2.5. Combine the two sentences into one compound sentence each time saying that:

(A) one action was interrupted by another action.

Model: I watched TV. I fell asleep.

I fell asleep when I was watching TV.

1. Maison went out. I came in.

2. We waited for the bus. We saw an accident.

3. The doorbell rang. Jack left the house.

4. Mike had an accident. He drove too fast.

5. I ate dinner. Jim came.

6. He fell asleep last night. He heard a strange noise.

7. Eric studied. Amanda called him on the phone.

8. I didn't hear you. I listened to the radio.

9. He bought a ticket. The train left.

10. We played cards. The light went out.

(B) two actions were going on at the same time.

Model: I shaved. The children had breakfast.

I was shaving while the children were having breakfast.

1. You had a bath. The girls washed the dishes.

2. She planted flowers in the garden. The children played with a ball in the yard.

3. You talked to Mary. I talked to John.

4. Alison got ready. Eric fetched the car.

5. I made the tea. Jimmy cleaned the car.

6. The children enjoyed playing chess. Their mothers chatted in another room.

7. It rained. He walked up the hill.

8. The house burnt. We slept.

9. We listened to the teacher very attentively. Pete and Jane whispered.

10. I read up for my exam. My younger sister watched TV.

2.6. How did it happen?

Model: How did Alex hurt himself? (play soccer)

He hurt himself while he was playing soccer.

1. How did Martin burn himself? (iron his clothes)

2. How did Helen cut herself? (slice onions)

3. How did Jennifer meet her husband? (repair the car)

4. How did Martin break his arm? (skate)

5. How did you lose your wallet? (ride my bicycle)

6. How did Bob get a black eye? (fight with his brother)

7. How did Martha injure her leg? (dance)

8. How did Eric fall off the ladder? (paint the ceiling)

9. How did Ann break the plate? (do the washing-up)

10. How did Susan and Ben get acquainted? (breed pigeons in the park)

2.7. Open the brackets. Use either the Past Continuous or Past Indefinite.

(A)

1. Sally (to burn) her wrist when she (to cook) the dinner.

2. Last night I (to read) in bed when suddenly I (to hear) a scream.

3. We (not to go) out because it (to rain).

4. One day I (to play) by the big window in our front room where I used to sit on wet days looking at the rain.

5. When Sid (to be) young, he (to work) from morning till night.

6. While he (to read) aloud, I (to write) a letter to my friend.

7. Last night my neighbours (to shout) for hours and I couldn't get to sleep.

8. The whole day yesterday Nick (to get) ready for his report.

9. What you (to do) at this time yesterday?

10. The phone still (to ring) when I (to rush) into the room.

11. I (not to drive) very fast when the accident (to happen).

12. I (to make) the tea while Jimmy (to clean) the car.

13. Isabel always (to ask) difficult questions to answer when she (to be) a little girl.

14. Ann (to break) a plate last night. She (to do) the washing-up when it (to slip) out of her hand.

15. At this time yesterday the students (to have) a Grammar test.

16. Malcolm (to fall) off the ladder while he (to paint) the ceiling.

17. We (to enjoy) the film when suddenly the electricity (to go) off.

18. He (to open) the book and (to start) to read.

19. Last night at 9.35 the Director of school (to walk) from the office to his car when somebody (to attack) him from behind.

20. Everyone was having a good time, although not many people (to dance).

(B)

Last night I (1) (to be) alone at home. I (2) (to lie) on my bed and I (3) (to watch) TV when I (4) (to hear) a strange noise. The noise (5) (to come) from the kitchen. I (6) (to go) downstairs, (7) (to pick up) a heavy vase from the table and (8) (to head for) the kitchen. I (9) (to open) the door very slowly. Then I (10) (to see) someone. He (11) (to search) in the fridge. I (12) (to be) so frightened that I (13) (to drop) the vase I (14) (to carry) and it (15) (to crash) onto the floor. The man (16) (to turn) towards the door and I (17) (to see) his face. It (18) (to be) my husband!

(C)

Tom went back to the camp the following morning, but it (1) (to be) in some confusion. Soldiers (2) (to wander) around carrying equipment from one place to another, but there (3) (not to seem) to be any purpose to what they (4) (to do). Tom had never been in an army camp before and he (5) (not to know) what to do. He (6) (to try) to phone the newspaper, but something (7) (to be) wrong with the telephone lines. He (8) (to try) to find out what exactly (9) (to go on), when the first plane (10) (to appear). A wooden building a few hundred yards away suddenly (11) (to disappear) in an explosion of flame. Soon bombs (12) (to explode) all round him. Smoke (13) (to rise) from burning buildings. And suddenly everything (14) (to go) quiet.

(D)

It was a typical summer afternoon; the sun (1) (to shine) brightly, the cars (2) (to creep) slowly round the corner of the park. Five or six children (3) (to play) in the stream by the fountain, jumping in and out of the water, their laughter mixing with the noise of the traffic. All the world (4) (to wear) shorts or T-shirts, or bathing costumes; yet Walter Harrison, sitting on a park bench in his overcoat, (5) (to feel) cold and lonely. After a few minutes he (6) (to get up) and (7) (to walk) through the park gates. His adventure was about to begin…

He (8) (to stop) just before putting his key in the front door. Something (9) (to happen) in the back garden. Quietly he (10) (to creep) around the side of the house and (11) (to look) through the gate. Two men (12) (to stand) at the back of the house, holding a ladder. A third man was at the top of the ladder and a fourth inside the house: he (13) (to pass) furniture through the window to his partner. All four (14) (to work) quietly and efficiently and the pile of furniture in the garden (15) (to get) bigger and bigger. Walter couldn't believe his eyes: the strangers (16) (to empty) his flat, and they (17) (to behave) as if it was the most normal thing in the world. He (18) (to cough) loudly and then (19) (to say), "Excuse me!" – and the man at the top of the ladder (20) (to drop) his portable TV onto the concrete below.

(E)

The other day I (1) (to happen) to finish work earlier than usual. The weather was charming, so I (2) (to decide) to take a walk. When I (3) (to pass) by one of the numerous pubs, it (4) (to occur) to me that I could do with a bottle of beer and (5) (to enter) the bar. There (6) (to be) not many customers in it. Several men and women (7) (to have) their lunch at the tables, others (8) (to stand) at the bar and (9) (to drink) beer. I (10) (to take) a seat and (11) (to order) a bottle of beer. While I (12) (to drink) my beer, the place (13) (to be filled) with visitors. When I (14) (to be going) to leave the bar, it (15) (to begin) to rain. I (16) (to wait) a few minutes, but the rain (17) (not to stop). The strange part of it was that there (18) (to be) no clouds in the sky and the sun (19) (to shine) brightly, and yet it (20) (to rain) hard.

Oral Activity