GRAMMER: Use the Past
Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted.
The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past.
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1. Put the verbs in brackets in the Past
Simple or the Past Continuous.
Last week I decided (decide)
to invite some
friends over for dinner. I had
(1) _____________ _______ (buy) lots of
delicious food, including some expensive ham. At about 6 pm I (2) ______________________________
(cook) in the kitchen. The sun was (3) ________________________ (shine) and as it
(4) ____________________________ (be) such a beautiful evening, I (5) __________________________
(open) the back door. The telephone then (6) ________________________ (ring). I
(7) _____________________ (go) to answer it. When I (8) __________________________________
(come) back the ham (9) _______________________________ (not be) on the
table any longer. I turned and (10) __________________ (look) out of the kitchen
window through which I could see a cat (11) __________________________ (sit) on
my garden wall, and it (12) ________________________ (eat) my ham! What (13)
___________________ (can) I do? I (14) ____________________ (fill) a pan with
water and (15) _______________ (go) quietly outside. The cat (16) ___________________________
(not look) in my direction, and as it (17) ____________________________________
(enjoy) the ham so much it (18)
__________________________ (not hear) me approach. I (19) __________________
(walk) slowly up to it. I (20) ___________________________ (want) to empty the
water over its head. A bit cruel, I know, but the ham (21) _______________________
(be) very expensive! But at the last moment the cat (22) _______________________
(hear) me, (23) _________________________ (jump) over the wall, and (24)
_________________ (escape). The happiest cat in the neighborhood!
(2) Answer the following questions
about you! What were you doing at………
(A) 6
a.m. yesterday morning? ____________________________________________
(B) 8
a.m. yesterday? ____________________________________________________
(C) 10
p.m. last Sunday? _________________________________________________
(D) Midday
yesterday? __________________________________________________
(E) 5.30
p.m. the day before yesterday? _____________________________________
(F) 2.30
p.m. yesterday afternoon? _________________________________________
(G) 3
p.m. last Thursday? ________________________________________________
(H) 10
minutes ago? ____________________________________________________
ANSWERS: PAST SIMPLE OR PAST
CONTINUOUS?
1.
Put the verbs in brackets in the Past Simple or the Past
Continuous.
Last week I decided (decide) to invite some friends over for dinner. I had
(1) bought (buy) lots of
delicious food, including some expensive ham. At about 6 pm I (2) was cooking (cook) in the
kitchen. The sun was (3) shining
(shine) and as it (4) was (be) such a
beautiful evening, I (5) opened
(open) the back door. The telephone then (6) rang (ring). I (7) went
(go) to answer it. When I (8) came
(come) back the ham (9) was not
(not be) on the table any longer. I turned and (10) looked (look) out of the kitchen window through which I could
see a cat (11) sitting (sit)
on my garden wall, and it (12) was
eating (eat) my ham! What (13) could
(can) I do? I (14) filled
(fill) a pan with water and (15) went
(go) quietly outside. The cat (16) was
not looking (not look) in my direction, and as it (17) was enjoying (enjoy) the ham so
much it (18) did not hear (not hear) me approach . I (19) walked (walk) slowly up to it. I
(20) wanted (want) to empty
the water over its head. A bit cruel, I know, but the ham (21) was (be) very expensive! But at
the last moment the cat (22) heard (hear)
me, (23) jumped (jump) over
the wall, and (24) escaped
(escape). The happiest cat in the neighborhood!
EXERCISE (2): Answer the
following questions about you!
What were you doing
at………….. (Some examples).
(A)
6 a.m. yesterday morning? I was sleeping.
(B)
8 a.m. yesterday? I was having breakfast.
(C)
10 p.m. last Sunday? I was drinking a cup of tea.
(D)
Midday yesterday? I was eating lunch.
(E)
5.30 p.m. the day before yesterday? I was driving home from work.
(F)
2.30 p.m. yesterday afternoon? I was working.
(G)
3 p.m. last Thursday? My boss and I were having a meeting.
(H)
10 minutes ago? I was reading my emails.
Thank you so much . This is a very nice exercise.
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