Mixed exercise 1: past simple & past continuous
(Practise differentiating past simple and progressive)
Past simple or past continuous – multiple-choice test
Difficulty: rather easy (2 of 5)
Choose the correct answer for each sentence using the past simple or past continuous/progressive.
- Example: “You called me while I ________ a shower.”
- A. were having
- B. had
- C. was having → Correct!
If you are still unsure about the topic, look at the explanations on the past simple and the past progressive again.
- Marcus ________ home after the party.
- didn’t go
- wasn’t going
- didn’t going
- At ten o’clock last night, my sister ________ to her friend on the phone.
- was talking
- were talking
- When I ________ in London, a lot of friends visited me.
- was living
- did live
- He ________ three emails during the lunch break.
- was writing
- We decided to stay at home because it ________.
- was raining
- were raining
- While the kids were playing football in the garden, the father ________ the house.
- was painting
- were painting
More exercises and explanations related to ‘Past simple and past continuous’
The following exercises and explanations refer to the difference between ‘Past simple and past progressive (the ing form) in English grammar’. They also train and test your knowledge: