SIMPLE PAST OR PAST CONTINUOUS? EXERCISE 1 (ESL)

level: Intermediate (B1/B2)

Choose which verb tense (past simple or past continuous) completes each sentence in a logical, natural-sounding way.

1. I ________. I didn't hear you come in.
a. was sleeping
b. slept

2. I ________ to see her twice, but she wasn't home.
a. was coming
b. came

3. P1: What ________? P2: I was watching TV.
a. did you do
b. were you doing

4. Robin Hood was a character who ________ from the rich and gave to the poor.
a. stole
b. was stealing

5. P1: Hey, did you talk to her? P2: Yes, I ________ to her.
a. was talking
b. talked

6. I ________ home very late last night.
a. came
b. was coming

7. How long ________ the flu?
a. did you have
b. were you having

8. P1: ________ a good time in Brazil? P2: Yes, I had a blast!
a. Were you having
b. Did you have

9. We ________ breakfast when she walked into the room.
a. had
b. were having

10. Last month I decided to buy a new car, and today I finally ________ it.
a. bought
b. was buying

11. I ________ a book when I heard a noise outside.
a. was reading
b. read

12. P1: Is there any more Coke in the fridge? P2: No, Theresa ________ it all last night.
a. was drinking
b. drank

13. When I came home last night, my roommate ________ at the neighbor.
a. was yelling
b. yelled

14. He ________ everything that I told him.
a. understood
b. was understanding

15. P1: Does your brother still go to college? P2: No, he ________ last year.
a. was graduating
b. graduated

16. I hurt my hand while I ________ basketball.
a. played
b. was playing

17. My grandmother ________ about all of her grandchildren.
a. was caring
b. cared

18. I ________ a shower when I heard the phone ring.
a. was taking
b. took

19. P1: What was the woman doing? P2: She ________ about the price of the vegetables.
a. complained
b. was complaining

20. I can't believe that you actually ________ her to meet your parents.
a. took
b. were taking

MORE LIKE THIS: SIMPLE PAST/PAST CONTINUOUS 2

GRAMMAR REVIEW! Past continuous or simple past?

PAST CONTINUOUS

Form: was/were + verb-ing

Use it when:
• Describing an ongoing action in the past.
"I was watching TV at 8 PM."
• Showing a background action when something else happened.
"I was cooking when she arrived."
• Talking about two things happening at the same time in the past.
"He was reading while she was writing."
• Adding atmosphere or setting the scene in storytelling.
"The wind was blowing, and the rain was pouring."

SIMPLE PAST

Form: verb in past form (e.g., walked, ate, went)

Use it when:
• Talking about a completed action in the past.
"She left at noon."
• Telling a sequence of events.
"He got up, brushed his teeth, and went out."
• Talking about facts or states in the past.
"They lived in Spain for 5 years."

Together:
Use them together when one action was happening, and another shorter one interrupted it.
Example: "I was walking to work when I saw the accident."

Tired of ads? Sign up for our ad-free PREMIUM EDITION for lots of great content!