Past continuous use – Exercise 219

Drag each element from the list below to the right gap.

when he lost control of the car.

when we heard an SOS signal.

when their mother called them for dinner.

when it slipped out of my hand and broke.

when they reported about the explosion.

We were sailing towards Malta

I was listening to the radio

I was washing my teacup

Paul was driving at a high speed

The kids were playing in the backyard

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Past continuous with past simple

The past continuous tense often goes together with the past simple. The past continuous shows longer background action and the past simple — shorter action:

I was doing something when something happened.

Examples

I was having a shower when you rang the doorbell. was having — longer background action, rang — short action

Helen was cooking dinner when the children came back. was cooking — longer background action, came back — short action

It wasn't raining when I woke up. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. wasn't raining, was shining, were singing — longer background action, woke up — short action