Page 25 - English Writing Booster

Grammar Focus

Past continuous tense vs past tense

For action in progress in the past For action that interrupts it
I was watching Beauty and The Beast but I fell asleep before the end

I was talking with my friend when my cellphone dead
While I was shopping one day my teacher walked into the store

Complete these sentences using past continuous tense or past tense

1. My brother ............(snowboard) when he...........(break) his leg in several places.

2. Several years ago, I.......(have) problems with Math, so I....(find) out a tutor to help

me.

3. The couple............(have) their child while they.........(live) in a tiny apartment.
4. While I ......(ride) in the city a few weeks ago, I ......(realize) that I was on the wrong

side of the road.
5. Lina...(read) a book, but someone...(tell) her the ending.

6. While we.........(cook) dinner last night, the cellphone.........(ring) three times and

then ..........(stop).

7. My parents.............(meat) each other, while they...........(work) in the same place.

8. Yesterday I ......(go) to the library, next I..........(have) a swim, later I............(meet)

Julie for coffee.

9. It .....(be) a day last September. The sun ........(shine) and the birds ....(sing). I

....(walk) along the street when I ........(meet) an old friend.

10. On holiday, we......(visit) Yogyakarta, ...............(see) the Vatican, and ...........(spend)

a few days at the beach.

22 |Unit 2: Once Upon A Time