Past Continuous or Past Indefinite?

Exercise 114

Put the verbs into the correct form, the Past Continuous or the Past Indefinite.

Example:

• Jane _____ (wait) for me when I _____ (arrive).

• Jane was waiting for me when I arrived.

1. I _____ (see) Sue in town yesterday but she _____ (not / see) me. She _____ (look) the other way.

2. "What _____ (you / do) this time yesterday?" "I was asleep."

3. "_____ (you / go) out last night?" "No, I was too tired."

4. "Was Carol at the party last night?" "yes, she _____ (wear) a really nice dress."

5. How fast _____ (you / drive) when the accident _____ (happen)?

6. John _____ (take) a photograph of me while I _____ (not / look).

7. We were in a very difficult position. We _____ (not / know) what to do.

8. I haven't seen Alan for ages. When I last _____ (see) him, he _____ (try) to find a job in London.

9. I _____ (walk) along the street when suddenly I _____ (hear) footsteps behind me. Somebody _____ (follow) me. I was frightened and I _____ (start) to run.

10. When I was young, I _____ (want) to be a bus driver.

11. We _____ (go) down in the lift when suddenly it _____ (stop).

12. When I _____ (open) the door, a friend _____ (stand) there.

13. When the doorbell _____ (ring) I _____ (get) up and _____ (answer) it.

14. I _____ (drop) my bag when I _____ (run) for a bus.

15. My clothes _____ (get) dirty when I _____ (clean) the attic.

Exercise 115

A Fright

Read about Jane's frightening experience. Put the verbs in brackets in the Past Indefinite or the Past Continuous.

I caught (catch) the nine o'clock bus home last night. It was getting (get) dark and it 1 __________ (rain) hard as well. When I 2 __________ (get off) the bus, there was no one in the street, only an old man who

3 __________ (take) his dog for a walk. He 4 __________ (walk) in the opposite direction.

Suddenly, I 5 __________ (hear) footsteps behind me. I 6 __________ (begin) to run but they 7 __________ (come) nearer and nearer. I

8 __________ (run) faster and faster, and I 9 __________ (shake) with fright.

I finally 10 __________ (reach) home, but just as I 11 __________ (put) the key in the door, I 12 __________ (feel) a hand on my shoulder.

A man's voice 13 __________ (say), "Excuse me Miss, here's your umbrella. You 14 __________ (leave) it on the bus."

Activity

Think of an experience or a situation, which frightened you. Write a short paragraph about it. Include where you were, what you were doing and what suddenly happened. Read your story to the class.

Exercise 116

These paragraphs begin three stories: a love story, a western and a horror story.

I Complete the paragraphs using the Past Continuous or the Past

Indefinite of the verbs in brackets.

A: It was midnight and I was alone in the house. Outside it was raining (rain)

very hard. I _____ (get) ready to go to bed when I suddenly heard a

strange noise outside my room in the corridor. Then when I looked at the

door, I noticed that someone _____ (turn) the handle! I _____ (rush) over

to the door and quickly _____ (turn) the key in the lock. Then I _____ (ask)

in a trembling voice, "Who is it?"

B: It was early evening and it _____ (begin) to get dark in the surgery of

Doctor Nigel Harris. The young, handsome doctor _____ (stand) looking

sadly out of the window when there was a quiet knock at the surgery door.

The door _____ (open) and Dr Harris _____ (turn) round to see the young

girl who had just entered the room. She was very beautiful. With a sad

smile the doctor _____ (ask), "Are you the new nurse?"

C: I _____ (sit) in the big chair in Henry's barber's shop at the time. Henry

_____ (cut) my hair with his big scissors when we heard the sound of

horses outside. The noise was so loud that we _____ (go) over to the

window to look. Through the window we could see at least twenty gunmen

riding into town. Henry immediately ____ (go) over to his desk and _____

(put) on his gun and Sheriff's badge.

II Which paragraph begins which story?

Exercise 117

Correct the mistakes in the sentences given below. Mind the use of the Past Continuous and the Past Indefinite.

Example:

• It was beautiful yesterday when we went for a walk in the park. The sun shone. A cool breeze blowing.

• It was beautiful yesterday when we went for a walk in the park. The sun

was shining was blowing.

shone. A cool breeze blowing.

1. I were walking down the street when it began to rain.

2. My friends was looking for their lost dog all day long.

3. While I am writing my composition last night, someone knocks on the door.

4. The telephone rung while I doing the dishes.

5. What were he doing at this time yesterday?

6. "Why weren't you at the meeting last Friday?" "I will be waiting for an overseas call from my family."

7. "I'm sure you met Carol Jones at the party last night." "I don't remember her. What she was wearing?"

8. I don't want to go to the zoo today because it is raining. The same thing happened yesterday. I was not wanting to go to the zoo because it rained.

9. While Mrs. Emerson was reading the little boy a story, he was listening to her with great attention.

10. I really enjoyed my vacation last January. While it were snowing in Iowa,

the sun was shining in Florida. While you shovelling snow in Iowa I was

lying on the beach in Florida.

11. While Ted shovelled snow from his driveway yesterday, his wife was

bringing him a cup of hot chocolate.

CONVERSATIONS

Exercise 118

Choose the correct form of the verbs: the Present Continuous or the Present Indefinite; the Past Continuous or the Past Indefinite.

Adam: Mike: Adam: Mike: Adam: Mike: Adam: Mike: Adam: Mike: Adam: Mike:

Hello, Mike. What 1 are you doing / do you do in this part of London? Well, actually, 2 I'm looking / I look at flats round here. Flats? 3 Are you wanting / Do you want to move? Yes, in fact, believe it or not, Mandy and I 4 are getting / get married. That's great! Congratulations. When 5 were you deciding / did you decide? Only last week. It was while we 6 were staying / stayed with her family in Scotland. Now 7 we try / are trying to find a suitable flat. It'll be great to have you as neighbours. I hope you manage to buy one soon. Oh, we 8 aren't looking / don't look for one to buy. We 9 aren't having / don't have enough money yet. 10 We are wanting / We want to find somewhere to rent. Yes, of course. That's what we 11 did / were doing at first. Actually, in the end, my brother 12 was lending / lent us some money. That's how we 13 were managing / managed to buy ours. Really? Perhaps I'll talk to my family before 14 we choose / we're choosing a flat. That's not a bad idea. My family 15 gave / were giving us quite a lot helpful advice. Now, what about a coffee? There's a good place just round the corner. Oh, yes, I 16 looked / was looking for somewhere to sit down when I bumped into you. Let's go.

Exercise 119

Use the verbs in the box to complete the following dialogue. Use the Present Indefinite or the Present Continuous, or the Past Indefinite or the Past Continuous. Read the whole conversation before you start.

do	give	go	have	revise	see
shake	try	not / go	not / use	not / work

Fred is phoning to his friend Jane.

Fred: Jane: Fred: Jane: Fred: Jane: Fred: Jane: Fred: Jane: Fred: Jane: Fred:

Hello, Jane, it's Fred here. Oh, hello Fred. What 1 are you doing? Nothing much. I 2 was revising but I had to stop because my computer 3 isn't working. Oh, dear. Well, I 4 __________ mine. Would you like to come and borrow it? Thanks, but I'd rather go out. Would you like to come to the cinema? They 5 __________ two tickets for the price of one this afternoon. What's on? I'm not sure. Well, I 6 __________ if I don't know what film we'll see. Wait a minute. I 7 __________ to find the right page in the newspaper. Oh, it's a horror film. How about you? Definitely not. You know I 8 __________ nightmares when I __________ horror films. We 10 __________ to see one last year and by the end I 11 __________ with terror. Oh, all right. Well, see you on Monday I suppose. Yes, OK. Bye. Bye.

Exercise 120

Read the text.