Page 67 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

simple past or past progressive? I walked / 1was walking

We use the simple past to talk about complete actions (long or short).
We use the past progressive for actions which were not complete at a past time.

Joe got up at 7.00 and worked from 9.00 to 4.00. At 8.00, when Joe came home, I was reading.

PAST 8.00 no w

Q Simple past or past progressive?

► I lived/ was living in France for eight years.
► Sue lived/was living)in France when her uncle died.
1 At 6.15, when you phoned, I had /was having a shower.

2 We watched/were watching TV all evening.
3 Matt watched/was watching TV when Anita came in.
4 My father worked /was working hard all his life.
5 They got married while they studied/ were studying at London University.
6 Yesterday we drove/were driving from Oxford to Edinburgh and back.

7 It was a nice evening, so she walked/was walking home from work.
8 I met Sylvie while I worked/ was working in Japan.
9 At university I studied/was studying physics.
10 When I last saw him he talked/was talking to a policeman.

Q Complete the sentences with past progressive verbs.

► When I got home (the children watch TVQ) .. W ^ V .! Qpt home th t ohlldrtyy were wa t c h T V .
► (jyou cycle H ) when you broke your leg . Z/ . ^ . 0.®“ .............
► When I saw Joan (she look U) happy .. I 5P.WJ?*Y/. h?. .^P.PiY..................

1 At seven o'clock on Friday (we play cards D])
2 When I saw him he was holding the phone but (talk B)

3 When Mary got up (itsnow Q)

4 When I saw Alice, (she walk B ) very fast

5 What (you do H) at ten o'clock yesterday evening

6 When you heard them, (they talk about me f|)

7 How fast (you drive H ) when you had the accident

8 The doorbell rang when I (expect H) anybody

9 I don't know what I (do Q) at 10.00 on January 13th, 2005

10 I had to drive to London because the trains (run B) when I left home

52 PAST TENSES