We already have talked about past continuous/progressive tense usages, structures for affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences. in the article below we have accomplished past continuous tense exercises with answers for ESL teachers and students.
Past Continuous Tense Exercises With Answers
Exercise 1:
1- He was _____________ a book at 9PM last night.
- a- read
- b- Read
- c- reading
2- They _______________________down the street when the rain started.
- a- walking
- b- are walking
- c- were walking
3- She was reciting the Holy Quran when her father ________________ home.
- a- come
- b- was come
- c- came
4- My brothers were watching TV in the living room while I ______________ in the bedroom.
- a- slept
- b- was sleeping
- c- was sleep
5- Was ______________ you something when I walked into the office?
- a- I told
- b- he tell
- c- he telling
6- I __________________ taking a shower when they came.
- a- didn`t
- b- wasn`t
- c- am not
7- They were all sleeping when he _____________ home .
- a- comes
- b- was come
- c- came
8- Why ___________________________ crying?
- a- she was
- b- Was she
- c- was she
9- Who _____________ late to class?
- a- always was coming
- b- were coming always
- c- was always coming
10- Who ________________ listening to?
- a- was
- b- he was
- c- were you
11- Weren`t you _______________ me?
- a- look at
- b- looking at
- c- looking to
Exercise 2:
A) Put the verbs into the correct form (past progressive).
- When I phoned my friends, they (play) monopoly.
- Yesterday at six I (prepare) dinner.
- The kids (play) in the garden when it suddenly began to rain.
- I (practice) the guitar when he came home.
- We (not / cycle) all day.
- While Alan (work) in his room, his friends (swim) in the pool.
- I tried to tell them the truth but they (not / listen).
- What (you / do) yesterday?
- Most of the time we (sit) in the park.
- I (listen) to the radio while my sister (watch) TV.
- When I arrived, They (play) cards.
- We (study) English yesterday at 4:00 pm.
B) Write correct sentences:
Yesterday at 6 pm your family was doing different things. Write positive sentences in past progressive.
- My mother / read / a novel
- Father/watch / a movie
- My elder sister/writing / in her diary
- Two brothers / listen / to the radio
- My little sister and I / not / watch / a movie
- We / talk / about school
Answers:
Exercise 1. Answers:
- Reading
- Were reading
- Came
- Was sleeping
- He telling
- Wasn’t
- Came
- Was she
- Was always coming
- Were you
- Looking at
Exercise 2. A) Answers:
- When I phoned my friends, they were playing monopoly.
- Yesterday at six, I was preparing dinner.
- The kids were playing in the garden when it suddenly began to rain.
- I was practicing the guitar when he came home.
- We were not cycling all day.
- While Alan was working in his room, his friends were swimming in the pool.
- I tried to tell them the truth but they were not listening.
- What were you doing yesterday?
- Most of the time we were sitting in the park.
- I was listening to the radio while my sister was watching TV.
- When I arrived, they were playing cards.
- We were studying English yesterday at 04:00 PM.
B)
- My mother was reading a novel.
- Father was watching a movie.
- My elder sister was writing in her diary.
- Two brothers were listening to the radio.
- My little sister and I were not watching a movie.
- We were talking about school.