going to the theatre tonight.

2.We … (intend) to go to Rome but we’ve changed our minds.

3.What … (you/do) at the moment of explosion?

4.I … (pass) your house so I … (decide) to drop in.

5.I … (realise) that someone … (steal) my wallet when I … (feel) their hand in my pocket.

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6.When Jack … (phone) me last night, I … (wash) my hair.

7.At school Mary … (dislike) the German teacher because he … (always/pick) on her.

8.They … (not/understand) what … (go on).

9.Kate and Max … (listen) to music when one of their neighbours … (come) to the door and … (say) he couldn’t sleep because they … (make) too much noise.

10.She … (constantly/talk) at her lessons!

11.Betty and Harry … (watch) an exciting film at 11 o’clock yesterday.

12.Someone … (break) into my office and … (steal) my laptop yesterday evening while I … (talk) to my boss. No one … (see) the thief.

EXERCISE 23. Put in the correct form of the verb.

Rita:	I hear the lights …went… (go) out in your flats last night.
Emma:	Yes, …I was watching… (I / watch) a documentary on TV when
	suddenly (1) ….. (we / lose) all the power. But (2) ….. (it / come)
	on again after about ten minutes.
Vicky:	Rachel (3) ….. (come) down the stairs when the lights (4) ….. (go)
	out. She almost (5) ….. (fall) over.
Daniel:	Matthew and I (6) ….. (play) table tennis at the time.
Andrew:	(7) ….. (I / work) on the computer. (8) ….. (I / lose) a whole hour's
	work. But this morning (9) ….. (I/get) up early and (10) ….. (do) it
	again.

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EXERCISE 24. David is always having accidents. His girlfriend Melanie is talking about some of the accidents. Write her sentences from these notes. Each sentence has one verb in the past continuous and one in the past simple.

when / he / carry / a suitcase / he / drop / it / on his foot

When he was carrying a suitcase, he dropped it on his foot. he / break / his leg / when / he / ski

He broke his leg when he was skiing.

1.he / sit down / on a chair / while / I / paint / it

2.as / he / run / for a bus / he / collide / with a lamppost

3.his hair / catch / fire / when / he / cook / chips

4.when / he / hold / a beautiful vase / he / suddenly / drop / it

5.he / sit / in the garden / when / a wasp / sting / him / on the nose

EXERCISE 25. Find the second part of each sentence. Put each verb into the correct form.

Vicky was having a beautiful dream when the alarm clock rang. When Andrew saw the question, he knew the answer immediately.

1.	The train (wait)	a. when the alarm clock (ring).
2.	I (read) a library book	b. the crowd (rush) in.
3.	Sarah (have) an electric shock	c. he (know) the answer immediately.
4.	When the doors (open),	d. they (see) that the sun (shine).
5.	When the campers (wake),	e. when we (arrive) at the station.
6.	Vicky (have) a beautiful dream	f. when she (touch) the wire.
7.	When Andrew (see) the question,	g. when I (find) a £10 note in it.

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		Past Perfect – Past Perfect Continuous
Formation:		affirmative		negative		interrogative
		sentences		sentences		sentences
						had + subject +
Past Perfect		had + participle II		had + not +
		(He had done his		participle II		participle II?
		homework before		(He had not done		(Had he done his
		the lesson began.)		his homework		homework before
				before the lesson		the lesson began?)
				began.)
						had + subject +
Past Perfect		had + been +		had + not + been
Continuous		participle I		+ participle I		been + participle
		(He had been		(He had not been		I?
		doing his		doing his		(Had he been
		homework for two		homework for two		doing his
		hours before his		hours before his		homework for two
		mother came		mother came		hours before his
		home.)		home.)		mother came
						home?)

Use

The Past Perfect is used for:

•finished events in the past which happened before other events in the past:

By the time I got to the cinema, the film had started.

•reported speech:

John told me our team had scored twice.

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• the following sentence patterns:

hardly	when (не успел/а/и …, как … )
scarcely	when (не успел/а/и …, как … )
nearly	when (не успел/а/и …, как … )
barely	when (не успел/а/и …, как … )
no sooner	than (не успел/а/и …, как … )

He had hardly entered the office when his employees stopped talking.

Past Perfect (negative) … before/when + Past Simple (не успел/а/и…, как)

The children hadn’t gone several miles when they got tired.

The Past Perfect Continuous is used for:

• events in progress before another event in the past:

I had been thinking about that before you mentioned it.

• reported speech:

Robert told me that he had been working there for 20 years.

EXERCISE 26. Put each verb in brackets into the Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous.

1.When Bobby … (do) his homework, he went for a walk.

2.We … (scarcely/leave) the house when it began to rain.

3.Mary was out of breath. She … (run).

4.Jane decided not to tell her mother anything because she … (already/have) enough pain.

5.Frank told me that he … (not/finish) the project.

6.How long … (you/wait) before I came?

7.Helen was crying because she … (lose) her key.

8.When I entered the room, my friends … (watch) TV for half an hour.

9.Diana couldn’t take part in that competition because she … (break) her leg.

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EXERCISE 27. Read about each situation and then tick the right answer.

Two men delivered the sofa. I had already paid for it. (..b..) Which came first, a) the delivery, or b) the payment?

1.The waiter brought our drinks. We'd already had our soup. Which came first, a) the drinks, or b) the soup?

2.I'd seen the film, so I read the book.

Did I first a) see the film, or b) read the book?

3.The programme had ended, so I rewound the cassette.

Did I rewind the cassette a) after, or b) before the programme ended?

4.I had an invitation to the party, but I'd arranged a trip to London. Which came first, a) the invitation, or b) the arrangements for the trip?

EXERCISE 28. Add a sentence with the past perfect using the notes.

Claire looked very suntanned when I saw her last week. (just / be on holiday)

She'd just been on holiday.

1.We rushed to the station, but we were too late. (the train / just / go)

2.I didn't have an umbrella, but that didn't matter. (the rain / stop)

3.When I got to the concert hall, they wouldn't let me in. (forget / my ticket)

4.Someone got the number of the car the raiders used. (steal / it / a week before)

5.I was really pleased to see Rachel again yesterday. (not see / her / for ages)

6.Luckily the flat didn't look too bad when my parents called in. (just / clean / it)

7.The boss invited me to lunch yesterday, but I had to refuse the invitation. (already / eat / my sandwiches)

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EXERCISE 29. Put the verbs in the present perfect (have done) or past perfect (had done).

It isn't raining now. It's stopped (stop) at last.

We had no car at that time. We'd sold (sell) our old one.

1.The park looked awful. People ….. (leave) litter everywhere.

2.You can have that newspaper. I ….. (finish) with it.

3.There's no more cheese. We ….. (eat) it all, I'm afraid.

4.There was no sign of a taxi, although I ….. (order) one half an hour before.

5.This bill isn't right. They ….. (make) a mistake.

6.I spoke to Melanie at lunch-time. Someone ….. (tell) her the news earlier.

7.I was really tired last night. I ….. (have) a hard day.

8.Don't you want to see this programme? It ….. (start).

9.It'll soon get warm in here. I ….. (turn) the heating on.

10.At last the committee were ready to announce their decision. They ….. (make) up their minds.

EXERCISE 30. Complete the conversation. Put in the past perfect continuous of the verbs.

Rachel: How was your job interview?

Vicky: Awful. I felt terribly nervous. …I'd been worrying… (I / worry) about it all week. And I was tired because (1) ….. (I / work) on my project the night before. (2) ….. (I / not look) forward to the interview at all.

Rachel: So what happened?

Vicky: The woman interviewing me was half an hour late because (3) ….. (she / deal) with an unexpected problem, she said. (4) ….. (I / wait) ages, and I'd got even more nervous.

Rachel: How did the interview go?

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