Past continuous tense – English Grammar Test for A2
Grammar » Grammar Test for A2 » Past continuous tense - English Grammar Test for A2
(a) was cooking
(b) were cooking
(c) is cooking
2 They ___ (play) football when it started to rain.
(a) was playing
(b) were playing
(c) are playing
3 I ___ (watch) TV while my mother was cooking.
(a) was watching
(b) were watching
(c) am watching
4 My father ___ (read) a newspaper at that time.
(a) was reading
(b) were reading
(c) is reading
5 The children ___ (play) in the garden all afternoon yesterday.
(a) were playing
(b) was playing
(c) are playing
6 While I ___ (study), my brother was sleeping.
(a) was studying
(b) were studying
(c) am studying
7 At 8 o’clock last night, we ___ (listen) to music.
(a) were listening
(b) was listening
(c) are listening
8 She ___ (prepare) for the exam all night.
(a) was preparing
(b) were preparing
(c) is preparing
9 They ___ (walk) to school when they met their teacher.
(a) was walking
(b) were walking
(c) are walking
10 I ___ (talk) on the phone when you knocked at the door.
(a) was talking
(b) were talking
(c) am talking
11 He ___ (do) his homework at 6 o’clock yesterday evening.
(a) was doing
(b) were doing
(c) is doing
12 We ___ (walk) in the park when we saw a rainbow.
(a) were walking
(b) was walking
(c) are walking
13 She ___ (wear) a red dress at that moment.
(a) was wearing
(b) were wearing
(c) is wearing
14 They ___ (study) in the library yesterday afternoon.
(a) were studying
(b) was studying
(c) are studying
15 The dog ___ (run) in the yard when I got home.
(a) was running
(b) were running
(c) is running
16 At midnight, I ___ (lie) in bed and reading a book.
(a) was lying
(b) were lying
(c) am lying
17 The teacher ___ (explain) the lesson when the bell rang.
(a) was explaining
(b) were explaining
(c) is explaining
18 We ___ (have) dinner together at 8 o’clock yesterday.
(a) were having
(b) was having
(c) are having
19 She ___ (listen) to music while she was driving home.
(a) was listening
(b) were listening
(c) is listening
20 At that time, my friends ___ (watch) a football match on TV.
(a) were watching
(b) was watching
(c) are watching
21 I ___ (go) to work when I met my old friend.
(a) was going
(b) were going
(c) am going
22 They ___ (study) English when the teacher entered the classroom.
(a) were studying
(b) was studying
(c) are studying
23 The sun ___ (shine) when we left the house.
(a) was shining
(b) were shining
(c) is shining
24 At 2 a.m., he ___ (write) an email to his colleague.
(a) was writing
(b) were writing
(c) is writing
25 I ___ (eat) a sandwich while my sister was cooking pasta.
(a) was eating
(b) were eating
(c) am eating
26 We ___ (talk) about our holiday plans yesterday evening.
(a) were talking
(b) was talking
(c) are talking
27 She ___ (sit) in the library when her friend called.
(a) was sitting
(b) were sitting
(c) is sitting
28 They ___ (wait) for the bus at 5 p.m. yesterday.
(a) were waiting
(b) was waiting
(c) are waiting
29 The baby ___ (sleep) in her bed all afternoon.
(a) was sleeping
(b) were sleeping
(c) is sleeping
30 He ___ (write) a letter to his parents at that time.
(a) was writing
(b) were writing
(c) is writing
Answer
1 (a) was cooking – Action at a specific time yesterday.
2 (b) were playing – Ongoing action interrupted by “it started to rain.”
3 (a) was watching – Two actions at the same time: watching & cooking.
4 (a) was reading – Action at “that time.”
5 (a) were playing – Plural subject + “all afternoon yesterday.”
6 (a) was studying – Continuous action with “while.”
7 (a) were listening – At 8 o’clock yesterday = specific time.
8 (a) was preparing – Continuous overnight action.
9 (b) were walking – Plural subject + “when they met.”
10 (a) was talking – Ongoing action interrupted by knock.
11 (a) was doing – Action at 6 o’clock yesterday.
12 (a) were walking – Past Continuous + “when.”
13 (a) was wearing – Singular subject, at a moment in the past.
14 (a) were studying – Plural subject, yesterday afternoon.
15 (a) was running – Singular subject + “when.”
16 (a) was lying – Continuous action at midnight.
17 (a) was explaining – Interrupted by the bell.
18 (a) were having – Plural subject, specific time yesterday.
19 (a) was listening – Past Continuous + “while.”
20 (a) were watching – Plural subject, at that time.
21 (a) was going – Ongoing action when interrupted.
22 (a) were studying – Plural subject, when teacher entered.
23 (a) was shining – Singular subject “sun” + “when.”
24 (a) was writing – Continuous action at 2 a.m.
25 (a) was eating – Two actions happening at the same time.
26 (a) were talking – Plural subject + yesterday evening.
27 (a) was sitting – Singular subject, when friend called.
28 (a) were waiting – Plural subject, at 5 p.m. yesterday.
29 (a) was sleeping – Singular subject, all afternoon.
30 (a) was writing – Singular subject, “at that time.”