Mixed exercise 1: past simple & past continuous

(Practise differentiating past simple and progressive)

Past simple or past continuous – multiple-choice test

Difficulty: rather easy (2 of 5)

Choose the correct answer for each sentence using the past simple or past continuous/progressive.

Example: “You called me while I ________ a shower.”
- A. were having
- B. had
- C. was having → Correct!

If you are still unsure about the topic, look at the explanations on the past simple and the past progressive again.

Marcus ________ home after the party.
1. didn’t go
2. wasn’t going
3. didn’t going
At ten o’clock last night, my sister ________ to her friend on the phone.
1. was talking
2. talked
3. were talking
When I ________ in London, a lot of friends visited me.
1. was living
2. lived
3. did live
He ________ three emails during the lunch break.
1. wrote
2. was writing
3. writed
We decided to stay at home because it ________.
1. was raining
2. were raining
3. rained
While the kids were playing football in the garden, the father ________ the house.
1. was painting
2. painted
3. were painting

More exercises and explanations related to ‘Past simple and past continuous’

The following exercises and explanations refer to the difference between ‘Past simple and past progressive (the ing form) in English grammar’. They also train and test your knowledge: