Past continuous tense exercises with answers learn esl. Simple past and past continuous tense english practice. Simple past and past continuous flashcards quizlet. Learn all 12 tenses in english with useful grammar. I looked out of the window and saw that people were walking in the park. I was watching television when she called me last night. I to take took a shower, then i to get dressed got dressed and to leave left. The past continuous is formed from the past tense of to be with the base of the main verb plus the ending ing form of the verb. Past tense simple is used to describe actions that happened in the past. So by just knowing past continuous tense formula one cannot just understand the differences between both these tenses. Past progressive practice complete the following sentences using the correct form of the past progressive tense of the verbs provided. When the teacher came in, they were studying english.
Present continuous and past continuous tenses english. Two common signal words for the past continuous are, when and while. Check the answers to this exercise on past perfect tense. Past simple or present perfect placement test 1 past simple video modal. At the time of the incident, not many people were shopping in the store. We use the past simple to talk about the past see unit 8. English esl past simple and past continuous worksheets. It was raining when we came out of the shopping centre. In this exercise you will practise the past simple and past continuous tenses. We already have talked about past continuousprogressive tense usages, structures for affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences.
Past simple past continuous exercises focusenglishschool. Put the verbs into the correct tense simple past or past progressive. Simple past or past continuous tense exercise for class 9. Multiple choice questions and complete the sentences exercise about past tenses. Put the sentences from the present into the past tense. What characteristics and interests did elyse and paula have in common.
Did your parents call you last night while you were watching tv. There are two principal past tenses used to make general statements about the past. We use the simple past as the narrative form of the past to express completed, sequential actions. We can use the past simple and the past continuous in the same sentence. Write the words in brackets in past simple or past continuous tense. Exercise 1 write the present participle of these verbs. Home page grammar exercises preintermediate past simple or past continuous exercise.
Verb tense exercise 4 simple past and past continuous f t p using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the check button to check your answers. Simple past or past continuous tense whenwhile youtube. Choose simple past or past continuous tense to complete the sentences. Simple past vs past continuous exercise 2 3 simple past exercises pdf. Irregular past simple tense verbs do not end in ed. Students often get confuse in past continuous tense that whether they have to use waswere or isamare. Past simple vs past continuous elementary worksheet ii. We were playing volleyball with mary when you called me. The simple past and the past progressive, also past continuous, are used to express actions in the past. Past simple or past continuous worksheet 1 grammarbank.
Test comprising exercises with present simlpe, present continuous. Exercise on simple past and past progressive ex07 ex07. Peter visited his friends in florida two months ago. The action had not finished at a particular time in the past. Worksheet 2 past simple and past continuous 1 complete the sentences with the correct past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. I jog in the park, when two squirrels cross my way.
Past simple vs past continuous language on schools. Past simple or past continuous worksheet 2 grammarbank. English esl past simple vs continuous tense worksheets. Ask students to comment on what function the past continuous. The simple past tense is only used to say that something happened at some time in the past. Present continuous and past continuous tenses download pdf complete the following sentences using an appropriate present continuous or past continuous tense form. Exercise on simple past and past progressive ex04 ex04. Christine was eating dinner last night when you knocked on the door. We use the past continuous see unit 9 for something around a past time or a past action. Point out that the past continuous focuses on a specific moment in the past. The past continuous tense an elementary grammar worksheet fromanna grammarz the past continuous tense has these uses. Past perfect and past perfect continuous exercises past perfect i had gone and past perfect continuous i had been going exercise 1. Fill each gap with a verb in either the past simple or past continuous tense. Lets begin to study the past simple vs past continuous.
Helen do her weekly shopping when she meet her old friend, june. Choose which verb tense simple past or past continuous. To talk about two longer actions that were progressing. Past simple and past continuous interactive worksheets language.
Past progressive past continuous english word order. For example, i was walking through the park when i met david. Past simple or past continuous worksheet 1 answers. Online exercises english grammar and courses free tutorial past progressive past continuous. Recommended for elementary students who are asked to complete the sentences with the past simple or the past continuous of the verbs in brackets. Past simple past continuous past perfect simple answers a 1. Past simple, past continuous exercise 1 was doing, i broke was playing, was doing he drank, he ate i was having, i suddenly heard. There are 10 questions in this quiz and each question has only one true answer. Check the answers to this exercise on past continuous tense write the words in capital letters at the end of sentences in past continuous or past simple tense. Comparison of tenses simple past and past continuous with free online exercises, passive rules and passive voice examples. Choose which verb tense simple past or past continuous fits better. As i was walking in the streets of holland, i met an old friend of mine.
Heres another interactive exercise about the past simple and past continuous tenses choose the correct tense. The car came out of the side road and then the van drove into the back of it. Verb tense exercise 4 simple past and past continuous. Past continuous tense english grammar and exercises. Put in the verbs in brackets in simple past or past progressive into the gaps. He jump into the river and rescue the drowning man. I was staying at my friends house while my parents were touring italy. All the tickets had been sold before the concert began. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
I see my first baseball match while i live in new york. Past simple or past continuous worksheet 2 answers. Past simple and past continuous interactive worksheets. Simple past vs past continuous exercises to learn english. When the boys arrived at the cinema, the film had already started, 3. Write the words in brackets in the correct forms in english using past continuous tense. I to eat was eating cornflakes while dad to read was reading the newspaper. Heres another exercise to practise the verb tenses. Answer each question by selecting the right answer containing one or more words that best fill in the blank. They were standing stand on the corner when i saw them.
Fluent speakers of english know when and how to use past simple and past continuous to talk. Archimedes discover the theory of buoyancy while he take a bath. To talk about a shorter action that happened in the middle of a longer action, we use the simple past. Note that we use the past continuous tense for the background action and the simple past tense for the action that happens in the middle. Remember sometimes the continuous tenses are called the progressive tenses. Online exercises past progressive past continuous, questions and negative sentences. We use the past progressive to say what was happening at a particular moment in the past, to set the scene and to emphasise duration of a past action.
Past continuous is used to describe action that were in progress still happening not finished at a certain time in the past. When jack dropped by to visit me, i was having dinner. Please note that specific times and dates in the past can also be used. Home grammar verb tenses simple past and past progressive exercise about we are dedicated to creating and providing free, highquality english language learning resources. The simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions in the past. While tom play the piano, his mother do the washingup. May be freely copied for personal or classroom use. Past simple and past continuous inspiration macmillan.
Choose the correct tense simple past or past perfect. Simple past vs past continuous exercise 3 grammarbank. Simple past or past progressive english tense comparison. The past continuous tense is also used to talk about an action which was in progress when another action commenced.
Guide to past simple and past continuous verb tenses. Past simple and past continuous pdf exercises with answers. Exercises simple past he went and past continuous he was going elementary exercise 1. Fill in the blanks with a correct form, the past simple or the past continuous. Verb tenses tutorial exercise 1 simple present present.
Online exercises comparison of tenses, comparison of tenses questions and. Complete the following sentences using appropriate simple past or past continuous forms. I began to study at nine last night and i was still studying at eleven. Finally, click here to download this exercise in pdf with answers. The past continuous tense is used to say that something was going on at a particular past time.
When we travel around ireland, we meet some very nice people. Complete the following sentences using the correct form of the past progressive tense of the verbs provided. Past simple and past continuous cambridge university press. The simple past and the past continuous multiple choice.
Teachers also might say the past simple or the simple past, these are just different names. Live worksheets english english as a second language esl verb tenses past continuous or simple past continuous or simple students have to complete sentences with the correct verb form, past simple or continuous and match the sentences to pictures. For regular verbs, the past participle form of the verb is the same as the past tense verb, so you just add ed simple past or present perfect exercises similar tests. Were looking back from the first action to the second action, which had taken. Past simple or past continuous exercise esl lounge student.
Although they are both past tenses their uses are quite different. Use the words in brackets to put the following into the correct tense the past simple or past continuous. The main use is to describe a long action that is happening around another shorter action in the past. Past simple and past progressive tenses grammar exercises online for esl. Before the exercise,there is a small tip about these thre. The past simple is used for the actions in the story, to tell us what happened next. This is an easy worksheet contrasting the past simple and past continuous tense. Every monday, sally drive her kids to football practice. The simple past and the past continuous are two tenses commonly used to make general statements about the past.
There are two types of english verbs in the past simple regular and irregular verbs. They have different forms for positive statements regular. Before we reached the station we saw that we had lost our way. It is used to talk about something that was happening at some time in the past. Write various examples on the board of sentences combining the past simple and past continuous to illustrate the idea of an interrupted past. Check the answers to this exercise on past continuous tense. English grammar practice exercise, for preintermediate and intermediate level. Choose which verb tense simple past or past continuous completes each sentence in a logical, naturalsounding way. Past continuous tense is very important and past continuous exercises are as important as it is. Use the past simple to talk about an event which happened at some point in time in the past. Simple past vs past continuous exercise grammarbank.
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