Solutions for: App 240 / Past Continuous (1)

Practise the past continuous with these fun exercises!

We use the past continuous when we want to talk about the background of a story: the birds were singing. We also use it to talk about an action in the past that was happening at a specific moment of interruption: we were watching a film when the door bell rang. The past continuous also describes a past habit of someone: he was always leaving the door open.

How to form this tense: Use the simple past of "to be": "was" for I and he/she/it and "were" for you, we and they and then add "-ing" to the verb. For example. I was watching TV. OR We were having lunch.

He __________ playing in the garden when the phone rang.

Solution:
was

Were you ______ to music when I phoned you?

Solution:
listening

We ______ sitting in the classroom when the fire alarm went off.

Solution:
were

When we were __________ breakfast, my aunt Polly came for a visit.

Solution:
having

Were you __________ me when I had my headphones on?

Solution:
calling

We ______ just wondering about making a cake for Mum's birthday.

Solution:
were

I was ______ if you could do my chores today?

Solution:
wondering

I ______ riding on the bus when the snow storm suddenly hit!

Solution:
was

They were __________ at the house when a cat suddenly jumped through the window!

Solution:
looking

Alistair ______ having a good time at the party, when his Mum asked him to come home.

Solution:
was

Jordan was __________ on the football pitch when he saw me and waved.
Fill the gap with the right form of "run"
Solution:
running

They ______ playing football when it started to rain.

Solution:
were

Susan was __________ for her shoes when she found her piggy bank instead.
Fill the gap with the right form of "look"
Solution:
looking

When I ______ tidying my room I suddenly got an important phone call.

Solution:
was