Past simple and past continuous – English Grammar Test for A2
Grammar » Grammar Test for A2 » Past simple and past continuous - English Grammar Test for A2
(a) read
(b) was reading
(c) reads
2 They … dinner at 7 p.m. yesterday.
(a) were having
(b) have
(c) had
3 While we … TV, the lights went out.
(a) was watching
(b) watched
(c) were watching
4 I … the guitar when you knocked on the door.
(a) played
(b) was playing
(c) play
5 He … football last Sunday.
(a) played
(b) was playing
(c) was play
6 At 9 o’clock last night, she … a shower.
(a) took
(b) was taking
(c) takes
7 They … to school when it started to rain.
(a) walked
(b) were walking
(c) walk
8 While I …, my phone rang.
(a) cooked
(b) was cooking
(c) cook
9 He … his homework before dinner.
(a) finished
(b) was finishing
(c) finishes
10 I … my keys, so I couldn’t open the door.
(a) lost
(b) was losing
(c) lose
11 When I saw them, they … in the park.
(a) sat
(b) were sitting
(c) sit
12 She … for the bus when I met her.
(a) waited
(b) waits
(c) was waiting
13 We … English when the teacher came in.
(a) studied
(b) were studying
(c) study
14 While Tom … a shower, the phone rang.
(a) had
(b) was having
(c) has
15 They … to music yesterday evening.
(a) listened
(b) were listening
(c) listen
16 The children … in the garden when it started to rain.
(a) were playing
(b) played
(c) play
17 He … the newspaper while she was cooking.
(a) read
(b) was reading
(c) reads
18 I … the answer immediately.
(a) knew
(b) was knowing
(c) know
19 At 8 p.m. last night, I … my homework.
(a) did
(b) was doing
(c) do
20 While she …, I watched TV.
(a) cooked
(b) was cooking
(c) cooks
21 They … at the cinema last Saturday.
(a) were
(b) was
(c) are
22 He … very fast when the police stopped him.
(a) was driving
(b) drove
(c) drives
23 I … in bed when I heard a noise.
(a) lay
(b) was lying
(c) lies
24 She … the window when the teacher entered.
(a) was opening
(b) opened
(c) opens
25 While we … football, it started to snow.
(a) played
(b) were playing
(c) plays
26 I … him yesterday at the supermarket.
(a) saw
(b) was seeing
(c) see
27 They … loudly when the teacher came in.
(a) were talking
(b) talked
(c) talk
28 We … in London for two weeks last year.
(a) stayed
(b) were staying
(c) stay
29 While I … the bus, I met an old friend.
(a) waited for
(b) was waiting for
(c) wait for
30 He … the exam yesterday morning.
(a) was taking
(b) took
(c) takes
Answer
1 (b) was reading – Past Continuous for an action in progress when another action happened.
2 (c) had – Past Simple for a completed action at a specific time.
3 (c) were watching – Past Continuous for the longer action interrupted by Past Simple (“went out”).
4 (b) was playing – Ongoing action interrupted by “knocked”.
5 (a) played – Past Simple for a completed past event.
6 (b) was taking – Action in progress at a specific past time.
7 (b) were walking – Longer action interrupted by “started to rain”.
8 (b) was cooking – Past Continuous shows the background activity.
9 (a) finished – Past Simple shows completion before dinner.
10 (a) lost – Past Simple for a single completed action.
11 (b) were sitting – Past Continuous describes a scene in progress.
12 (c) was waiting – Past Continuous for an action in progress when “I met her”.
13 (b) were studying – Ongoing action when another action happened.
14 (b) was having – Past Continuous for an action in progress.
15 (a) listened – Past Simple for a finished action yesterday evening.
16 (a) were playing – Ongoing action interrupted by rain.
17 (b) was reading – Background action while another action happened.
18 (a) knew – State verbs (know, like, believe) are not usually used in Continuous.
19 (b) was doing – Ongoing action at a specific past time.
20 (b) was cooking – Background action while another action was happening.
21 (a) were – Past Simple “be” for plural subject.
22 (a) was driving – Action in progress interrupted by Past Simple.
23 (b) was lying – Ongoing state/action when “I heard”.
24 (a) was opening – Ongoing action interrupted.
25 (b) were playing – Background action interrupted by snow.
26 (a) saw – Past Simple for a completed past action.
27 (a) were talking – Ongoing action interrupted by teacher.
28 (a) stayed – Past Simple for a finished period of time.
29 (b) was waiting for – Ongoing action when another action happened.
30 (b) took – Past Simple for a completed action (the exam).